Bringing Kiwi Home
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After nearly a century’s absence, little spotted kiwi have come back to the region. The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary welcomed 40 kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi) in early May (20 male & 20 female).
Chris McCormack, Chief Executive, said, “We’d like to offer our thanks and gratitude to everyone involved in the translocation and the dedicated team of staff and volunteers from the Sanctuary, Save the Kiwi, and the Department of Conservation. We also couldn’t have done this without the support of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, whose interests encompass both sides of Te Moana-o-Raukawa (the Cook Strait) and ngā iwi o te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Maui (the eight tribes of the top of the South Island).
“Once the kiwi are settled into their new environment, we plan to run night-time guided tours to provide visitors with the opportunity to hear the kiwi and hopefully see them as well.”
Retaining the biosecurity of the sanctuary is now absolutely essential. This includes maintaining the integrity of the fence, continuing perimeter and regular sanctuary-wide pest surveys, and rapid and effective responses to breaches and any potential pest detections.
Post-release health monitoring of ten male kiwi pukupuku birds fitted with radio transmitters will be carried out six and twelve months after release. Nighttime call counts will be conducted regularly to establish the spatial extent of the (growing) population.
Approximately 40 kiwi pukupuku were translocated from their breeding grounds on Kapiti Island
After almost a century-long absence from Te Tauihu, kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi) are coming back to Nelson.
“Te Waipounamu is the traditional home for kiwi pukupuku so being the first region to welcome them back to their whenua in almost a century is a privilege,” said Turi Hippolite from Ngāti Koata
Sanctuary ecologist Robert Schadewinkel said being given the permission to have kiwi pukupuku in the Sanctuary is an “incredible privilege.”
“The Sanctuary team is very excited to be able to reintroduce kiwi pukupuku to the region as part of our ecosystem efforts and visitor experience offering, after so many years in the planning,” said Schadewinkel. “Translocating the threatened kiwi pukupuku is vitally important in helping to sustain and grow their population.”
“This project was the vision of the original founders of the Sanctuary and marks 20 years made up of thousands of hours of volunteers and staff – past and present – who have created the environment in which kiwi can once again thrive in Nelson.”
The translocation was jointly funded by Save the Kiwi and the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, who rely on the support of their 2500 members, local organisations such as Nelson City Council, generous individuals and local business sponsors. Local jeweller, Jens Hansen in particular, has contributed through the Kiwi Establishment Fund set up in 2022 and the proceeds from sales of their Golden Kiwi necklace.
Translocation refers to the capture, transport and release of individuals of a species from one location to another. A translocation is an integral part of reintroduction.
Kiwi pukupuku / little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii) are unique to New Zealand. Their conservation status is currently ‘Threatened – Nationally Increasing’ (Robertson et al. 2021). The increase is due to newly established populations following translocations to offshore islands and fenced predator-free sanctuaries.
Kiwi pukupuku is the smallest of the five surviving species. Together with its larger relations, the great spotted kiwi and rowi, it is one of three kiwi species that used to roam the Nelson area. All three species went locally extinct after the arrival of introduced predators, especially stoats and dogs.
An experienced and accredited kiwi handler and translocation practitioner from Save the Kiwi oversaw all aspects of the operation, including catching and preparing birds on Kāpiti Island for translocation. Representatives from the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary worked in teams for several weeks in April on Kapiti Island.
In accordance with Wildlife Authority permit requirements, the team undertook various tasks such as banding/microchipping birds, conducting health checks, and collecting samples for disease screening. Samples will be sent to accredited laboratories, and transmitters will be fitted onto the birds as necessary. Additionally, the team will be responsible for removing or changing transmitters when needed.
Factors that contribute to a successful translocation include handling the birds with care, selecting healthy individuals, keeping the birds well-fed and watered, and minimising stress and overheating during transport and release.
The team took incredible care of the birds throughout the process and all 40 kiwi are now settling into their new home in the Sanctuary.
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Ngā mihi nui to Booster Wine Group and @wwfnz 🦎💚
Back in November 2024, generous support from Booster Wine Group ($9,447), WWF-New Zealand ($15,000) and other generous donors who helped make our tuatara translocation possible, returning these ancient reptiles to their ancestral home here in Whakatū Nelson - add with support and guidance from Ngati Koata who are the kaitiaki
Their funding supported key costs such as specialist animal care, transport, habitat preparation and ongoing monitoring for the 56 tuatara now living safely inside our predator-free enclosure at the Sanctuary.
We’re incredibly grateful for partners like Booster Wine Group and WWF-New Zealand, whose commitment to conservation creates a lasting legacy for tuatara and for everyone who visits the Sanctuary to learn about these remarkable taonga. 🌿
Dec 10
🌿 Ngahere Neighbourhood: koru of the mamaku (black tree fern)
Few sights in the ngahere are as iconic as the unfurling koru of a mamaku (Sphaeropteris medullaris). These towering tree ferns can reach up to 20 metres tall, with elegant black trunks patterned by hexagonal scars from fallen fronds.
Their massive fronds can stretch over five metres long, arching high above the forest floor to form a shady green canopy. The stalks and undersides are covered in small, spiny-edged scales — a key feature that helps distinguish mamaku from other large tree ferns.
Mamaku are widespread across Aotearoa, especially in lowland and coastal forests of the North Island and the wetter regions of the South. As new fronds uncurl, the koru shape symbolises new life, growth, and renewal — a form that continues to inspire art, design, and our connection to nature.
🔎 Species: Sphaeropteris medullaris
🟢 Conservation status: Not Threatened
📸 Photo by Rebecca Bowater
#NgahereNeighbourhood #BrookSanctuary #NativePlants #FernFriday #Mamaku #Koru #NewZealandNature #Conservation
Dec 9
We are proud to acknowledge Ngati Toa Rangitira as kaitiaki of the kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi) now settling into life in the Sanctuary.
Their guidance and mātauranga were central to this year’s translocation — from naming the birds to the ceremony at our visitor centre.
Kiwi pukupuku are a treasured taonga, and we’re grateful to work alongside Ngāti Toa Rangatira and our iwi partners in supporting their return to Whakatū.
Ngā mihi nui to everyone involved in bringing these kiwi home.
Dec 8
📅 2026 Calendars – Now Available! 🌿
We’re excited to share two stunning 2026 calendars, created by local photographers and long-time friends of the Sanctuary — Deb Corbett and Sean McGrath.
Each calendar captures the beauty of Nelson’s wild places — from the native forest and wildlife of the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary to the rivers, ridgelines, and coastlines that surround it.
These beautiful calendars make the perfect Christmas gift — and every purchase supports local conservation right here in Nelson. 💚
Pick one up from our Visitor Centre next time you visit!
📍 Available now at the Visitor Centre
🎁 Perfect for Christmas giving
🎄Check out our other gift options and memberships
Nov 28
🌼 Ngahere Neighbourhood: mikoikoi (New Zealand iris)
With its elegant fans of golden-green leaves and delicate white blooms, mikoikoi (Libertia ixioides) brings quiet beauty to the ngahere. This hardy perennial herb is found from coastal cliffs to mountain slopes throughout Aotearoa and is a true New Zealand endemic.
In spring and early summer, mikoikoi produces clusters of white, three-petalled flowers that give way to striking orange seed capsules. Its leaves often take on yellow tones in full sun, forming dense clumps that help stabilise soil on ridges and banks.
Mikoikoi belongs to the iris family and is one of several Libertia species unique to Aotearoa. There are two species found within the Sanctuary, with Libertia moorae being endemic to Te Tau Ihu (Top of the South). You’ll often find it along the Sanctuary’s sunny forest edges and stream banks — a subtle but beautiful reminder of our native flora’s diversity and resilience.
🔎 Species: Libertia ixioides
🟢 Conservation status: Not Threatened
📸 Photo by Rebecca Bowater
#NgahereNeighbourhood #BrookSanctuary #NativePlants #Mikoikoi #NewZealandIris #Conservation #NewZealandNature
Nov 27
✨ An unforgettable kiwi pukupuku encounter
Sometimes, you just get lucky.
Some of our night tour visitors got the surprise of a lifetime. While admiring the glow worms, the group suddenly heard a male kiwi pukupuku calling nearby. Moments later, one of our visitors felt something gently brushing against her feet.
When the torch came on, there it was — a kiwi pukupuku standing right beside the group.
Even better, someone captured the moment on video.
This curious kiwi wandered off into the ngahere… then strolled back for another look. Encounters like this are incredibly rare, and seeing kiwi confidently exploring the Sanctuary — only months after their arrival in May — is a wonderful sign of how well they’re settling and thriving.
A magical night none of us will forget.
🎟️ Want to experience the ngahere after dark? Join one of our guided night tours.
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Video credit: Carmeli Bitoin
#kiwiencounter #kiwisighting #BrookSanctuary #kiwipukupuku #LittleSpottedKiwi #AotearoaNature #PredatorFreeNZ #NelsonNZ #NZwildlife #ConservationNZ #Kaitiakitanga #NZnature #NatureLoversNZ #NZbirds #Nzmustdo #OnlyInNZ
Nov 24
