Abel Tasman National Park: Views, Ferns, and Birds

Abel Tasman National Park is a New Zealand national park located between Golden Bay and Tasman Bay at the north end of the South Island. It was founded by an ornithologist for the purpose of preserving the habitat of several birds particular to the area.  This is the smallest of the national parks, but is designated as one of the 8 “great walks” of New Zealand and by many accounts the most stunning for view, flora and fauna.  We hiked for about 4 hours and enjoyed beautiful vistas, striking birds we’d never seen before that were not at all impressed by our presence, and ferns and moss of incredible variety.  This is a gorgeous, very varied country.

Enjoy some photos here, and would someone please identify the bird with the tuft on his head that hangs forward? 

I thought it was a whippoorwill, but I wasn’t even close.