Category: Conservation

Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  14 May 2024

The Taranaki Crossing is a partnership between Ngā Iwi o Taranaki, DOC and Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit that has been in place from project feasibility through to delivery.

Construction of the 100-metre suspension bridge began in November 2023. The build culminated with this morning’s event attended by more than 100 guests including iwi representatives, contractors, and staff from central and local government agencies.  

The bridge, within Egmont National Park/Te Papakura o Taranaki, has been designed for a lifespan of 100 years, and to withstand the sub-alpine Manganui Gorge’s winds, weather conditions and a one in 250-year Mt Taranaki Avalanche. Supported by two massive masts at either end, the bridge sits 49.5 m above the floor of the gorge and features artwork contributed by Ngāti Ruanui. 

“This has been a challenging build in an at-times hostile environment – with plenty of reminders of why safety was one of the key drivers for this part of the project,” says DOC’s Hauraki-Waikato-Taranaki Regional Director Tinaka Mearns. 

“We knew from the outset this would be an impressive structure once finished, and so we’re delighted an eye-catching and important part of the Taranaki Crossing visitor experience is completed.” 

Te Runanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust Deputy Tumu W’akaae Ngapari Nui says the bridge marked a new era of co-governance for our Maunga. 

“We have worked alongside DOC from design to construction, including the gifting of taonga. That makes this bridge a destination in itself,” he says. 

“The bridge’s stunning visual appearance fits well into the mountain landscape and is a unique part of the cultural interface Ngāti Ruanui brought to this project.” 

“The bridge will become a key tourist attraction, along with the experience Ngāti Ruanui has crafted, including our world-renowned Mountain House restaurant and accommodation complex,” says Ngapari.

“Taranaki’s regional economic development strategy Tapuae Roa identified the Taranaki Crossing as a priority project.  This will for attract more visitors, boost local businesses and create jobs and other opportunities,” says Bridget Sullivan, Principal Regional Advisor for Kānoa, the Government’s Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.

“The original $13.4 million grant from the Provincial Growth Fund has resulted in a lot of other funders coming on board to support the entire Taranaki Crossing project,” she said. “The grant includes funding for this stunning new bridge which has cost about $1.2 million.”

The bridge will significantly improve access through this part of the mountain environment and improve visitor safety by replacing the existing track which descends through the bottom of the gorge. The existing track is prone to washouts and closure due to avalanche risk. 

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  13 May 2024

DOC Senior Ranger Rosalind Cole says a deceased 15-meter-long sperm whale washed ashore on a remote part of Oreti Beach, Southland last weekend.

“Sometime between last Saturday and Monday, someone has come along with a chainsaw and taken the jawbone,” Rosalind says.

Marks on the bone and tyre tracks leading to the carcass show it was likely removed by humans rather than scavenging animals.

Removing whale bones from a beachcast animal is an offence under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 and offenders could face fines up to $250,000.

Whale bone is a highly prized taonga for iwi which is used in carving and it was disappointing someone had stolen it before the appropriate protocols and tikanga had been observed, Rosalind says.

Ōraka Aparima Kaumātua and Kai Rongoā Muriel Johnstone says the rūnaka are extremely upset this whale was not offered its due respect in terms of tikanga.

“We know and treat whales as Rangatira (Chiefs) of the sea and as such deserve appropriate protocols said over them. This includes a farewell address and appropriate karakia. This then allows us to treat the whale as a gift from the sea and use its resources. These include the bone, teeth and oils that we use as did our ancestors.”

“We have experts at our rūnaka who have worked with whales and their management.”

“It is obvious that someone knows the value of these taonga and has deliberately removed and stolen the jaw.”

A similar instance took place in 2015 when the jaw was removed from another sperm whale that had also washed ashore at Oreti Beach. 

Anyone with any information on the missing whale bone can contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  07 May 2024

DOC has wrapped up a bumper summer field season where for the first time, rangers, scientists, independent researchers and other staff were stationed on all five of the remote subantarctic island groups – Bounty Island, Antipodes Island, Snares Island, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island.

DOC Marine Bycatch and Threats Manager Kris Ramm says much of the work focused on filling knowledge gaps for species as well as maintaining and fixing important field infrastructure.

“The subantarctic islands are remote and hard to reach; undertaking work down there requires a lot of careful coordination. Things such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Cyclone Gabrielle and other external factors have all impacted our work programme on the islands in recent years, so we’re thrilled to have been able to complete successful trips to each of these islands this year.”

New Zealand’s subantarctic islands represent one of the last great wildernesses anywhere in the world and are located hundreds of kilometres to the south and southeast of the mainland. They are home to a range of rare species, such as Antipodean and Gibson’s albatross, which breed nowhere else on earth. The islands are managed by DOC as national nature reserves, the highest possible conservation status. They have also been honoured with World Heritage status, meaning they represent the best of the world’s natural heritage and rate alongside the Grand Canyon and Mount Everest.

The research and monitoring programme will help us to understand the health of vulnerable native species such as hoiho/yellow-eyed penguin, New Zealand sea lion/pakake/whakahao, Gibson’s and Antipodean albatross/toroa and other seabirds, Kris says.

“For many of these species, the subantarctic region represents their last stronghold. It’s important we understand the threats and challenges they face so we can better focus our efforts.

“Some of the research programmes such as the Antipodean albatross work, have been going on for decades. That’s a lot of useful data chronicling the health of a species and gives such a valuable insight into how we can better advocate for them and other species when they’re traversing international waters.”

While it will take some time for the full suite of monitoring data to be analysed from the season, so far there are some trends emerging, Kris says.

“The number of sea lion pups born on the Auckland Islands had a slight increase from the extraordinarily low year last year, but not to the extent we would have expected. On Campbell Island, pup mortality continues to be high with up to 89% of sea lions dying in their first few weeks of life. While the precise reasons for this remain unclear, many pups on Campbell Island appear to die of a combination of exposure and starvation.”

The number of southern royal albatross also appears to have declined. Teams are still working through exact population estimates, Kris says.

Teams were also getting samples for baseline monitoring of wildlife health, which Otago University are testing for pathogens including avian influenza viruses.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has not been detected in the New Zealand subantarctic region or Oceania, including New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific. However, it has been reported on islands in the subantarctic Atlantic Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula in recent months.

Alongside the species work, teams of rangers were also undertaking repair work to key field infrastructure such as roofs and boardwalks and building maintenance.

It takes a lot of people and coordination to pull off a field season in an area as remote as the New Zealand subantarctic, and it was great to have the support of so many, Kris says

“The season was challenging with strong winds, rain and low cloud. Despite this, across many different teams — from those undertaking field maintenance, to biosecurity checks before departure, to those out collecting wildlife data, and of course the skipper and crew of the transport vessel, Evohe. It’s been a huge effort.”

This marine programme is largely funded by fisheries levies through the Conservation Services Programme with the aim of monitoring the impact of commercial fishing on native species and identifying ways to mitigate this impact.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  01 May 2024

DOC has recently completed an annual flock count for the critically endangered southern New Zealand dotterel/tūturiwhatu and found an estimated 101 birds remain – a 19 per cent decline from last year’s 126.

DOC Ranger Daniel Cocker says the numbers highlight the precarious position this population is in, despite continued predator control efforts.

“Southern dotterels, which only breed on Stewart Island/Rakiura, have spent the past few decades on the brink of extinction and sadly this year looks to be a similar story,” says Daniel.

“Without our control efforts, it’s frightening to think just how low the numbers would be.”

Dotterels face a range of threats, but the number one cause of decline is predation by feral cats. During the recent breeding season, 32 feral cats were killed by the team across the breeding sites.

“Adult dotterels will actively defend nests and chicks, making them easy targets for predators. Dotterels are also curious and easily approached.

“We believe at least 41 adult birds died over the 2023 breeding season. This was partially offset by this year’s surviving chicks, meaning an estimated population reduction of 25 birds.”

Following this year’s flock counts, the team will review predator control strategies as part of an adaptive management programme.

The challenge is feral cats roam large distances and can be wary of the traditional methods to control them – trapping, hunting and bait stations. There are limited tools to control feral cats across large areas.

Predator control is only undertaken on a portion of dotterel breeding habitat which is patchy and extends across the full length of Rakiura. To save more dotterels, more habitat needs to be protected.

Long term solutions require landscape scale change – this is why initiatives such as Predator Free Rakiura, which aims to remove possums, rats, feral cats and hedgehogs from the island, are so important. In the meantime, the focus is on effective predator control to hold the line and prevent extinction.

Despite this year’s low numbers, the team remains hopeful for a turnaround in the dotterels’ fortunes.

“In 1992, the population reached an all-time low of 62 birds but bounced back to 290 birds in 2009.  Given the right conditions, dotterels can be very resilient, and produce multiple chicks per year.”

The New Zealand Nature Fund is supporting DOC’s campaign to save the southern dotterel and has raised over $62,000 from private donors in the past six months.

“Southern dotterels were once widespread throughout the South Island and Rakiura is their last refuge. It is an uphill battle but it’s one worth pursuing.”

Background information

Southern New Zealand dotterels (SNZD) were once widespread throughout the South Island, breeding in the high country, and have been recorded as high as 2,500 metres above sea level. They disappeared from mainland breeding sites by the early 1900s due to introduced predators and human hunting. Rakiura remains their last refuge where they face threats from feral cats and even white-tailed deer which have been caught on nest cameras eating eggs. Spur-winged plovers, Australasian harriers and black-backed gulls are also believed to pose a threat to dotterels.

The only place you can reliably see a SNZD on the South Island mainland is at Awarua Bay near the Tiwai Aluminium smelter. Awarua Bay is a key site where a third of the population feed and flock together for most of the year before returning to the mountain tops of Stewart Island/Rakiura to breed. They also congregate at Mason Bay during high tides.

Differences between southern and northern dotterels

Southern dotterels are recognised in New Zealand as their own sub-species but by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as a separate species. They differ from the northern dotterels in both behaviour and appearance. While southern dotterels breed on mountain tops, the northern birds breed on beaches around the North Island coastline.

Southern birds are larger and darker in breeding colours than northern birds. They also have a larger mid-toe which is believed to be used for better stability in the alpine environment.

There are estimated to be more than 2,500 northern dotterels (conservation status: ‘recovering’).

The conservation status of the southern dotterel remains ‘nationally critical’.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  30 April 2024

“Last year, Milford Track booked out on opening day, and by the end of July the number of people who’d booked a Great Walk had reached pre-pandemic numbers,” says Director of Heritage and Visitors Cat Wilson.

“This year we have combined the bookings systems for Great Walks, and other huts and campsites to make booking more straightforward for users. This means people will only need a single account to book the Great Walks and all other accommodation next season.

“Users who don’t already have an account on DOC’s existing huts and campsites booking system will need to create a new log in and account at https://bookings.doc.govt.nz/Web/.”

New Zealand’s Great Walks offer diverse experiences across spectacular landscapes, on well-formed tracks. They are hugely popular, and spaces have been limited to provide a great experience and protect biodiversity. This round of bookings applies to the July 2024-June 2025 period.

“Great Walks are a big driver for international visitors,” says Cat. “In a pre-pandemic survey 1 in 10 visitors to New Zealand said they did a Great Walk on their holiday.

“However, even with international visitors returning over the past year, the Great Walks continue to attract high levels of New Zealanders, who accounted for 70% of bed-nights booked last year.

“2023/24 statistics show total Great Walk bed-nights were up 7.7% on the previous year with 128,115 bed-nights compared to 118,921 in the previous year.  

“The numbers were also up 7.1% compared to the pre-COVID summer of 2019/20 of 119,581 bed-nights.

“Abel Tasman Coast Track bed-nights were up 11.2%, Tongariro Northern Circuit was up 10% and the Heaphy Track bounced back to 88% of pre-COVID levels despite only reopening as a full walk in October 2023 following storm damage.

“This year, we recommend people have their online login sorted in advance to book their preferred walks on ‘bookings open’ day, so they’re all ready to go.”

*Hump Ridge Track

The Hump Ridge Track is an existing multi-day walk that can be booked in advance through the Hump Ridge Trust. The track will become a ‘Great Walk’ in October 2024, and will continue to be booked via the Trust’s booking system.

Background Information

• While the most popular tracks such as Milford and Routeburn book out very fast, walks such as Abel Tasman, Heaphy and Lake Waikaremoana have greater capacity. There are often cancellations following the bookings opening dates.
• Bookings for other facilities (non-Great Walks) for 2024-25 opened earlier in the month, between 9-23 April.
• Non-Great Walk huts, campsites and lodges were popular in 2023-24, with over 130,000 bednights booked in total on those opening days. This included over 40,000 bednights booked for Tōtaranui Campground in the Abel Tasman National Park alone – with summer holiday spots there selling out in minutes.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  30 April 2024

The popular walking track to the picturesque beach has been closed since February 2023, due to damage caused by extreme weather events.

DOC’s Hauraki Waikato Taranaki Regional Director Tinaka Mearns says the land across the reserve has continued to move since the initial storms.

“The continued land movement has made it challenging to identify a simple walking solution at a level of risk acceptable for the type of casual visitor who generally goes there,” Tinaka says.

“What we’ve worked to produce is a suite of possible options which cover reinstatement of walking access to the beach and also entrance to the recreation reserve.”

For walking access to the beach, three options are under consideration – one is a short-term fix which would see construction of new steps and a boardwalk to reinstate a section of the existing track, while the two others would be long-term repairs involving installation of new infrastructure.

The two long-term options would require significant investment and also the installation of a new potentially cantilevered staircase and steps to the beach – and therefore take longer to design, procure and complete.

“Upholding the values of Ngāti Hei has been a key factor as we work through the options. Alignment with several pieces of conservation legislation, and community perspectives provides both great opportunity and creates a shared awareness for compromise.

“As an example, we’ve had to examine pros and cons for each of these options and also factor in an historic pā site which is significant to Ngāti Hei,” Tinaka says.

Other options explored as part of the development work include visitor entry points from the Hahei Short Walk, making best use of an existing entrance at Grange Rd, and whether access over adjacent farmland is feasible.

“We need to balance out aspects including costs and investment risk, resilience against future weather events, as well reducing the environmental and social impacts on what has been a heavily visited site.”

A presentation giving an overview of the options being explored has been added to the DOC website Cathedral Cove and Hahei updates web page.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  26 April 2024

In February 2023, both the Mangawhai Cliffs Walkway and Mt Manaia experienced significant damage due to the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. Subsequent engineering assessments revealed the need for repairs to ensure visitor safety and preserve the integrity of the track.

Mangawhai Heads Walkway will be closed from 29 April 2024, for approximately 10 weeks. Mt Manaia Walkway will be closed from 14 May 2024, for approximately 8-10 weeks (dependant on weather conditions.)

Throughout the closure period, alternative tracks are available for public use including the Smugglers Bay Loop Track and others in the Whangarei Heads area: Tracks Archives – Discover Whangarei Heads.

“We acknowledge the collaborative efforts of local iwi, hapū and other stakeholders in assessing the damage and planning the necessary remedial actions. The engagement of experienced contractors, including Milton Harward Construction and Plant Pro, will help restore these iconic tracks,” says Les Judd, Acting DOC Whangarei Operations Manager.

“We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of the community during these track closures and hope people take the opportunity to explore some of the other fabulous walking tracks in the area,” says Les.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  24 April 2024

In early April, a member of the public reported mammalian footprints on the sand of the 4.5 ha pest-free island, which is situated less than 1 km from Mahurangi East Peninsula. Te Hapua Island Scenic Reserve is a significant redress site in the Ngāti Paoa Treaty Settlement.

DOC sent rodent detection dogs and their handlers to the island to check for the presence of the predator. While on the island a dog-handler spotted a Norway rat, and the specially trained conservation dogs led the handlers to a burrow.

This prompted a DOC incursion response, setting traps and tracking tunnels on Friday 19 April to gather information about the rat or rats, and eradicate the pest. One rat was caught on Monday followed by another today.

Although two rats have been caught, the regular re-setting and checking of traps will continue until DOC is satisfied there are no further rodents.

Kat Lane, Operations Manager for Inner Hauraki Gulf Islands says it is important to keep Te Haupa free of mammalian pests.

“Keeping Te Haupa pest-free supports all wildlife and especially protects nesting sites for tūturiwhatu/New Zealand dotterel, Ōi/grey faced petrel and kororā/little blue penguin.” 

“Thankfully, eggs are laid around June and July for these species, so there is a lower risk to predation currently. However, we’re working hard to make sure the island is cleared of any further pests as soon as possible.”

It is unknown how the rats came ashore – but the pests can swim or hitch rides on boats. DOC will also send a mustelid scat detection dog handler team to confirm the absence of ferrets, stoats and weasels.

Kat says the public is key to keeping these special conservation spaces safe for wildlife.

“We’re thankful for the person who reported to DOC the signs of mammal pests on the island. Boat and kayak owners can also support wildlife on pest-free islands by checking your vessel and gear for rats, mice, ants and skinks before departure. You can set pest traps on your vessel and in the area it is stored.”

Rats can have a major impact on a range of wildlife because they eat birds, seeds, snails, lizards, fruit, wētā, eggs, chicks, larvae and flowers. The varied diet of rats also makes them competitors with native wildlife for food sources.

If you spot a rat, mouse, stoat or cat on a pest-free island, contact DOC immediately on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).

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