Robert Findlay Wildlife Reserve

“My fiancée and I visited this morning and had a fantastic, peaceful time immersing ourselves in the mangroves and wetlands. Keeping quiet to respect both the environment and other bird watchers made us feel so much more connected to the surroundings. There are plenty of great viewing decks, bays, and purpose-built bird hides along the track to observe from without disturbing the wildlife. The carpark has public drop toilets that were clean and clearly well looked after. We even crossed paths with the local ranger today, who was exceptionally nice, welcoming, and hard at work keeping the reserve in great shape. Aim to visit around the 3-hour mark before or after high tide to catch the most bird activity as they feed. If you have an hour or two to spare along the coast, this spot is well worth the visit. We loved it!”

“Amazing place to view the migratory birds. We were lucky enough to come when a guide wad there, Pete, who was awesome explaining and pointing out the bird types there. Recommendation, come two hours before High tide, then you can see the birds go from the goodwit hut fly over to the second mudflat to rest. Best come around Feb March when the males have their mating feathers. Birds usually start arriving from their migrations in August.”

“Amazing place. I visited in the evening at just before high tide, when the godwits and oystercatchers were very active, and put on an amazing display. If you can catch high tides either early morning or evenings this would be the best conditions for light and activity. Plus some patience. I would allow several hours.”