30 years ago, whio were rarely seen on the Tongariro River. Thanks to the Blue Duck Project, duckling survival rates are up from 30% to 90%. Photo / Getty
30 years ago, whio were rarely seen on the Tongariro River. Thanks to the Blue Duck Project, duckling survival rates are up from 30% to 90%. Photo / Getty
In my wetsuit, I climb high along the riverbank and through the dense bush, ducking to avoid fallen tree limbs.
My guide, who is considerably nimbler, has already reached the old hunters' camp hidden amongst the trees. He's crouched on the ground, having found what he was looking for; an A24 trap at the base of a tree, designed to kill stoats and rats. One recent casualty sits at its base. He drops in a new Co2 canister to reset the trap before we go hunting for the next one.
Back in the raft, we spot a pair of rare whio (blue ducks) in the gentle rapids of the Tongariro River. "They're the reason we do this," he tells me.
I'm spending the day with Tongariro River Rafting on its Blue Duck Experience, a one-day rafting excursion in which visitors stop at spots along the river and help check traplines. While checking for dead bodies and resetting traps might not scream "holiday," it just makes sense—this stretch of river is only accessible by whitewater raft. If we didn't do it, who would?
This is exactly the reason why tour operators, tour guides and tourists are critical to supporting the goals of Predator Free 2050. Many outdoor and adventure tours go into remote regions and areas that are only accessible by foot (or, in this case, boat) and where invasive species thrive. And programmes like this work—when Tongariro River Rafting launched roughly 30 years ago, whio were rarely seen on the river. Today, thanks to the Blue Duck Project, duckling survival rates are up from 30 per cent to 90 per cent.
Tour operators, guides and tourists are critical to supporting a predator-free NZ by 2050. Photo / Retaruke Country Estate
Predator Free 2050 isn't just about eradicating rats, stoats, ferrets, weasels, and possums, though. It's also about improving the country's biodiversity and allowing native species to thrive. Here are five ways that you can get involved.
Monitor kiwi health at Cape Kidnappers
You likely know Cape Kidnappers for its luxury lodge and world-class golf course, but did you know it's also home to the largest privately owned and funded wildlife restoration project of its kind in New Zealand? Guests at the Hawke's Bay lodge can sign up for Kiwi Discovery Walk within the fully fenced predator-free reserve, where they'll have the chance to check the radio transmitters on kiwi, weigh and measure the birds to monitor their wellbeing, and learn more about Robertson Lodges' commitment to biodiversity and sustainability.
Luxury Cape Kidnappers is home to the largest privately owned and funded wildlife restoration project of its kind in New Zealand. Photo / Cape Kidnappers
Enhance a predator-free environment with Eco Wanaka
For years, Chris Riley from Eco Wanaka has been working hard to make Mou Waho Island in Lake Wanaka a predator-free reserve. While he normally takes a "leave only footprints" approach, he encourages his passengers to leave behind one thing: A freshly planted tree. To date, more than 8000 native trees have been planted, which provide food for the island's species, including the rare buff weka.
Chris Riley from Eco Wanaka has been working hard to make Mou Waho Island in Lake Wanaka a predator-free reserve. Photo / Jessie Byrne
Sponsor a trap at Retaruke Country Estate
Before opening this all-inclusive lodge just west of National Park Village, owners Glenn and Carolyn worked in conservation and ecology—a background that's evident in their sustainability ethos. Here, it's not just a buzzword: There's an active pest eradication programme in place across its 2000 acres, with the goal of protecting resident kiwi and breeding whio pairs. Hunters can harvest organic goat and deer meat from the property, reducing the number of invasive animals. Guests can get involved by helping to check traps or even by sponsoring their own trap. Even the simple act of sleeping is enough — for every stay, $25 is earmarked for the purchase of traps.
There's an active pest eradication program in place across the 2000 acres of Retaruke Country Estate. Photo / Retaruke Country Estate.
Trip and Trap with Wairaurahiri Jets
Want to make it on to Wairaurahiri Jets' "Good Guy List"? All you need to do is sponsor a trap for a year. On this one-day itinerary in Fiordland National Park, you'll hop on a jet boat ride across Lake Hauroko and down to the rugged southern coast via the wild Wairaurahiri River. There, you'll join your guides in checking and setting stoat and rat traps—including one that has your name on it.
Check traffic light settings, vaccine requirements and Ministry of Health advice before travel. covid19.govt.nz
