Walking 3000km to raise funds

I am walking the length of New Zealand from Cape Reinga to Buff (Te Araroa) and raising money for the Sanctuary to help this vision become a reality. You can follow me on my blog (kayontheTA.co.nz) as I set off on 10 October.

Our vision is a place... where native plants and animals thrive, without threat from introduced pests. ... alive with birdsong, where rare species such as kiwi, tuatara and kakapo roam freely. ... where you can get involved and make a difference. ... where visitors can see native flora and fauna close to home.

The Brook Waimarama Sanctuary is a registered charitable trust and a community-based initiative working to create a pest-free wildlife sanctuary close to the Nelson city centre. Integral to creating the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary is a pest-proof fence over 14km long that encloses the area. The last pest mammals were removed in early 2018.

The Brook Waimarama Sanctuary is now focusing to re-create a historic piece of New Zealand which today is only found on a few offshore islands. Resident birds, reptiles and invertebrates are flourishing already and species previously lost from the area - such as kiwi and tīeke - will be reintroduced in the near future. The ultimate vision is a place where the whole community can play a practical role in safeguarding our natural heritage as well as being a major tourism destination for visitors to New Zealand.

I am one of the many volunteers at the Sanctuary checking traps and monitoring tunnels keeping the Sanctuary pest free.