This is the first post in a series I intend to make covering my time living and working with the Kākāpō Recovery Programme on Codfish Island / Whenua Hou. I hope this series of posts can help explain just what it is I do, where I do it, and why I've chosen to do it. Note that throughout these posts, and the blog in general, I will use the official New Zealand place names for places in the first instance, for example 'Codfish Island / Whenua Hou'. Thereafter I will tend to revert to using the name I prefer to use for the place, which is more often than not the original, more descriptive, Maori name; for example 'Whenua Hou'.
More in the series: The Island, The Wildlife, The Plants, The Kākāpō (links to come).
Transportation
Stewart Island Flights' Cessna 185 ZK-JEM takes off from Sealer's Bay Beach.
I work a roughly four-weeks on, two-weeks off roster, which suits me well. It's great having that long chunk of time off to explore more of the country, or work on other projects at home. Getting to the island for my rostered time on often involves a lot of time in the air, and can occasionally be quite the ordeal. But it is surely also one of the best commutes in the world. I live in Oban, Halfmoon Bay, on Stewart Island / Rakiura, and the only transport to the island departs from Invercargill, New Zealand's southern-most city. Transport is by aeroplane in a small Cessna 185 (call-sign ZK-JEM, or JEM for short) operated by Stewart Island Flights, often by the same pilot that has flown me off Rakiura the day before. It lands on the 900m long Sealers Bay / Waikoropupū beach on the Northern side of the island. If there is a large load of people and gear to come on to the island, often a larger plane, either a Piper Cherokee or Britten Norman Islander will drop a load of people and gear on Mason Bay, Rakiura. JEM then ferries across the shorter distance to Whenua Hou in multiple trips before returning to Invercargill.
Before JEM can land on Waikoropupū the 'runway' conditions must be assessed by those already on the islands a short time beforehand- height of the surf, smoothness of the beach (low winds cause the beach to 'scallop'), wind speed and direction (strong winds make flying dangerous or landing difficult), visibility, and presence of any obstructions (seaweed, logs, seals...). Every beach walk is different, as is every flight.
JEM the Kākāpō - named after the trusty Stewart Island Flights Cessna 185 ZK-JEM.
"Really. You use this thing to to tell us how windy it is!"
Hydrurga leptonyx (Leopard Seal, Pakaka) objects to requests to vacate the runway.
Sunrise on Sealer's Bay / Waikoropupū, Codfish Island / Whenua Hou, while walking the beach and shifting gear in preparation for a flight to land for a Kākāpō Recovery team changeover. Made a bit more interesting by the presence of a large male New Zealand Sea Lion / Rāpoka.
The flight offers spectacular views, most of which I have yet to adequately photograph from the air. It's pretty tricky when you're jammed in a machine with as much as it will carry, or with someone new who takes the prime window seat. The sights include Oreti Beach, Bluff / Motu-pōhue and its harbour, the Flat Hill Wind Farm, Tiwai, Foveaux Strait / Te Ara-a-Kiwa, Centre Island / Raratoka, Solander Island / Hautere and the Motu Tītī or Muttonbird Islands. Of course it also includes various sights around Rakuira, including Mount Anglem / Hananui, Black Rock Point, Long Harry, the dune systems at Smokey Beach, East and West Ruggedy Beach, and of course the Ruggedy Mountains, Passage, and Islands.
Solander / Hautere, an important Buller's Albatross breeding site, occasionally looms into view through the sea mist.
East & West Ruggedy Beaches, Rugged Passage, and one of the Rugged Islands. Ruggedys in background.
The cliffs and pīngao on the dunes of West Ruggedy Beach.
Raw video taken on a Squirrel helicopter flight from Invercargill to Whenua Hou in April 2015.
Often, conditions make it impossible to fly in a plane, and if they aren't forecast to improve we must make the call to switch to the more versatile, but more expensive helicopter. These are usually in the form of a Squirrel or MD-500 type, although occasionally a Kawasaki BK or Robinson R44 will be used, from a range of operators, depending on requirements and who is available/cheapest on the day. The trip is no less spectacular however, often with more time to take it all in, and build anticipation for the stint ahead.
Heliventures' MD-520N Notar ZK-IEN departs the Whenua Hou helipad.
Southern Lakes Helicopters' B3 Squirrel ZK-IRM on Anchor Island helipad.
Before any of this can happen however, there is an important step that must come first and that step is...
Quarantine
Before ever squeezing into the tight cabin of a plane or helicopter though, comes the ever-important process of quarantine. Although the island has a few pest plant species present, following the eradications of introduced weka, brush-tailed possums and rats in the '80's and '90's the island is free of pest animals. The goal of the quarantine process is to keep it that way, and stop any new plant species making it to the island. Everyone who visits the island must go through quarantine, rangers, scientists, and volunteers alike.
The quarantine process proper starts at home, before you head to the quarantine store. One should endeavour to turn up to quarantine with already immaculately clean gear, to reduce the time taken to clear quarantine, and to further reduce risk. Staff will often go one step further, and keep quarantine in mind when they are originally buying gear. Velcro, excess pockets, fluffy things, or anything that has a lot of nooks and crannies is to be avoided if possible. For this reason packs and gaiters are not allowed out to the island unless they are brand new and unused; they are simply too hard to clean in any reasonable amount of time. There is a supply of various sized packs and gaiters on the island for people to use, which makes things much simpler. Additionally, any gear that contains feathers (down jackets, sleeping bags etc.) or may have been in contact with birds must be dry-cleaned or washed in a disinfectant detergent to minimise the risk of an avian disease reaching the island and its population of endangered birds.
Pest-free since the 1990's, Whenua Hou's quarantine process is designed to keep it that way. The last possum was eradicated from the island in 1987, and the evidence of their former presence is slowly fading. This skull was seen in 2016.
The DOC Southern Islands' Quarantine Store "dirty" room - more like clean room.
Arrival to quarantine is always through the 'dirty room' - still a very clean room - your last chance to check and clean any gear. Anything that is deemed to dirty to go comes back here to be further cleaned, or stored until you return. Nothing is ever allowed to sit directly on the floor here; lest something scurries and hides inside. After signing in and receiving a briefing, your gear is brought through to the clean room to be inspected by a ranger with quarantine procedure sign-off. If anything is sub-standard, you may be asked to clean it again, or that it simply cannot come with you to the island. Number one most rejected item? Socks.
The DOC Southern Islands' Quarantine Store clean room.
Once everything is cleaned, checked, and packed ready to go, it cannot be re-opened or go outside except to be transferred to the aircraft taking it to the island. Only once inside the hut may it be opened under quarantine conditions there, to ensure there have been no stowaways. Hopefully, if all procedures are followed, Whenua Hou can remain an animal pest free island forever; and what pest plants are already there are not added to and may one day be eradicated.
Very, very clean.
The next post in this series will cover the island itself and its facilities.