The final week’s goal was to do predator monitoring at Lake Rotoroa and replace more traps on the St Arnaud Range. We assembled at work with our overnight gear and sand-fly repellent, then drove over to the top of the lake with the larger boat Kehu on the back. The...
Tuesday 12th I spent my two flights up excitedly chatting away to everyone seated around me. Just before the plane landed in sunny Nelson there was a shout out to the New Zealand Volunteer Firefighters on board from an emotional flight attendant, whose house had come...
As Aidan and I head towards Nelson Lakes National Park, Jen (a DOC worker) points out the scorched hills where massive fires have raged for weeks. Although I am lapping up the beautiful sunny weather here, the land is in desperate need of some rain. We arrive in St...
The mind wanders with the feet through the infinite haze of green; it’s hard to believe there can be so many shades of a colour. You are surrounded by lush New Zealand podocarp-broadleaved forest, which changes subtly as you walk around the coast or over the tops of...
The Blake Ambassador Programme has been running since 2007 and partners with Antarctica NZ, NIWA, Tara Expeditions and the Department of Conservation to give young scientists and conservationists the opportunity to work on conservation and science projects in NZ and...
The last day brings with it torrential rain. Almost everyone is on dinghy duty as we finish the last coastal traps. I am soaked within ten minutes, but the waterfalls are astounding. Again, the sea life is on display and penguins are all over the rocks we are...
