After 10 months at sea, a 12-year-old female, known by her band colours of black-yellow-orange, has returned.
Department of Conservation ranger Lyndon Perriman believes she is ready to breed for the first time. She has returned to the exact spot where she was seen spending time with a male friend last season.
"It's a strong indication she'll be nesting there," Mr Perriman said.
The male friend had a previous partner, but that female did not produce an egg, and left Taiaroa Head.
The male reacted by taking an unusual step for an albatross: he stayed behind.
Even though he was twice their age, he spent the summer as a single bird with the adolescents, especially Black-yellow-orange.
Mr Perriman was now anticipating a "Days of Our Lives" situation if the three birds returned to the same nesting site.
"There could be some tension there. It'll be a complicated nesting attempt."
Last year, a similar trio formed, but the nesting was not very successful because the male and one of the females did not get on.
Groupings of albatrosses were unusual.
Albatrosses usually stuck to one partner, although divorces did happen sometimes, for various reasons, said Mr Perriman.
Black-yellow-orange arrived at Taiaroa Head at 3.15pm on Wednesday.
She was gone again yesterday and was not expected back for a few days. No other albatrosses had arrived, although Mr Perriman expected more to come soon.
"We've had no wind for a while so I expected it would be the next souwester [before they arrived]."
Four of last year's nine chicks were still to leave the colony, including the youngest.
The youngest chick's start in life had been difficult. It had lost a parent, ceased to be waterproof, and required supplementary feeding.
Church bells tolled around the city yesterday, to welcome the albatross back, for the 2008 season.
