Open for everyone to enjoy, and just a boat ride from Whangarei city or a short paddle from the suburb of Onerahi, community input has transformed Matakohe-Limestone Island from degraded pasture into a regenerating forest habitat – 155,000 trees planted and counting.
Mammalian predators have been eradicated from the island, meaning this ‘new’ forest is now a safe home for a growing variety of threatened native fauna that have been re-introduced, including kiwi, banded rail, New Zealand dotterel, moko skink and forest gecko.
The island is also the site of Matakohe pa and once extensive kumara gardens, as well as the impressive ruins of one of Whangarei's earliest industrial sites - the Limestone Island cement works, founded in 1856.
Restoration efforts are coordinated by members of the community, the Friends of Matakohe–Limestone Island Society (FOMLI), in partnership with Whangarei District Council, made possible thanks to the support of numerous partners and sponsors such as Golden Bay Cement.
THE PETRELS ARE BACK IN TOWN
Three grey faced petrels have returned (the earliest ever!) and hopefully this year they will breed and contribute to the islands fertility. This is the eigthth year since the first birds fledged and it is with trepidation that we await the first island born chick. The petrel site on the island has been chained off now as the less disturbance they have the better. The at–least weekly checks on these beauties will continue till September so the "work" goes on.
WEDNESDAY WOLLIE DAY 5th JUNE, (had cheesecake last month :/)
Thanks to those that turned up for the last one which was a beautiful crisp sunny autumn day. Much was achieved including the rewriting of the bait station numbers/letters to make the upcoming mouse bust easier (Greg loves these, hehe). I am having a bit of a delay in getting the sponsored rodent bait but as soon as I do the bust will be going down, so keep your ears to the email machine. The wollies are also awesome at spotting the rouge weeds around the island and it is amazing how extra pairs of eyes can spot these. Numbers were down a little this month so any new volunteers who want to come along don't hesitate to show up at the Onerahi wharf at 9am the first Wedensday of every month for a fun productive day. If you would like more information about volunteering don't hesitate to contact me through the link below.
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LIMESTONE TRIPS: Thinking of coming to the Island?
Just a quick reminder that most Sundays the good vessel the MV Waipapa leaves from the town basin in Whangarei for a harbour cruise with a stopover at the island for approximatly an hour. This is a awesome way for people to visit this awesome place that usually could not normally do so with a friendly crew to boot. Check below for sailing dates and more details.
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