Te Rere Reserve

Te Rere Scientific Reserve

Te Rere Private Scientific Reserve is owned by the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, and managed by its Southland Branch.

Te Rere is home to a colony of hoiho.

Where is Te Rere?
Te Rere Reserve is east of Waikawa, in the Catlins, near the bottom of the South Island, New Zealand. The reserve is 70 hectares in size.

What's it like at Te Rere?
The reserve land goes down to the sea, where the hoiho come ashore. Much of the coastline near and within Te Rere has cliffs and is inaccessible, but at Te Rere there is a sheltered inlet and a sloping rock shelf. Both of these places provide landing areas for the hoiho.

Te Rere Coastline

There are lots of flax bushes that have been planted and some yellow-eyed penguins like to make their homes beside them. There are also other native plants and trees like kamahi, tree ferns, rata, fucshia, rimu and miro.
It is possible to find 17 native bird species at Te Rere and a wide range of insects. There is a stream running through the reserve where native fish, freshwater crayfish and eels can be found. New Zealand fur seals are occasional visitors to Te Rere.

Te Rere is surrounded by privately-owned farmland. There is a fence around the reserve to help protect the hoiho from wandering stock.

History...
Most of the coastal headlands were cleared for pasture, and logging occurred over 90% of the reserve up to the 1970's. However, it remained one of the most natural habitats for the hoiho on the mainland of New Zealand because there were still remnants of native vegetation where the hoiho could nest. Cattle and sheep grazed over 50% of the reserve until it was fenced in 1989.

In the early 1980's work had begun to protect hoiho in the area and in 1988 Forest and Bird bought the land from a local farmer for the protection of the hoiho. The Southland Branch of Forest and Bird built a fence around Te Rere Reserve and started to replant the reserve with the help of the community and the Department of Conservation.

This hoiho died in the fire

Fire, Fire!
On Sunday 26 February 1995, after an unusually hot dry spell, a fire burnt part of Te Rere reserve.
Strong winds provided ideal fire conditions and the fire swept through the reserve at terrific speed before anyone could even try to stop it.

Forest and Bird cannot be sure what caused the fire. There had been no fire permits issued in the area, so the fire may have spread from a nearby farmers burn-off or the still-smouldering stumps from a pre-Christmas fire being whipped alive by the wind.

Two thirds of the vegetation on the reserve was destroyed, which included most of the hoiho nesting areas. At least half the hoiho were killed - about 60 penguins. Since the fire the neighbouring farmers have made fire breaks to reduce the fire risk.

Fire fighters and hoiho rescuers
These men are from DOC and Forest and Bird. They helped rescue the injured hoiho.

Caring for Te Rere...
The Southland Forest and Bird Branch, the Department of Conservation and members of the Southland community have spent hundreds of hours planting native trees and flax bushes, controlling pests, and observing the hoiho. The fire was a terrible set-back to all of their hard work, but since the fire they have replanted the trees and the reserve is starting to look like it was before the fire.

Te Rere Reserve is an important area because it is home to a colony of hoiho.

In 1999 the Southland Forest and Bird Branch estimated that there were 30 resident adult hoiho at Te Rere, before the fire there was a colony of about 100 adults.

If you live in Southland, or are visiting the area, you might like to help look after Te Rere Reserve with the Kiwi Conservation Club or the Forest and Bird Branch. Contact Forest and Bird Central Office in Wellington if you would like to become a member and help protect the hoiho.

Planting at Te Rere

These people are at Te Rere Reserve to plant flax for the hoiho. They are listening to instructions before they begin.

With continued care and restoration of the Te Rere Scientific Reserve it will continue to be a safe home for the hoiho on the mainland of New Zealand.