Kotūku, Mahinapua Creek

Our trip to the Hokitika, West Coast, was wonderful.

The first morning we were up at the crack of dawn, for a boat ride down the Mahinapua Creek, and out onto Lake Mahinapua.The reflections of the surrounding forest, and then the lake itself, were gorgeous.
This kotūku was most obliging, and didn't seem at all fazed by the nearness of our boat, nor all the people on board.
The kotūku, or great white egret, is a favourite with photographers. They are a magnificent and graceful bird, elegant in flight, and always a delight to see. We really did get lucky! 
If that was all we'd done for the day I'd have come home happy. We did a forest walk later, and then drove out to Dorothy Falls, and the Hokitika Gorge.
There's an early morning image of Lake Mahinapua, plus one of Dorothy Falls, in Extras.