Key Conservation Projects
We are proud to be a part of the following Conservation Projects to help restore and protect New Zealand's natural environment.
Pukunui, NZ southern dotterel, Project
For every RealNZ adventure booked online between the 14 July - 30, 2025, 1% went straight to protecting one of our most endangered native birds - the pukunui, New Zealand southern dotterel. With fewer than 30 breeding pairs left on Rakiura Stewart Island, the pukunui is on the brink of extinction. Funds raised support vital habitat protection and predator control delivered in partnership with the Department of Conservation, exactly where these precious manu need it most.
The Takahe Relocation Project
The project is also a collaboration between the Department of Conservation (DOC), Ngāi Tahu, and other conservation partners. It seeks to establish a self-sustaining population of takahē in the wild, reducing the species' reliance on managed environments like sanctuaries and offshore islands.
The Kākāriki Karaka Translocation Project
The kākāriki karaka needs protection urgently.
Introduced predators such as stoats, rats, possums, and cats reduced what was once a thriving bird species to approximately 350 remaining in the wild.
The kākāriki karaka’s population needs help stabilising. RealNZ, the Department of Conservation, and Ngāi Tahu have collaborated on a translocation project, moving, and establishing a colony of the orange-fronted parakeet on Pukenui Anchor Island, a haven for the birds.
Cooper Island Restoration Project
Since 2015, RealNZ has been working on this long-term project to remove predators from Cooper Island - the third largest island in Dusky Sound.
The initiative sees RealNZ join the Department of Conservation’s Tamatea Dusky Sound Restoration Programme; sharing its vision to make Dusky Sound one of the most intact ecosystems in the world. RealNZ is proud to play a part in helping make this ambitious vision a reality.
Walter Peak Land Restoration Project
In February 2015, RealNZ began a large-scale restoration project at Walter Peak to preserve the area’s authentic New Zealand landscape.
Around 90 hectares of wilding Douglas fir are being removed through logging and spraying, in partnership with the Wakatipu Wilding Conifer Control Group (WCCG) and the Department of Conservation. A further 30 hectares will be cleared of invasive weeds including broom, gorse and hawthorn. We have planted thousands of natives including mountain and red beech, kōwhai, cabbage trees, rātā and pittosporum will be planted across the Von Hill Peninsula.
Predator-Free Rakiura
RealNZ Chief Conservation Officer Paul Norris is chair of the Rakiura Predator-Free Group, which aims to remove introduced predators from Rakiura Stewart Island. The ambitious project targets rats, possums, feral cats and hedgehogs, and is one of the most complex conservation efforts of its kind in the world.
In 2019, RealNZ joined 12 other stakeholder groups in signing a Memorandum of Understanding supporting the vision of a predator-free Rakiura. The project has since received Department of Conservation funding to progress to the next phase of planning and design.
RealNZ also works with Rakiura Māori Lands Trust on rat control at Ocean Beach using A24 and Victor snap traps. Rodent bait stations and traps are installed at Stewart Island Ferry terminals, and are checked weekly.
Whio Blue Duck Recovery Programme
RealNZ contributes approximately $10,000 per year towards the Whio Blue Duck recovery programme undertaken by the Department of Conservation. Blue Duck/Whio numbers have been steadily declining in Fiordland over the last 30 years. The programme works through egg recovery, chick rearing and re-release to boost Whio populations in areas where there is stoat control.
In March 2015, three young Whio were successfully transferred to Mt Aspiring National Park. The rare native ducklings were caught by DOC rangers near the Milford Track and flown by helicopter from Fiordland National Park (where Whio have been breeding successfully) to a valley close to the Routeburn Track. This was just the first of what is hoped will be several Whio relocations, funded by RealNZ.
The Kārearea Project
The kārearea is New Zealand’s only native falcon species and is at home in the mountains of the South Island.
There is a significant knowledge gap in our scientific understanding of kārearea in the alpine environment which inhibits conservation management. The Kārearea Project, lead by RealNZ through Cardrona Alpine Resort, aims to collect more data about the kārearea in order to understand how best to protect it. The magnificent Cardrona Valley has a small population of kārearea and presents an opportunity to develop a science-based conservation approach in tussock grassland mountain ecosystems. An integral component of this project is education and community engagement, with local schoolchildren, residents, and visitors to the region being introduced to the kārearea through multiple platforms.
'Putangi' Conservation Wine
A delicious drop is about to make you feel even better.
In 2022, RealNZ and local Central Otago winery, Wet Jacket Wines, collaborated to bring Fiordland guests the ‘Putangi’ Conservation Wine. So even when you’re drinking a delicious Pinot Noir on one of our vessels, you’re still doing good.
For every bottle of Putangi sold, $10 will go towards a conservation project, either in Patea Doubtful Sound, or Piopiotahi Milford Sound. If you’re enjoying the Putangi in Doubtful Sound, the money will go directly to the traplines on Bauza Island. If you’re in Milford Sound, the money will go to checking the traplines along Harrison Cove.
