Western Pacific Odyssey Itinerary:

Day 1:  Tauranga    
Arrive in Tauranga and transfer to ‘Spirit of Enderby’. After settling in to your cabin, join a briefing with Expedition staff.  
Day 2: Hauraki Gulf.In the outer Hauraki Gulf, we should obtain some good sightings of the Grey Ternlet.  Other birds could include the Little Blue Penguin, Australian Gannets, Common Diving Petrels, Fluttering Shearwaters and hopefully the New Zealand Storm Petrels.   

Days 3 – 4: At sea.En route to Norfolk Island, we have a good chance of spotting Gould’s Petrel, Black-winged Petrel, White-naped Petrel, Grey-faced Petrel, Tahiti Petrel and Black Petrels.  
Day 5: Norfolk Island.After clearing Australian Customs, we spend most of the day at Norfolk Island’s Botanical Gardens, home to the two endemics – the Norfolk Island Parakeet and the Norfolk Gerygone.  
Day 6: At Sea.At sea on a northward course, we cross a large underwater seamount, a productive area for seabirds including Tahiti, Kermadec and Grey-faced Petrels, plus the first of the Polynesian Storm Petrels.  
Days 7 – 8: New Caledonia.We arrive at New Caledonia in the afternoon and pick up our pilot for the journey to the Port of Noumea. Relax, enjoy the town of Noumea or go birding on the outskirts of town. The next day we journey to the Parc de la Rivière Bleue to look for Kagu and Crow Honey-eater. Other birds to be on the lookout for include the Crested Parakeet, Cloven-feathered Dove, Yellow-bellied Robin, New Caledonian (Goliath) Imperial Pigeon and many more.  
Days 9 – 11: At sea.Enjoy leisurely days at sea and a chance to relax, catch up on notes, reading and sleep.

Day 12: Rennell Island.This morning we go ashore at Rennell Island where we hope to see the Rennell Starling, Rennell Shrikebill, Bare-eyed White-eye, Rennell Fantail and Rennell White-eye. Other species include the Imperial Pigeon, Silver-capped Fruit Dove, Singing Parrot, Melanesian Flycatcher, Cardinal Myzomela, Finsch’s Pygmy Parrot and Island Thrush.   

Day 13: Makira Island.Makira Island holds its own treasures, including the endemic Sooty Myzomela, San Cristobal Melidectes, White-collared Monarch, Mottled Flowerpeckers, White-headed Fruit Dove and Rufous Fantail. Other species could include Rainbow Lorikeets, Red-knobbed and Imperial Pigeon, San Cristobal Singing and Metallic Starling, Pied Goshawk, Pacific Baza, and Cardinal Myzomela.  We will also enjoy the hospitality of the people in nearby Anuta Village.   

Day 14: Honiara.We anchor off Honiara and depart in the early morning for nearby Mount Austin. Birds that we might see include Yellow-eyed, White-bellied and Solomon’s Cuckoo-shrikes, Cicadabird, Brown-winged and Singing Starlings, Yellow-faced Myna, Chestnut-bellied and Black-and-white Monarchs, Steely Blue Fly-catcher, Mottled Flowerpiercer, Olive-backed Sunbird and the Black-faced Myzomela. Parrots and pigeons could include the Cardinal Lory and Yellow-bibbed Lory, Singing and Eclectus Parrots, Finsch’s Pygmy Parrot, Ducorp’s Cockatoo, McKinnon’s Cuckoo Dove, Red-knobbed Imperial Pigeon and Claret-breasted and Superb Fruit-Doves.   

Days 15: Kolombangara Island.We make land at Kolombangara Island in the early afternoon. There we hope to see White-capped Monarch, Solomon White-eye, Yellow-vented Myzomela and, hopefully, the Roviana Rail.  Other species could include Blyth’s Hornbill, Superb Fruit Dove, Red-knobbed Imperial Pigeon, Steely Blue Fly-catcher, Melanesian and Yellow-eyed Cuckoo-shrikes, Metallic and Singing Starlings and the Solomon Sea-Eagle.   

Day 16: Having departed the Solomons, we will spend time over a deepwater canyon near Bougainville-New Britain Trench – experience tells us that it is a very productive area. There, we hope to see Heinroth’s Shearwater.   

Day 17: New Ireland.We spend the day off the coast of New Ireland, where our target of the day is Beck’s Petrel. Other species could include Wedge-tailed and Streaked Shearwaters.   

Days 18 – 19: At sea.During these days at sea we cross the equator – a cause for celebration! There are a number of species that we should be on the lookout for, including Bulwer’s Petrel, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, White-tailed Tropicbird, White and Sooty Terns and the Frigate Bird.   
Days 20 – 21: Caroline Islands.In the protected waters of Chuuk (‘Truk’) Lagoon, we clear Customs into the Caroline Islands and enjoy a night at anchor. On Weno Island, the main island in the group, we hope to see species such as Myzomelas, Reed Warbler, Swiftlet and the Ground Dove.   
Days 22 – 26: At sea.It is over 1200 nautical miles to the Bonin Islands. Relax and enjoy! Birds that we could see include Matsudaira’s Storm-Petrel, Bonin and Bulwer’s Petrels, Wedge-tailed and Bannerman’s Shearwaters.   
Day 27: Bonin Islands.At the Bonin Islands, we clear Japanese Customs.  Keep a lookout for the Blue Rock Thrush, Japanese White-eye and Brown-eared Bulbuls. As we sail north from the Island, look for Humpback Whales.   
Day 28: At sea.This is a great time to be out on deck, as you never know what is going to turn up in these food-rich waters.   
Day 29: Torishima Island.Landings are not allowed at Torishima Island, but as we cruise close to shore we hope to spot the Short-tailed or Steller’s Albatross. Other species in the vicinity include the Black-footed Albatross, Streaked Shearwater, Tristam’s and Matsudaira’s Storm-Petrels.   
Day 30: Miyake–Jima Island.We cruise off shore of the island where there is known to be Japanese Murrelet breeding. Continue our journey to Yokohama there is generally some good birding on this last leg of the cruise.   

Day 31: Yokohama.After a farewell dinner, we sail through the night to Yokohama where you disembark the ‘Spirit of Enderby’ and continue on your travels.

Landings at the Islands are by permit only as administered by the relevant Governments.
Heritage Expeditions is committed to providing the highest quality natural history expeditions and specialise in remote regions and difficult to see species. As part of our expeditions we have for many years used the practice of chumming and/or oiling to give people the opportunity to see species that they are unlikely to see otherwise or appreciate aspects of seabird ecology such as impacts from interactions with fishing vessels. Heritage Expeditions believes that chumming has an important part to play in a successful seabird watching expedition but it is a tool which is used with moderation and always for a specific purpose.
Circumstances may be encountered during our voyage which will make it necessary or desirable to deviate from the proposed itinerary. These circumstances include poor weather and opportunities for making unplanned excursions. Your Expedition Leader will keep you fully informed during the voyage.