TEMPORARILY CLOSED (due to Cyclone Damage - see link) Muriwai Gannet Colony Lookout is a thrilling destination for bird watchers who come to see the tens of thousands of Australiasian gannets that gather at this spot along New Zealand's West Coast. The well formed track starts from the carpark and only takes around 5 minutes to get to the lookout.

During the breeding season, from late September to mid-December, pairs of birds take turns incubating their eggs and feeding their young. During the winter months, the adult gannets disperse to local coastal waters, leaving the colony empty but it is a still an amazing landscape destination for photography.

The Muriwai Gannet Colony is hugely popular with photographers and it is definitely worth taking a look at especially closer to sunset when the light is at its most golden. Take your wide angle lens with you for this location.