Percy’s wings clipped on

Percy’s wings clipped on

Media release
April 27, 2016

Percy the petrel, the larger than life mascot for the Return of the Westland Petrel Festival, has been pulled out of storage, reassembled, cleaned up, and readied for this weekend’s flight.

Festival Chair Jed Findlay says Percy will again be flying in for the Saturday evening entertainment, with some of his chicks also making an appearance this year.

Welcoming the petrels back to their breeding site near Punakaiki, a parade will leave from McMillan’s Beach (south of Punakaiki) to launch the Festival this Friday at 4.30pm. After walking for about 1km, people will wait to watch the birds fly overhead, as they make their way to their nests in the mountains at dusk. (It’s best to dress warmly for the weather).

The festival combines Kiwi values of looking after and respecting the environment, together with creating a fun event for families and music lovers.

Other events will also include a music jam night this Friday evening at the Pancake Rocks Cafe, a community market and planting of natives on Saturday morning, children’s activities in the early afternoon, and the music line-up starting from 4.30pm Saturday featuring Wellington bands Drax Project and Newtown Rocksteady.

The Westland Petrel (taiko) are one of the few petrel species that remain on the mainland of New Zealand and inhabit much of the same breeding range on the West Coast of the South Island as they did before humans arrived.

During the breeding season, the tāiko can be found feeding off the West Coast and as far away as Kaikoura. In the non-breeding season, it can be found from eastern Australia to Peru and Chile. The festival celebrates the hardy Punakaiki local’s epic journey to return home each year.

Details about the festival are available on the Return of the Westland Petrel Festival Facebook page or www.punakaiki.co.nz/petrel-festival.

Tickets for the music evening are available from isites and at the Punakaiki Beach Camp gate.

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