The term “Treasure Islands” is a wonderful way to describe the more than 50 islands scattered throughout the sparkling waters of Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. Right on the front doorstep of New Zealand’s largest city, these island jewels are now home to some of our most iconic and endangered species.
So when I was asked to attend a five-night cruise as onboard guide with New Zealand Geographic Expeditions on the Island Passage, I knew that visiting these islands would provide unrivalled opportunities for examining our natural heritage, and an opportunity to discuss some of our greatest conservation challenges as a country within the microcosm of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. The islands of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park neatly encapsulate the story of conservation in New Zealand, and how we have become world leaders in the job of island restoration. Island restoration is not a new concept in New Zealand.
In fact, over a hundred years ago Richard Henry—the forefather of island restoration here, if not the world—showed us how it was done, tirelessly rowing over 700 kakapo and kiwi from Resolution Island to other nearby islands in Fiordland to protect them from the onslaught of predators such as stoats and weasels. Sadly, after six years of this effort, he spotted a “weasel” (more likely a stoat) that had made it across to one of these safe islands and realised his work had been in vain. Richard Henry would be proud to know that today more than 70 islands have benefited from pest eradication, providing lifeboats for some of our most precious native wildlife—many species of which would become extinct without these protected areas to live on. Within the archipelago of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park are countless stories of restoration and enhancement of our natural heritage, mostly thanks to the many volunteers and community groups found within the Auckland region. Our journey on the Island Passage took us past Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands. Rangitoto is home to the largest pohutakawa forest in the world and Motutapu, a working farm, now has more than 500,000 native trees growing on it thanks to the dedication of the Motutapu Restoration Trust, who host
volunteers every weekend to create new native forest. We moored our first night just off Motuihe—now home to the little spotted kiwi, thanks again to a community determined to provide our national bird with an offshore safe-haven. Over the five days, we travelled to Waiheke, the Coromandel Peninsula, Great Barrier, Kawau and Tiritiri Matangi, and at each found a rich cultural and natural history underpinned by a driven community determined to protect it. That vigilance is key, for most of these island lifeboats rely on the absence of predators such as rats, and the number and volume of boaties that visit these places makes the probability of a pest incursion high. In fact, during our trip, we heard there was a rat found on nearby Motuora Island, which among other wildlife highlights is now a crèche for vulnerable kiwi chicks. A rat invasion is a catastrophe—the last one that made it to Motuora (unwittingly carried over on someone’s kayak) took two weeks and 400 traps to dispense with. Visitors to these islands are privileged to experience wildlife that in much of New Zealand is restricted to inaccessible areas. However we must remember that with that privilege comes responsibility, and it is certainly our responsibility to ensure these precious life boats for biodiversity remain pest-free.
Our final day on the Island Passage included a visit to Tiritiri Matangi, a bustling metropolis of mostly unfamiliar birds such as tieke, hihi and kokako. Rare takahe graze like sheep near the lighthouse, making it difficult to remember that there are only a couple of hundred takahe left on the planet.
Tiritiri Matangi has been held up as a shining example of island restoration, and a protected place for myriad species of our native animals. Yet just 25 years ago, this beacon of conservation was little more than a paddock. Now it is a tourism highlight for visitors to Auckland. If we can achieve this in a quarter century within the realms of the Hauraki Gulf—through sheer determination, passion and a will to protect our natural heritage—the opportunity to turn the tide for our precious native wildlife throughout the country and to help
foster economic growth through tourism is huge.