News/Events/Press

North meets South in Conservation Partnership

Ten year old Mitre 10 Takahe Rescue kids art competition winner Nadia Matthews travelled over two thousand kilometres to collect her prize - a visit to the Murchison Mountains, the home of the endangered Takahe.

In November Nadia from Northland learned her pastel picture topped 50,000 other entries to win the competition. Never having travelled further south than Auckland, this was Nadia and her family's first time in the South Island, and their first time in a helicopter.

Nadia and her eight year old brother Tyrell were brimming with excitement as the rotor blades of the helicopter began spinning and the machine lifted off the ground. With Mum, Dad and DOC takahe ranger Nik Joice in the back, Nadia and Tyrell had front row seats as they flew across the mountain ranges, enjoying a scenic flight of Fiordland.

Before heading to Takahe Valley, the helicopter touched down in fresh snow and the children could hardly contain their excitement as they got to feel snow for the first time.

"The highlight of the trip was definitely visiting Lake Orbell in Takahe Valley" said Nadia's father Billy. As the helicopters sound faded Mr Joice unfolded a radio tracking aerial and explained he would try to find the resident pair of Takahe, Pom and Sifu, by the beeps from the transmitters they wore.

The family waded through knee deep water and waist high tussock as they followed the beeps from the birds. The birds were close, but remained unseen. Mr Joice explained that because they had a young chick with them, they were keeping well out of sight.

On the walk back to the helicopter Nadia and Tyrell found a takahe nest, as well as samples of Takahe poo and well chewed pieces of tussock.

"Takahe produce approximately seven metres of poo each day" said Mr Joice, which helped to explain the amount of poo the group were seeing in the area. This fact, no doubt, will be retold at school on Monday when Nadia and Tyrell get to share their weekend of experiences with their classmates.  

As well as winning the visit to Takahe Valley, Nadia and her family had a tour of Burwood breeding Unit where young Takahe are hatched and raised for release in the mountains as young adults.