"I wondered if it was what I [thought] it was, so I managed to go back home and grab the camera.
"Later I googled and found out it was a white heron and it was pretty rare.
"So it is pretty cool to have seen it and so close to home as well."
The white heron has always been rare in New Zealand and occupies an important place in Māori myth and folklore.
Department of Conservation biodiversity supervisor Sean Jacques said the bird has been reported a couple of times and after seeing photos, he could confirm it was indeed a kōtuku.
This species had a cosmopolitan distribution and was found on all continents except Antarctica, he said.
"The only nesting colony in New Zealand is at Okarito in Westland, and, while these birds can disperse widely outside the breeding season, numbers are likely also swelled by migrants from Australia."
