There’s so much exciting HealthPost Nature Trust activity to share — along with a huge thank you to every HealthPost customer for making this work possible. We truly couldn’t do it without you.
This season has delivered milestone after milestone for the precious wildlife of Wharariki and Onetahua Farewell Spit, and we’re're thrilled to bring you the latest.
Meet Tahi — a tiny chick marking a big moment at the Wharariki Ecosanctuary
First up, meet Tahi, believed to be the first pakahā fluttering shearwater to hatch on the mainland in this region in possibly one hundred years. Tahi is thriving in his fully protected home and his devoted parents are doing a great job.
And Tahi isn’t the only good news. We’ve now recorded three returning banded pakahā from the HealthPost Nature Trust translocations: Yonga, Marama, and Fluffball — who has transformed from downy chick to sleek seabird — and is already incubating an egg in one of the purpose-built burrows. The return of these seabirds is the ecological equivalent of a joyful homecoming — confirmation that they recognise the Ecosanctuary as their nesting site and are ready to raise the next generation here.
Our incredible volunteer team, guided by vet and Nature Trust coordinator Marian Milne, are now monitoring six more burrows with eggs. It’s a slow but steady beginning as the translocated birds merge with local adult birds responding to the acoustic call-in system.
Watching this colony begin to take shape is truly moving for all involved, allowing us to see what’s possible when introduced predators are out of the picture. We’re celebrating the early success of this ambitious, long-term translocation programme while using the momentum to extend protection to other native species under threat.
Farewell Spit fence progress — protecting Onetahua for generations
To that end, we’ve just commenced construction of a highly ambitious 4km predator-proof fence across the base of Onetahua Farewell Spit, which we believe will be a game-changer for the many precious species who live in this unique coastal habitat. These include great spotted kiwi, Nelson green gecko, kororā little blue penguin, tītī sooty shearwater, banded rail, spotless crake, and migratory seabirds such as the godwit, for which Farewell Spit is an internationally recognised Ramsar sanctuary.
The fence will stretch from the west coast to inner Golden Bay, traversing some rugged country, and it must be meticulously constructed from fine stainless-steel mesh to exclude small but impactful predators like rats, stoats and mice. Farewell Spit is an iconic and beloved place for Kiwis (of the human variety!) and international visitors alike, and this predator proof fence will allow, and even encourage, public access so more people can experience this extraordinary landscape and its unique conservation values.
This project is an extension of the community-based partnership model that has worked so well at the Wharariki Ecosanctuary, and we’re especially grateful to Pest Free Onetahua, our local DOC team, Manawhenua ki Mohua, and our wonderful volunteers — and we’re now inviting help from the wider HealthPost whānau!
Please help us finish the fence — and protect the future of Onetahua’s native species
This once-in-a-generation conservation project is well underway — with materials already funded and $300,000 contributed by the HealthPost Nature Trust toward construction. But we’re still $100,000 short of what’s needed to complete the fence.
We’re calling on our wider community to help bring this ambitious project across the line, safeguarding a unique coastal ecosystem and its precious biodiversity. To help raise the final funds, we’ve launched our first-ever PledgeMe crowdfunding campaign.
If you love Onetahua Farewell Spit, believe in regenerating biodiversity in Aotearoa, or simply want to be part of something hopeful and future-focused, we’d be thrilled to have your support.
Help us finish the fence – protect Farewell Spit’s wildlife
Every pledge, share, and conversation brings us closer to safeguarding 2000 hectares of habitat — so we’ll see more inspiring returns like Tahi and the pakahā, enjoying the safe future they deserve.
Just by being with us, you’re helping make these incredible conservation milestones possible.
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