Source: Department of Conservation
Date: 13 February 2025
And they’re calling on responsible boaties to report other recreational sailors who land on Coromandel’s off-limits islands.
DOC’s Coromandel Operations Manager Nick Kelly says the most recent incident occurred on Kawhitu/Stanley Island on Saturday 8 February, and was witnessed by two members of the public who alerted DOC.
“Our informants saw two people – believed to be from a 660 Haines Hunter boat named Nirvana 2 – ashore on Kawhitu,” says Nick.
“These people were spotted walking along a beach on the island at about 1.30 pm with two dogs.”
Nick says Kawhitu is classified as Nature Reserve, under the Reserves Act 1977 – meaning no-one can enter without express permission.
“To see people flagrantly disregard the rules – and in this case walk right past a sign telling them they shouldn’t be there – is very distressing”.
“As well as being somewhere they shouldn’t have been, the two people who’ve landed on Kawhitu have risked undoing decades of conservation work protecting vulnerable species.
“They’ve also risked the biosecurity of the island, which is protected through strict protocols we place on our own staff and any visitor authorised to carry out work on Kawhitu.”
Nick encouraged the owner or skipper of the Nirvana 2 – or anyone who saw the people from the vessel go ashore – to contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468), and quote CLE-8615.
Roughly 86 ha in size, Kawhitu is a haven for a number of protected and threatened species, including tieke/saddlebacks, flesh-footed shearwaters/toanui, and kakariki/red-crowned parakeet.
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