Visit to Urupukapuka Island 2026

Whakarongo! Whakarongo!

Whakarongo ki te reo o Te Ao Tūroa

Whakarongo ki te au o te moana

Kia mārama pai ai

tōna mana,

tōna ihi,

tōna wehi

E rarau nei me tōna Kotahi

Kuri mai, kuri atu.

Listen-Listen

Hear the voice of the natural world

Feel the voice of the moana

Know the energy

of the forces

that bind us together with our precious dogs.

First of all, can I say what a joy it is to see the incredible enthusiasm and skill of these little dogs. It must be very reassuring to have such vigilant guardians of this precious ecosystem.

Richard and I are delighted to return to Urupukapuka. Previously, we came here via kayak, and we have precious memories of the days we spent exploring the island.

As it happens, this year the focus of my programme is protecting taiao, our natural world. Urupukapuka and Project Island Song are the perfect beginning for that programme of engagement.

You show what's possible when DOC, iwi, land-owners, tourism operators and community groups take collective responsibility for the wellbeing of the natural world. When we all become kaitiaki, we can achieve great things.

When Captain Cook's ship was at anchor in New Zealand, Joseph Banks described the birdsong as "the most melodious wild musick I have ever heard, almost imitating small bells". A crew-member, who clearly valued his sleep, described the dawn chorus as 'deafening'.

Since then, vast swathes of our forests have been silenced. Good people like you are bringing them back to life.

As someone whose ancestors may have lived here on Urupukapuka, it means a lot to know that their heritage on this island is also being protected. And how wonderful to know that future generations will experience the birdsong of those times.

The late Sir Paul Callaghan inspired New Zealanders with his vision for a predator-free 2050 - which he equated with the Apollo Space programme - audacious, but not impossible.

His model of a restoration zone is being realised on these islands - and the halo effect of a sanctuary will become increasingly evident in an increase in birdlife on the other side of the harbour.

Thank you for what you have achieved to date, and I wish you all the very best with Project Island Song.

My hope is that we can collectively, across Aotearoa, encourage many more such projects - and thereby make real headway towards realising Professor Callaghan's dream of bringing our birdsong back into all our communities.