Recent News & Media
Our monthly updates
A special moment for nature here in Aotearoa
Recently, 8 takahe were welcomed to their new home at Triangle Flat, at the base of Farewell Spit, as part of the ongoing restoration of Wharariki.
Once thought extinct, takahē have become a symbol of what's possible when people come together to protect nature. While decades of conservation work have helped bring them back from the brink, there are still only around 530 birds nationwide.
The arrival of these birds marks an exciting step for Onetahua Restoration and reflects years of work to create a safe habitat where native species can thrive.
Please see our recent news and media below
Annual Planting Day
Last Friday marked our 18th annual HealthPost planting day.
Together, our team planted another 550 native seedlings at Onetahua Farewell Spit, bringing our total to more than 17,000 native trees planted over the years.
This planting was along the gorse fringe of the Hilltop Walkway to help speed up natural regeneration and support the area's ongoing restoration.
A huge effort from the HealthPost team @healthpostnz, supported by HealthPost Nature Trust staff and an amazing crew of community volunteers. Thank you to everyone who got involved and helped make a difference.
Onetahua's Living Barrier - Farewell Spit
Protecting one of Aotearoa’s most significant ecological landscapes.
Plans underway for 4km predator proof fence at base of Farewell Spit
By Jessica Roden, 1News Reporter – 10/12/25
From Farmland to Wildlife Haven: Major Restoration Project at Triangle Flat
A 200-hectare block at the base of Onetahua/Farewell Spit, previously used for sheep grazing, is set to become a biodiversity hotspot, thanks to a new restoration project led by HealthPost Nature Trust in partnership with DOC, Manawhenua ki Mohua, and Pest Free Onetahua.
Whale refloating at Puponga
The Health Post Nature Trust’s whare at the base of Farewell Spit has become the hub for teams from Manawhenua ki Mohua, the Department of Conservation, Project Jonah, and members of the public involved with rescuing stranded whales on the Spit.
HPNT host the Birds New Zealand youth camp
The eco sanctuary recently hosted the Birds New Zealand youth camp at the whare.
Sniffer dog on the job at Cape Farewell
The eco sanctuary had a visit from a four-legged friend this month. Read more
NMIT ranger team roll up their sleeves
The team had a productive few days in May 2024 with the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) ranger team at Wharariki and across the project.
Remarkable discovery of Kiwi in Pest Eradication Project
Our friends at Pest Free Onetahua have made an “Astonishing” discovery recently – a Great Spotted Kiwi in the Pūponga Recreation Reserve – the first one sighted in the area for decades.
Shearwaters take flight
91 of the 92 Pakahā Fluttering shearwater chicks have successfully fledged and taken flight from Cape Farewell, marking Healthpost Nature Trust’s third successful translocation.
The strange Subantarctic voyager
Read about our latest discovery: a Giant Northern Petrel which some how washed up alive on the Inner Spit.
