Situated just over an hour south east of Auckland and about the same distance from Hamilton, the Miranda Shorebird Centre is a great place to explore and learn about the coastal birds that visit this area. The mudflats here are an important source of food for native birds as well as those migrating north to Asia and Alaska.

Begin by going to the visitors’ centre to discover which birds to look for at different times of the year and where migratory birds have come from. Arm yourself with binoculars (these can be hired if you haven’t brought your own) and then either drive or follow the walking tracks along to the hides to see what you can spot. The walk is about 2km in each direction. There are 3 stiles to get over and parts of the track can get very wet if it’s been raining a lot, so smaller kids in carriers are better than buggies.

Top Tips: Plan your visit around the tide times – best hide viewing is 2 hours either side of high tide and you’ll need to allow extra time to get there from the visitor centre. Call ahead or check the approximate tide times here.

Go to the toilet at the visitor centre before going to the hides as there are no toilets down there.

Take your own food with you as there’s no food for sale but there are tables and chairs and facilities to make a cup of tea.

Take gumboots or good walking shoes if it’s been raining a lot and you plan to walk down from the centre to the hides.