New Zealand Blog
Google news for Kiwis
YouTube Music Unveils its First-Ever 'Artists to Watch' in Australia and New Zealand
Monday, January 21, 2019
Singers such as Kaiit, Bene and Didirri, and rappers including the Triple One crew and Kwame, feature in the Top 10 Australian and New Zealand acts predicted to break through in the next 12 months
YouTube Music today released its top 10 Artists To Watch in Australia and New Zealand for 2019. Some are already building impressive reputations locally but we believe all of them have the talent to go significantly further this year, both at home and overseas.
In alphabetical order, the 10 Artists To Watch from Australia and New Zealand in 2019 are:
Bene
(Auckland, New Zealand)
- pictured above
Didirri
(Melbourne, Australia)
G Flip
(Melbourne, Australia)
JessB
(Auckland, New Zealand)
Kaiit
(Melbourne, Australia)
Kian
(Castlemaine, Australia)
Kwame
(Sydney, Australia, via Auckland, New Zealand)
The Kid Laroi
(Sydney, Australia)
Triple One
(Sydney, Australia)
Tyne-James Organ
(Melbourne via Sydney, Australia)
YouTube Music compiled its Artists To Watch for 2019 using factors including YouTube views, engagement from global music fans and YouTube Music analytics.
Melbourne’s all-singing, all-drumming indie firecracker G Flip, real name Georgia Flipo, says she is “stoked” to be one of YouTube Music’s Artists To Watch.
“I think it’s so cool they are championing breaking artists and I'm honoured to be chosen as one of them,” she said.
Her fellow Melburnian, sunny troubadour Didirri, describes his inclusion as “an absolute honour”.
“I think it’s time we bring some positivity back into the limelight this year,” Didirri adds. “Hoping to bring a bunch of us together and share the music.”
That would include Sydney hip-hop trio Triple One, as they brace themselves for a huge 12 months, saying, “We've come into the new year with something to prove. 2019 will be our biggest year yet and our biggest evolution as a group.”
And when soulful Kiwi Bene heard she had made YouTube Music’s Artists To Watch list, she said, “So much luv, can't wait to show you more of ma shtuff.”
Burgeoning singer-songwriters Kaiit, Kian and Tyne James-Organ, and talented rappers JessB, Kwame and The Kid Laroi round out the chosen ones.
Head to
YouTube Music
to further explore these Artists to Watch and enjoy a brand-new
YouTube Music playlist
featuring our top 10 artists and the longlist, as well as an in-app spotlight, featuring audio and video content.
Posted by Ruuben van den Heuvel, Head of Music Content Partnerships (South East Asia, AU/NZ), YouTube
Year in Search 2018: Here’s what Kiwis searched for this year
Friday, December 14, 2018
From Freddie Mercury to the ‘first baby’, the Census to Suzy Cato - our search habits reveal the things that made us care, cry and crack up in 2018.
With 2018 almost done and dusted, it’s time to reflect on the people, moments, tragedies and celebrations that brought us together as Kiwis this year. Our searches show we embraced Diwali and Matariki, gave keto a crack (despite asking how to cook rice), fussed over our ‘first baby’ and kept a watchful eye on cyclones, hurricanes and wildfires around the world. We also caught the Fortnite craze, made sure we were counted in the Census – but still found the time to search for cake and bikkies.
To rediscover the events, people and topics that defined 2018 around the world,
watch our video:
Here's a summary of six themes that defined Search in New Zealand in 2018:
New beginnings
2018 gave us many proud moments. Our searches show our excitement about the arrival of New Zealand’s ‘first baby’, the daughter of PM Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford. Keeping it family oriented, we were also mesmerised by Meghan Markle as she made her royal entrance as the Duchess of Sussex. Our ties to the motherland and fascination with the life of a princess meant searches for the Royal Wedding were a top hit.
Getting into the game
In true Kiwi fashion, sports and sporting events dominated our overall top searches in 2018. The FIFA World Cup was our most popular search of 2018, closely followed by the Commonwealth Games, where swimmer Sophie Pascoe and weightlifter Laurel Hubbard took home gold medals and made our top searches. With no surprises, the All Blacks vs France test matches also made our top list.
Homegrown heroes
Whether standing out at home or winning on the world stage, our searches in 2018 show we love our homegrown success stories. Politicians and pop culture icons dominated the list of most searched Kiwis this year – Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford were as popular at home as they were abroad, while opposition MPs Simon Bridges and Jami-Lee Ross also generated considerable search interest. Entertainers Stan Walker and New Zealand’s sweetheart Suzy Cato also found a place in our hearts this year, along with the late, great amateur stuntman Johnny Danger.
Weathering the storm
Nature’s fury had us on the edge of our seats this year, with natural disasters making up half our top trending news searches – from cyclones and hurricanes to volcanic eruptions and wildfires.
We also joined the world in mourning the loss of many greats who made their mark across media, fashion, food, music and science. The much-loved Kiwi news presenter and family man, Greg Boyd, was mourned greatly by New Zealanders. Kiwi’s also mourned the loss of musicians Avicii and Aretha Franklin, along with the brilliant astrophysicist Stephen Hawking.
Colourful and curly questions
From food to technology, the ‘How to…?’ and ‘What is…?’ questions were eclectic and quirky, proving the number eight wire attitude is alive and well in New Zealand. Kiwis wondered how to draw a rose, how to cut a mango – and what mycoplasma bovis is following the outbreak of the disease. But most of all, we were curious about our technology. The number one question asked was “What is bitcoin?, closely followed by queries about how to find IP addresses and take screenshots.
Keto is King
Whether it’s our New Year's resolutions or the realisation that summer is upon us, we’re ready to give new diets a crack. “Keto Diet”’ was our number one searched diet, along with the second most searched recipe type. We were also loving our vege eats this year – With vegan recipes taking the number one slot, among recipes for salads, pumpkin and zucchini. But Kiwis still made room for treats – recipes for fettuccine, biscuits and cakes still made our top ten list.
To dive into the data, check out New Zealand’s full trending lists* for 2018:
Overall
World Cup
Stuff news NZ
Commonwealth Games
Census NZ
Cyclone Gita
Fortnite
Johnny Danger
Mac Miller
Lotto result NZ
All Blacks vs France
News events
Census NZ
Cyclone Gita
Royal Wedding
Thai cave rescue
Jacinda Ardern baby
Hurricane Florence
Hawaii Volcano
Cyclone Hola
Royal baby name
California fires
Global Figures
Demi Lovato
Khloe Kardashian
Logan Paul
Freddie Mercury
Olivia Newton-John
Anthony Joshua
Ed Sheeran
Sylvester Stallone
Hailey Baldwin
Tiger Woods
Kiwis
Johnny Danger
Jacinda Ardern
Stan Walker
Jami Lee Ross
Simon Bridges
Sophie Pascoe
Suzy Cato
Clarke Gayford
Eliza McCartney
Laurel Hubbard
Loss
Mac Miller
Greg Boyed
Avicii
Anthony Bourdain
Stephen Hawking
Stan Lee
Aretha Franklin
Kate Spade
Burt Reynolds
Tania Ellwood
How to...?
How to delete Instagram accounts
How to screenshot on mac
How to take a screenshot
How to lose weight fast
How to draw a rose
How to cut a mango
How to make self-raising flour
How to lose belly fat
How to screenshot on Samsung
How to cook rice
What is…?
What is Bitcoin
What is Mycoplasma Bovis
What is my IP address
What is Diwali
What is Matariki
What is 1080
What is Black Friday 2018 NZ
What is the time
What is intersex
What is open on Good Friday
Recipes
Vegan recipes
Keto recipes
Chicken breast recipes
Vegetarian recipes
Fettuccine recipes
Biscuit recipes
Zucchini recipes
Salad recipes
Cake recipes
Pumpkin recipes
Diet
Keto diet NZ
CSIRO diet
123 diet
Mediterranean diet
Ketogenic diet
Fodmap diet
Low carb diet
Phatt diet
Dash diet
Anti-inflammatory diet
* Trending Searches: What was hot in 2018? The "trending" queries are the searches that had the highest spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2018 as compared to 2017.
Posted by Camilla Ibrahim, Communications & Public Affairs Manager, Google Australia & New Zealand
YouTube Rewind 2018 is here! A look at what New Zealanders watched
Friday, December 7, 2018
In 2018, you danced your heart out to Maroon 5, yodelled along with a kid in Walmart, and played a lot of Fortnite. It's time for our annual look back at the year that was in video and reflect on the moments that captured New Zealand.
This year was marked by celebrity moments. In February, Kylie Jenner surprised the world with
To Our Daughter
, an 11-minute film detailing her pregnancy and the birth of baby Stormi. And of course, there was our fascination with the Royal Wedding of Harry and Meghan.
Emerging and well-known YouTube stars also showed up in a big way in the year's Top Trending Videos list. Liza Koshy and David Dobrik shared the news of
their breakup
through tears and laughter, we sang along with Paul McCartney in a special Carpool Karaoke, were blown away by a performance from Courtney Hadwin, the guys from Dude Perfect somehow
perfectly tossed bread into a toaster
, and we were determined to
solve the internet’s latest mystery
-- seriously, is it Yanny or Laurel? We also supported local actor
Julian Dennison
as he hit screens in Deadpool 2.
These were the moments that had New Zealanders watching, commenting and sharing in 2018:
New Zealand’s Top Trending Videos
Walmart yodeling kid
To Our Daughter
Real Life Trick Shots 2 | Dude Perfect
"ROYAL WEDDING" — A Bad Lip Reading
So Sorry.
Do You Hear "Yanny" or "Laurel"? (SOLVED with SCIENCE)
we broke up
15-Year-Old Deadpool 2 Actor Julian Dennison Can't See His Own Movie
Paul McCartney Carpool Karaoke
Courtney Hadwin: 13-Year-Old Golden Buzzer Winning Performance - America's Got Talent 2018
New Zealand’s Top Trending Music Videos
In 2018, we were hooked on the biggest releases of the year with Bruno, Drake and Childish Gambino all making appearances in New Zealand’s top trending music list.
Maroon 5 - Girls Like You ft. Cardi B
Bruno Mars - Finesse (Remix) [Feat. Cardi B] [Official
Video]
Lil Dicky - Freaky Friday feat. Chris Brown (Official Music Video)
Drake - God's Plan
XXXTENTACION - SAD!
Childish Gambino - This Is America (Official Video)
Ariana Grande - no tears left to cry
Post Malone - Psycho ft. Ty Dolla $ign
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin - I Like It [Official Music Video]
Dua Lipa - IDGAF (Official Music Video)
It's also time for our annual Rewind mashup video. But rather than trying to sum up 2018's biggest memes, personalities, and hit videos ourselves, we tried something different this time around. We asked some of YouTube's biggest names to tell us what they wanted to see if they controlled Rewind.
Check out the full video below and head over to our
Rewind site
to get to know the creators and artists who shaped popular culture in 2018.
Posted by Kristine Arnott, Communications Manager, YouTube Australia and New Zealand, and the YouTube Rewind team
AI for Social Good
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
In pop culture, artificial intelligence (AI) often shows up as a robot companion, like
TARS in “Interstellar,”
or some far-out superintelligence. But in reality, AI—computer programming tools that help us find patterns in complex data and make everyday products
more useful
—already powers a lot of technology around us, and is addressing some of society’s biggest unsolved challenges.
For the past few years we’ve been applying core Google AI research and engineering to projects with positive societal impact, including
forecasting floods
,
protecting whales
, and
predicting famine
. Today we’re unifying these efforts in a new program called
AI for Social Good
. We’re applying AI to a wide range of problems, partnering with external organizations to work toward solutions.
But we’re far from having all the answers—or even knowing all the questions. We want people from as many backgrounds as possible to surface problems that AI can help solve, and to be empowered to create solutions themselves. So as a part of AI for Social Good, we’re also launching the
Google AI Impact Challenge
, a global call for nonprofits, academics, and social enterprises from around the world to submit proposals on how they could use AI to help address some of the world’s greatest social, humanitarian and environmental problems.
We’ll help selected organizations bring their proposals to life with coaching from Google’s AI experts, Google.org grant funding from a $25 million pool, and credits and consulting from Google Cloud. Grantees will also join a specialized Launchpad Accelerator program, and we’ll tailor additional support to each project’s needs in collaboration with data science nonprofit DataKind. In spring of 2019, an international
panel of experts
, who work in computer science and the social sector, will help us choose the top proposals.
We don’t expect applicants to be AI experts. For any nonprofit or researcher who has a great idea or wants help brainstorming one, we've built an
educational guide
with introductions to AI and the types of problems it’s well-suited for, as well as workshops in key locations around the world.
To give you a sense of the potential we see, here are a few examples of how Google and others have already used AI over the past few years:
Wildlife conservation:
To better
protect endangered whales
, we have to know where they are. With AI developed at Google—in the same vein as research by college student
Daniel de Leon
—it’s possible to quickly scan 100,000 hours of audio recorded in the Pacific to identify whale sounds. We hope one day we can not only better identify whales in these recordings, but also accurately deploy this system at scale to find and protect whales.
Employment:
In South Africa, Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator helps connect unemployed youth with entry-level positions. As a participant in Google Cloud’s
Data Solutions for Change
program, they’ve
used data analytics and ML
to match over 50,000 candidates with jobs.
Flood prediction
: Floods affect up to 250 million people, causing thousands of fatalities and inflicting billions of dollars of economic damage every year. At Google, we’ve combined physics-based modeling and AI to provide earlier and
more accurate flood warnings
through Google Public Alerts.
Wildfire prevention:
Two
high school students
in California built a device that uses AI to identify and predict areas in a forest that are susceptible to wildfires. This technology could one day provide an early warning to fire authorities.
Infant health:
Ubenwa
is a Canadian company that built an AI system to analyze the sounds of a baby crying and predict the risk of birth asphyxia (when a baby's brain and other organs don’t get enough oxygen and nutrients during birth). It’s a mobile app so it can be widely used even where doctors aren’t readily available.
We’re excited to see what new ideas nonprofits, developers and social entrepreneurs from across the world come up with—and we’re looking forward to supporting them as best we can.
Posted by Jeff Dean, Google Senior Fellow and SVP, Google AI and Jacquelline Fuller VP, Google and President, Google.org
All Kiwi schools get the license to Chrome
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Schools tell us that Chromebooks fill three big needs: they’re easy for students and teachers to use, they’re easy to share and they’re easy to manage. Today, we have some exciting news about the management of Chromebooks that will make the Chrome Education license—our cloud-based device management console—more accessible to schools across New Zealand. This follows on the
announcement
last year that Chromebooks are the number one device used in New Zealand schools, and is great news for schools and families using Chromebooks or considering investing in them.
Starting on November 1, as
part of an agreement
with Google and the New Zealand Ministry of Education, all state and state-integrated schools across New Zealand will be able to start claiming Ministry-funded
Chrome Education licenses
to manage new and existing unmanaged Chromebooks. The Chrome Education license was developed to make device management in schools a breeze, so that teachers and students can focus on what’s most important—teaching and learning. Equipped with the Chrome Education license, schools can utilize essential education features to better support the many ways Chromebooks are used in the classroom.
“This is fantastic news for the Manaiakalani Schools,” says Mrs. Dorothy Burt, Education Program Lead in the Manaiakalani Innovation team, “we have been using Chromebooks since they first became available to New Zealand schools in 2013 and have relied on the devices having the Chrome Education license to ensure the focus remains on learning and teaching.”
Schools of all sizes can benefit from the Chrome Education license, as Mrs. Burt points out— “the positive impact of the license to schools is experienced in our big schools, with large fleets of Chromebooks to manage, and equally in our very small rural schools where the sole charge teaching principal has more important matters to focus on than the status of learner devices.”
Point England School, part of the Manaiakalani community of learning, have been using the Chrome Education License to manage their Chromebook fleet since 2013.
Most importantly, quality teaching and learning is safely brought to the forefront, underpinned by our commitment to providing the best security measurements
protecting teacher and student privacy
“With this in place we have the confidence that our move to having young people learning on personal devices in a digital environment is well managed and safe. Expectations of whānau are easily applied across all devices. Teachers can spend their time where it counts—on children and their learning—rather than managing devices.”
The Chrome Education license allows schools to update any number of
Chromebooks
(once they are enrolled)—without touching a single one. In the simple cloud-based management console, there are over 200 policies that schools can apply to manage their fleet of Chromebooks. You can learn more about them here, but for now,
here
are three of them that are sure to be the teacher’s pet!
Give teachers and students confidence that during class, they’re all the on same webpage!
The Education license lets school admins and teachers customize the user experience. This is a handy feature that can automatically load frequently used websites—such as
Google Classroom
, Khan Academy—on boot-up, as well as adding custom bookmarks, pinning apps and extensions, and blocking distractions.
Lead students right to most used apps and extensions, such as WeVideo, Khan Academy, Pixlr, and the Google Classroom extension
The multi-tasker for school and family use
The “
off-hours device policy
” feature is particularly helpful for Chromebooks that are used at school and as the family device. For example, school admins can set a weekly schedule so that school settings are in place when students are using Chromebooks in class but, these same settings can be scheduled to turn off after school hours so they don’t apply when a parent might be using the device.
Spark school spirit
You can use the Education license to display digital signage, keeping students and parents informed. It’s simple to set up school-wide displays on computers in the library and monitors around the school to advertise of key school events and moments, like parent/teacher evenings, carnivals and assessment times.
We’re excited to see the growing number of countries like New Zealand partnering with Google to support teachers, schools and families to improve the use of technology in education.
Posted by Suan Yeo, Head of Google for Education Australia & New Zealand
Why we’re backing the capital’s creatives
Friday, October 19, 2018
Google NZ’s Ross Young with Courtenay Creative Co-founder Kristy Grant
This week I headed along to the opening of Courtenay Creative, a new space in the heart of Wellington that will host workshops, exhibitions, live performances, rehearsals and training for the screen and creative industries.
Wellington already has a strong reputation for having some of the world’s best screen talent, thanks in no small part to the work of Sir Peter Jackson and the presence of Weta Workshop. Courtenay Creative has been cofounded by Kristy Grant and her business partner Jamie Selkirk, an industry legend in who received an Academy Award for his editing work on Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Google has lent its support to Courtenay Creative, and its sister institution, the Miramar Creative Centre, which opened in partnership with Victoria University in 2017. One of the ways we plan to remain involved is by holding a YouTube creator workshop with the Miramar Creative Centre in 2019.
We’ve chosen to support these projects because of the tangible benefits they generate for Wellington’s creative community. They provide a space for students from Massey, Toi Whakaari, Te Auaha and Victoria University to showcase their work, and to gain valuable contacts and knowledge from industry professionals.
We’ve also lent our support knowing how important YouTube is becoming as a channel for young creators to get started, grow audiences, and build careers. YouTube is already the platform of choice for Kiwis who want to watch high quality video content online, with millions of us watching every month.
It’s encouraging to see spaces like Courtenay Creative opening which give younger generations of New Zealanders practical pathways to careers in the screen and creative industries. I’m proud that Google is playing a modest role, and i’m looking forward to enjoying the colour and energy that Courtenay Creative will add to Wellington’s already vibrant cultural life.
Posted by Ross Young, Public Policy and Government Relations, Google New Zealand
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/xfZpf4whWc5kkwR8KP3VzNOEM37DPy8zBZ8AMZfzvXd2z9miwWRbKsONfb_Fos6oyXR1v3XyOGS3bE_RPRJT9Dn3khLiz9DfXgGMabXeS50AYEbE_FLfb3PCyIJ2KaTR0Ia3pF0N
Get charged up with Google Maps
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
We built Google Maps to help people get where they need to go no matter what mode of transportation they use. Our newest feature brings helpful information about electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to the Map, so you can be confident that your car will be charged and ready for your ride, wherever you’re headed. Here’s how it works:
A quick search for keywords like “ev charging” or “EV charging stations" will display the nearest supported stations. To help you make a quick decision about which station to use, we’ll show you information about the business where the station is located, the types of ports available, charging speeds, and how many ports there are. You’ll also see information about the station from drivers, including photos, ratings, reviews and questions.
In addition, businesses that have charging stations will now feature a link to information about the chargers.
Google Maps now supports charging stations around the world, including:
Global:
Tesla, Chargepoint
AU and NZ:
Chargefox
US:
SemaConnect, EVgo, Blink
UK:
Chargemaster, Pod Point
The ability to search for electric vehicle charging stations starts rolling out today on Android and iOS, with desktop launching in the coming weeks. To get started on mobile, update your Google Maps app from the
App Store
or
Play Store
today.
Posted by Andrew Foster, Group Product Manager, Google Maps
YouTube stars shine in Auckland
Friday, October 12, 2018
Krystal and Mario from Tikilounge Productions, creators of Housiewives
Last night I joined around a hundred New Zealand based creators and members of the creative community at the Auckland Art Gallery to celebrate the launch of three new Kiwi web series on YouTube.
The series were funded through Skip Ahead, a joint initiative between Google New Zealand and NZ On Air designed to help local rising stars create unique online content and engage new audiences around the world. Along with the funding, the creators of the series also travelled to Sydney for mentoring and training from renowned Australian directors and producers, Julie Kalceff and Mike Jones.
This work reflects the diversity of talent that exists here in New Zealand.
Finding Jeremy
is the story of a Christchurch family’s search for a US serviceman they were trapped with inside the Hotel Grand Chancellor following the 2011 quake,
Housiewives
is a hilarious South-Auckland dramedy with a soap-style ‘whodunnit’ plot, and
Rainbow Buddies
is an animated educational series for toddlers.
Amber and Andy from Bus Life NZ, creators of Finding Jeremy
YouTube is committed to supporting Kiwi creators, and it was great to celebrate the launch of these series with everyone who had worked so hard to put them together. It’s encouraging to note too, that 100 Kiwi YouTube creators now have at least 100,000 subscribers, which is the point where many turn their content into a career, whether full or part time.
We want to encourage even more Kiwi creators to find their place on the global stage that is YouTube. At the event, I announced that from 2019 we’ll do just this by hosting YouTube creator workshops that will be offered to local creators around New Zealand, including the regions. This will allow us to meet, teach and work with more local creators in more parts of the country.
Caroline Rainsford addressing guests at the celebration
Working with NZ On Air on Skip Ahead has been a really enjoyable and constructive experience to shine a light on the unique and diverse talent in this country. Now, we’re looking forward to hosting creator workshops to help even more Kiwis kick start careers in an ever-changing media environment.
Posted by Caroline Rainsford, NZ Country Manager
5 reasons why we love the new Chromecast
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
We launched
our first Chromecast in 2013
with the aim to make it easy to get your favorite content right from your phone to your TV. With thousands of compatible apps to cast from, people are tapping the Cast button more than ever. And since Chromecast, the Made by Google family of products has continued to grow, bringing the best of hardware, software, and AI together. So for this 5th year of Chromecast, we wanted to share the top 5 reasons we’re excited about our newest Chromecast:
Fits right in.
With a new design, Chromecast blends in with your decor and the rest of the Made by Google family.
Stream hands-free.
Chromecast and Google Home work seamlessly together. Just say what you want to watch from compatible services, like YouTube or Netflix, and control your TV just by asking. Try, “Hey Google, play Lost in Space from Netflix.” (You’ll need a Netflix subscription to get started).
Picture perfect at 60fps.
Our newest Chromecast supports streaming in 1080p at 60 frames per second, giving you a more lifelike image. So when you’re watching the game, it will feel even more like you’re there.
More than a screen, it’s a canvas.
With Ambient Mode, you can personalize your TV with a constantly updating stream of the best and latest photos taken by you, your friends and your family from Google Photos. With new Live Albums from Google Photos, you can enjoy photos of people and pets you care about and skip blurry photos and duplicates- all without lifting a finger. New photos will show up automatically on your TV - no uploading hassles.
And still has an RRP of just $69
So it’s the perfect gift this upcoming holiday season for the streamer in your life.
The new Chromecast is available in New Zealand in Charcoal from the
Google Store
, Noel Leeming, Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, The Warehouse & others starting today.
Keep on streaming!
PS - if you’re looking for the perfect companion for your 4K TV, check out Chromecast Ultra to stream in up to 4K UHD, HDR, and Dolby Vision.
Posted by Jess Bonner, Chromecast PM
Meet the world's only flightless parrot with Street View and Google Earth
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
The kākāpō is the only flightless parrot, and one of the rarest birds in the entire world. Only 148 of them remain, all on tiny islands off the coast of New Zealand. Here on these remote windswept sanctuaries, a
dedicated team
of rangers and researchers works around the clock to keep the world's last kākāpō safe from predators and help restore the species to its ancestral home.
These pristine preserves have always been off-limits to visitors, but starting today we're giving everyone a ticket inside. Now with
Google Maps Street View
and
Google Earth
, you can virtually step into the home of the kākāpō and explore prehistoric New Zealand just as it was millions of years before the first boat ever landed on its shores. Immerse yourself even further with a
special video
from David Attenborough and the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
The kākāpō recovery team monitors each bird in the field and conducts regular health checks and other scientific analysis.
Until land mammals were introduced by human settlers, New Zealand had none at all. In their absence, a variety of birds evolved over millions of years to fill the ecological niches that their mammalian counterparts would usually occupy. Kākāpō took on a similar role to rabbits and other burrowing mammals — they are nocturnal, herbivorous, well-camouflaged, and have a keen sense of smell. Most critically, they lost their ability to fly and instead took on other adaptations that allowed them to become one of the most common birds in New Zealand up until several hundred years ago.
The arrival of new predators (like rats and stoats) devastated the kākāpō and their populations fell dramatically. In 1894, the naturalist Richard Henry pioneered the approach of relocating kākāpō to predator-free offshore islands, but his efforts were stymied by the expansion of invasive predators to these islands as well. Numerous other relocation and conservation attempts followed for the next century, but kākāpō numbers continued to fall. By 1995, only 51 kākāpō survived, all on offshore islands.
In 1996, a new kākāpō recovery plan was put into action, and since then the population has recovered to more than 150 birds. Today's conservation strategy includes supplemental feeding and nest monitoring during breeding season, as well as the
tracking and monitoring
of every living kākāpō. Ongoing scientific research also helps ensure the continued success of the recovery effort. For example, the kākāpō recently became the first species to have a
complete genome sequencing
done for every single living individual — this will be critical to maintaining genetic diversity with such a severely constrained population.
The rugged conditions on the kākāpō islands made this one of the most challenging Street View projects ever conducted in New Zealand.
Although we don't have a time machine to take you back to prehistoric New Zealand, these carefully-maintained island sanctuaries are the next best thing. To give you a tour, we airlifted the Street View Trekker to two of these islands — Whenua Hou and Anchor Island — and explored the forests where kākāpō still thrive. Now you can explore both of these preserves in Street View and get a different kind of bird's eye view.
It's currently
conservation week
in New Zealand, and around the entire world it's the
Year of the Bird
. We can't imagine a better time to share this story with you! And if you fall in love with these plucky little parrots, remember that you don't need to be a ranger on a windswept southern isle to help out - there are plenty of ways that you can help save native birds in every corner of the globe. So wherever you are, spread your wings and join us in
Google Earth
and
Street View
to explore the ancient forests of the kākāpō.
Posted by Stafford Marquardt, Product Manager, Google Maps Street View
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