Southern Crossings is proud to partner with Kakapo Recovery, a program that combines the efforts of scientists, rangers, volunteers and donors to protect the critically endangered kakapo.
Prior to humans arriving around 1300, New Zealand had absolutely no land mammals. The country was inhabited only by birds and lizards. With no fear of predators, this allowed New Zealand’s birds to evolve to become some of the most unique creatures in the birding world! Some grew whiskers, others a second voice-box for unique melodic singing, most became huge, and many lost the ability to fly.
One of the most iconic of these is the kakapo. A part of the parrot family, the kakapo is the largest and heaviest species of parrot in the world, and the only nocturnal parrot. They can’t fly, and they can live to the ripe old age of 90. They are also incredibly tame, and were once kept as pets by Maori. These unique traits sadly made kakapo easy prey for invasive pests such as rats and stoats. Today there are only around 250 kakapo remaining, most hidden away on protected island sanctuaries.
Southern Crossings has adopted a gorgeous kakapo named Kuia, which translates to ‘wise old woman’. Kuia was born in 1996 and we’re proud to report that on her last health check, she was in the best of health. Last season she raised two chicks, Aella and Paroro. She kept her rangers busy though, consuming more food than any other (but at a mere 1.58 kilograms, we think that’s ok). In June 2024, two more kakapo were added to our flock! Marama and Waikawa were gifted to Southern Crossings from our friends at Signature Travel Network.
Our adoption directly supports Kakapo Recovery, a program run by the Department of Conservation, which is the government department tasked with protecting New Zealand’s flora and fauna. The funds are used for food and radio transmitters, as well as the salaries of the legion of heroic rangers who carry out the health checks.
Kakapo,
Mai a Rangi,
Mai a Papatuanuku,
Mai a Tane,
Ka puawai Rimu,
Ka hua a Kakapo,
Ki te Whai ao,
Ki te Ao marama,
Ka here tangata,
Ka here whenua,
Ka tu te Po,
Ka tu te Ao,
Tihei mauri ora.
Mai a Rangi,
Mai a Papatuanuku,
Mai a Tane,
Ka puawai Rimu,
Ka hua a Kakapo,
Ki te Whai ao,
Ki te Ao marama,
Ka here tangata,
Ka here whenua,
Ka tu te Po,
Ka tu te Ao,
Tihei mauri ora.
Parrot of the night,
You came from Rangi,
You came from Mother Earth,
You came from Tane,
For the flowering of Rimu,
A sustenance for Kakapo,
From this world,
To the world beyond,
We are bound together in conserving nature,
We are bound together in conserving land,
Let night come,
Let day come,
Such is life.
Thank you for arranging a truly memorable holiday … we had the most incredible time in Australia, and we know we will be back for more again in the not so distant future, so lovely was our visit. So many memorable moments: Saffire Freycinet, start to finish, was perfection. The food in Tasmania knocked our socks off. Our spa services at qualia were some of the best we’ve had anywhere in the world. Capella Sydney was top class, .. and our charter in the Whitsundays was magnificent .. Thanks again – we were just so thrilled.
We just wanted to take a moment and say a HUGE thank you for all your advice and support as we planned our trip to AUS/NZ. For us, it was a trip of a lifetime and that would not have been possible without Southern Crossings. We were able to explore, laugh, eat yummy food, see amazing animals, kayak and meet so many nice people along the way. Our guides and drivers were excellent .. and took us off the beaten path to find truly unique experiences... We could see your local knowledge throughout the trip!!! .. it was a 11 out 10!!
I just wanted to let you know what an amazing time (my clients) had on their trip to Australia and New Zealand, and I wanted to thank you SO much for all of your incredible efforts to make it happen. You went above and beyond to arrange the adventure of a lifetime, and most importantly you gave Spencer the opportunity to do everything and anything that he could imagine. That is truly a gift!!
We have had a terrific time at qualia. What a great recommendation! Our bungalow is awesome, the sunset cruise was fabulous, had a chance to meet others from all over the globe, and the snorkeling was terrific! .. This trip has been one of the best and we have thoroughly enjoyed every aspect. Can’t thank you enough!
I have worked with several DMCs in the past and you are by far the best one I have ever worked with! ..I could write a list that would keep me here until tomorrow! You are absolutely magnificent!
Thank you so much for all you did, I’m so impressed with Southern Crossings and will come straight to you again the future!
I can not thank you enough your assistance in planning a great trip to NZ & Australia. The accommodations were fantastic throughout, the itinerary was flawless, it was just so well choreographed, like a successful Broadway show. And we fell in love with both countries; how can you not!!
Best of all, at about every stop we’ve been treated to some form of special hospitality, which has not gone unnoticed. Safe to say this trip has met and exceeded our expectations.
I can’t begin to tell you how appreciative I am to be working with you. Thank you for all the assistance from the beginning and of course the last minute changes with the floods. Southern Crossings have made it seamless
I just wanted to tell you that our Australia trip was probably The best trip we have Ever taken!!!!!! Not only has it been in our Bucket List forever, but because of all the planning and selected vendors you and Southern Crossing chose to make it all happen, it was incredible!!!!!! Based on all the moving parts of this trip that was almost a full month of events, there was not ONE mess up… A huge thank you for doing an Outstanding job in making everything work out, and making this trip, truly amazing and magical ..
many many many thanks!!!!!!
many many many thanks!!!!!!
We came thinking it would be the trip of a lifetime. Bottom line is it was better.
We have been blown away by everything - hotels, food, people, golf, wine - the list is endless. You did an amazing job
We have been blown away by everything - hotels, food, people, golf, wine - the list is endless. You did an amazing job
Thank you ALL for the most wonderful Australia/New Zealand adventure.
Planning a 7 week trip is daunting enough without the complications of COVID cancellations, rebookings, and closures. Yet every connection, every transportation detail, every accommodation, every meal, everything was flawless.
From our arrival in Sydney .. to our last stop in Queenstown .. we will carry with us the best memories of our trip and all of your efforts. The incredible private boat tours .. the bespoke wine tours with the best guides .. our accommodations .. and the excellent itinerary and pacing, made for a perfect trip.
We can't thank Southern Crossings enough for making this trip all, and more, than we had imagined. You allowed us to see the best of your countries: the people, the beauty, the culture. Five stars, a blue ribbon, and a gold medal to everyone at Southern Crossings!
Planning a 7 week trip is daunting enough without the complications of COVID cancellations, rebookings, and closures. Yet every connection, every transportation detail, every accommodation, every meal, everything was flawless.
From our arrival in Sydney .. to our last stop in Queenstown .. we will carry with us the best memories of our trip and all of your efforts. The incredible private boat tours .. the bespoke wine tours with the best guides .. our accommodations .. and the excellent itinerary and pacing, made for a perfect trip.
We can't thank Southern Crossings enough for making this trip all, and more, than we had imagined. You allowed us to see the best of your countries: the people, the beauty, the culture. Five stars, a blue ribbon, and a gold medal to everyone at Southern Crossings!
I cannot recommend Southern Crossings more highly! Fiona worked closely with us to design an itinerary that was perfectly catered to our needs, price-point and preferences. Everything they booked felt extremely authentic and unique. The itinerary was well-balanced in terms of activity, travel and accommodation. They were available and communicative in the months leading up to the trip as well as in real time during the trip. If anything went wrong I took comfort in knowing they were only a phone call away but luckily everything went extremely smoothly. The behind-the-scenes coordination made everything feel seamless and resulted in the trip of a lifetime for us
We just returned from our fabulous, fascinating trip to Australia. We loved the excellent accommodations that Southern Crossings arranged for us. Besides the convenience of the locations, we had opportunities of fabulous meals on site. We do want to revisit some at a future date. The Kangaroo Island Ocean View Eco Villas were amazing. Three Star Michelin breakfast, cocktails, and suppers included every day! Chef Tamsin has to be experienced to be believed. Thank you and your staff for all the time and effort that you did for us again!
I had a call with (my client) last night and she was telling me all about their FABULOUS trip!! … They loved everything … I made a few notes to share with you as I always feel that compliments are very important… the same goes for constructive criticism, but they were thrilled with EVERYTHING! … Once again, I truly appreciate all your hard work and thank you for planning a trip that made my client SO HAPPY!!
To say we had the time of our lives would be putting it mildly.
Your country, its people and your team could not have made us feel more welcome.
Thank you for all the special moments you enabled us to experience.
Your country, its people and your team could not have made us feel more welcome.
Thank you for all the special moments you enabled us to experience.
A love letter to the amazing team @southerncrossings (and a special thanks to Samantha Thomas who answered all my questions and adapted my itinerary as needed). You made my dream come true. From the tour guides to the drivers, from the accommodations to the flights, everything was perfect. You're the best in your business and I will talk about this adventure for the rest of my life.
Where to begin?! We cannot thank you enough for making our dream honeymoon come true. From start to finish it was absolutely perfect and so much more than we ever could have imagined. We still cannot believe how much you were able to fit in and each stop along our itinerary just got better and better. Working with Southern Crossings was - without a doubt - the best decision we made in planning this trip and we know, for sure, that it would not have been nearly the same without your brilliant expertise. … We are so grateful for your support around this trip and hope to work with you all again in the future as soon as we can make it back.
Just completed three weeks of travel in Australia and New Zealand with our 5 kids. Southern Crossing took great care of us by selecting properties that were worth visiting, finding local guides to help us see the sites, and recommending fine dining establishments that were superb. Well done. We would highly recommend their team.
We used Southern Crossings for our time away in the Northern Territory which has been on our wish list for years. The experience was everything we’d hoped for: from the hotels they recommended to the types and size of the tours they organised. It was perfect for our family. We loved the use of their app for up-to-date information on what was coming up and the places we had visited. I would highly recommend them and will definitely be using them again.
"Every day was more exciting than the last. Great advice and great execution all around by Southern Crossings. Highly recommend!"
"Southern Crossings put together the trip of a lifetime...The team was incredibly accommodating and went above and beyond to ensure we received what we asked for and more .. amazing excursions and accommodations that we will never forget across seven locations in Australia and New Zealand. We highly recommend using Southern Crossings!"
"Thank you, once again, for making our trip so seamless. We loved every place we stayed and all of the adventures you planned for us! We hope to visit again and will be sure to connect with you for that trip."
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