After our visit to the Manawatu Estuary, our next stop was Whanganui where we booked in for the night. A friend in Masterton had advised visiting Bushy Park which is a short drive out of the town, so after checking into our accommodation we headed for Bushy Park which is not far from Kai Iwi. The sanctuary is effectively an inland island surrounded by a predator-proof fence and is entered via a pair of electronically controlled gates to minimise the risk of pest entry.

The historic homestead offers accommodation options which would be perfect for an extended exploration of the reserve. There is a $10 fee for day visitors and we paid via the honesty box on the porch before heading off on a track to the wetland. A short way down the path I found a North Island Robin perching co-operatively on a Supplejack vine and a short while after, a Saddleback exploring bark crevices for insects. Both provided good photographic subjects and made it clear that a couple of days could be well rewarded with some good images.

The tracks are well laid out, signposted and maintained making it a great place to explore. A couple of nectar feeders attract Stitchbirds/Hihi and we stopped near one briefly to chat with a Canadian visitor and saw 2 birds visit the feeder. This was very much a scouting visit and it will be lovely to return for longer and spend a couple of days to make the most of the opportunities.

Robin and Saddleback photos with Nikon D500 and Nikon 300mm f4 PF lens