Northland’s Aroha Island enters lease with former kaitiaki

Aroha Island in the Kerikeri inlet has long been a spot for ecotourism, with the call of North Island brown kiwi a key drawcard. Photo / Supplied

Regular patrons at ecotourism spot Aroha Island will no longer be able to camp there because as it has entered into a lease with Ngā Kaitiaki o Motu Aroha Charitable Trust (NKOMA).

The trust has been established by descendants of Tango Te Hikuwai, who was the guardian and legal owner of the island in 1840.

A formal acknowledgment of the lease arrangement with Queen Elizabeth II National Trust took place on April 24.

The tranquil spot 12km from Kerikeri hit rocky waters last year after it became known that Aroha Island Charitable Trust (AICT) had elected not to renew its lease.

News in August that holiday accommodation and camping would not be offered during the summer signalled an uncertain future ahead.

At the time of the announcement, AICT co-chairman and treasurer Howard Smith said there was a variety of reasons that contributed to the decision to not renew the lease, including difficult trading conditions due to Covid-19 restrictions, adverse weather events and road closures in Northland.

Based in the Kerikeri Inlet, 12ha Aroha Island has been known as an ecological sanctuary and operated as a popular camping ground for 16 years under AICT.

Visitors could learn about the conservation work taking place, participate in bushwalks, and hear the call of North Island brown kiwi at night.

The new-look island will not be opening as a campground, but there will be opportunities for the public to enjoy the space, according to the new trust.

Ngā Kaitiaki o Motu Aroha trustee Hugh Rahari said the new lease was a positive step forward.

Rahari is a trustee of AICT and has a close association with the island.

“We have plans to continue the excellent conservation work that has been done here over the years and to develop new opportunities for learning, hui, and community involvement,” he said.

Ngā Kaitiaki o Motu Aroha chairwoman Raewyn Tipene said protecting the island’s natural environment was a top priority.

“It fits well with our view of Aroha Island as a sanctuary, a reserve, given its early wāhi tapu history.”

In a 2008 archaeological study, urupā (Māori burial sites) were identified on the island. Generations of tūpuna (ancestors) have been buried there, some in unmarked graves.

Ngā Kaitiaki o Motu Aroha Charitable Trust's Hugh Rihari and QEII National Trust chairman Alan Livingston sign a memorandum of understanding between the two organisations. Photo / Supplied

Queen Elizabeth II National Trust chairman Alan Livingston said they would retain ownership of the island for the foreseeable future.

“QEII is always going to have a close involvement with this special place, and whoever is overseeing the island will support the requirements of the covenant which include care for the biodiversity and provision of access for the community.

“We’re excited to have the descendants of Tango Te Hikuwai taking on this lease and we’re looking forward to working with them.”

This is not the first time the future of Aroha Island has been uncertain — in 2007, there were concerns about the island being managed under a commercial lease after the it lost money.

The community was concerned for the island’s unique features, however, the Aroha Island Charitable Trust was instead established.

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.