• Sunday 10 March, 4pm
  • Southshore Spit Reserve, end of Rocking Horse Road, South New Brighton
  • Catch route 5 bus, limited off-street parking available
  • FREE

Farewell to the Godwits.

Help farewell Christchurch’s iconic and much-loved visitors, the Bar-tailed Godwits (kuaka), as they take off on their long trip back to Alaska.

The champion long-distance flying birds are seen off towards the end of summer with a brief and informative ceremony at the Southshore Spit. The Godwit makes the longest non-stop flight known for any bird and the longest journey without pausing to feed by any animal – more than 11,000 km along a route from Alaska to Christchurch to escape the northern winter.

After resting up and filling out under the protection of park rangers and bird lovers in Christchurch, the birds are ready to return to their Alaskan breeding grounds.

This unique and very special event is presented by the Christchurch City Council, its Regional Park Rangers team and the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust.

Free BBQ sausages. BYO binoculars. No dogs please.