Day 1 Tauranga, New Zealand
Arrive in Tauranga and transfer to the Spirit of Enderby. Settle into your cabin and join your expedition team and captain for a welcome on board.
Day 2 Hauraki Gulf
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
In the outer Hauraki Gulf, there should be some good sightings of the Grey Ternlet. Other birds could include the Little Blue Penguin, Buller’s Shearwaters, Grey-faced Petrel, Little Shearwaters and Black Petrels, Fluttering Shearwaters and hopefully the New Zealand Storm-Petrels.
Day 3-4 At Sea
- Ship
- 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
En route to Norfolk Island, you have a good chance of spotting Gould’s Petrel, Black-winged Petrel, White-naped Petrel, Grey-faced Petrel, Tahiti Petrel and Black Petrels.
Day 5 Norfolk Island
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
After clearing Australian Customs, spend most of the day at Norfolk Island’s remnant forest, home to the three endemics – the Norfolk Island Parakeet, the Norfolk Gerygone, and the Slender-billed White-eye.
Day 6 At Sea
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
At sea on a northward course, cross a large underwater seamount, a productive area for seabirds including Tahiti, Kermadec and Collared and White-necked Petrels.
Day 7 At Sea and New Caledonia
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
As you approach New Caledonia, try to locate the ‘New Caledonian Storm-Petrel’ which is considered an undescribed species. Other species including Short-tailed and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, as well as Tahiti, Gould’s and Collared Petrels could be attracted to our oiling. Later today arrive in Noumea.
Day 8 New Caledonia
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today journey to the Parc de la Rivière Bleue National Park to look for Kagu and Crow Honey-eater. Other birds to be on the lookout for include the Crested Parakeet, Cloven-feathered Dove, Yellow-bellied Robin, New Caledonian (Goliath) Imperial Pigeon and many more.
Day 9-11 At Sea
- Ship
- 3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners
Enjoy leisurely days at sea and a chance to relax, catch up on notes, reading and sleep. Birding can also be good including Polynesian Storm-Petrel.
Day 12 Rennell Island
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This morning go ashore at Rennell Island where your guides hope to see the Rennell Starling, Rennell Shrikebill, Bare-eyed White-eye, Rennell Fantail and Rennell White-eye. Other species you may come across include the Imperial Pigeon, Silver-capped Fruit Dove, Singing Parrot, Melanesian Flycatcher, Cardinal Myzomela, Finsch’s Pygmy Parrot and Island Thrush.
Day 13 Makira Island
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Makira Island holds its own treasures, including the endemic Sooty Myzomela, San Cristobal Melidectes, White-collared Monarch, Mottled Flowerpeckers, White-headed Fruit Dove and Rufous Fantail. Other species could include Rainbow Lorikeets, Red-knobbed and Imperial Pigeon, San Cristobal Singing and Metallic Starling, Pied Goshawk, Pacific Baza, and Cardinal Myzomela. Also enjoy the hospitality of the people in nearby Anuta Village.
Day 14 Honiara
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Anchor off Honiara and depart in the early morning for nearby Mt Austin. The birding here is quite exceptional and there is the potential for a good list of endemics and localized specialties including Yellow-eyed, White-bellied and Solomon’s Cuckoo-shrikes, Cicadabird, Brown-winged and Singing Starlings, Yellow-faced Myna, Chestnut-bellied and Black-and-white Monarchs and also the Steely Blue Fly-catcher.
Day 15 Kolombangara Island
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
At Kolombangara Island this afternoon, your guides hope to see White-capped Monarch, Solomon White-eye, Yellow-vented Myzomela and hopefully, the Roviana Rail. Other species could include Blyths Hornbill, Superb Fruit Dove, Red-knobbed Imperial-Pigeon, Steely Blue Fly-catcher, Melanesian and Yellow-eyed Cuckoo-shrikes, Metallic and Singing Starlings and the Solomon Sea-Eagle.
Day 16 At Sea
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today the ship is at sea near the Bougainville and the New Britain Trench. Experience shows that it is a very productive area and it is liekly to see Heinroth’s Shearwater, it is also great for cetaceans.
Day 17 New Ireland
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today cruise along the coast of New Ireland, where the day's target is the recently rediscovered Beck’s Petrel. Also there is another chance for Heinroth’s Shearwater.
Day 18-19 At Sea
- Ship
- 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
During these days at sea, the ship crosses the equator – a cause for celebration! There are a number of species to be on the lookout for, including Bulwer’s Petrel, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, White-tailed Tropicbird, White and Sooty Terns and the Frigate Bird.
Day 20-21 Caroline Islands
- Ship
- 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
On Weno Island, where the ship is berthed, you can hope to see species such as Myzomelas, Reed Warbler, Swiftlet and the Ground Dove. Caroline Islands White-eye, Swiftlet and Reed Warbler, the Micronesian Myzomela and Starling as well as Oceanic Flycatcher are also possible sightings. On Tol South it is possible to see the endemic Great Truk White-eye and the Chuuk Monarch.
Day 22-28 At Sea
- Ship
- 7 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 7 Dinners
It’s a long-haul to the Bonin Islands and the birding can be quiet, but there is potentially some good sightings including Matsudaira’s and Tristram’s Storm-Petrel, Bonin and Bulwer’s Petrels, Wedge-tailed and Bannerman’s Shearwaters.
Day 29 Torishima Island
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Landings are not permitted at Torishima Island, but you can cruise close by in hopes of spotting the Short-tailed or Steller’s Albatross. Other species in the vicinity include the Black-footed and Laysan Albatross, Streaked Shearwater, Tristam’s and Matsudaira’s Storm-Petrels.
Day 30 Miyakejima Island
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Cruise offshore of this island, where there is known to be Japanese Murrelet breeding. Continue your journey to Yokohama, where there is generally some good birding on this last leg of the cruise. Enjoy a farewell dinner tonight.
Day 31 Disembark in Yokohama, Japan
After breakfast and completing Japanese arrival formalities, disembark the Spirit of Enderby. Bid farewell to your fellow voyagers and board a complimentary transfer from the ship to Yokohama railway station.
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