Rotorua Girls’ High School student Zoe Parker going to subantarctic islands on expedition voyage

Rotorua Girls’ High School student Zoe Parker, 16, is off to the subantarctic islands with Blake in March. Photo / Supplied

A Rotorua Girls’ High School student is going on a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to the subantarctic islands on an expedition voyage.

Zoe Parker, 16, told the Rotorua Daily Post she was shocked and excited to find out she was one of 10 students nationwide – and the only one from the Bay of Plenty – to join this year’s Blake expedition voyage aboard the HMNZS Canterbury.

The expedition to the Auckland Islands and Campbell Island involves scientific research to understand climate change and biodiversity in the Southern Ocean region.

The Year 13 student is flying to Invercargill on Friday. The ship will depart from Bluff on March 1 and return on March 12.

Zoe said she took part in the week-long Blake Inspire camp in Auckland last year – a leadership development programme with the Ministry for the Environment. In December she was offered the opportunity to apply for the expedition.

She was accepted shortly before Christmas.

“It was ... a shock. I was really excited.

“I loved the first camp so much – it was a really amazing experience for me and I learned a lot. It helped me decide what I want to study next year.”

Zoe said she planned to study environmental science at university. She was doing an introduction to climate change science paper at the University of Waikato this year.

‘I could make a change’

Zoe said she had been scuba diving for three years and had done rubbish clean-ups at Lake Tarawera and Blue Lake with Aotearoa Dive.

“I’ve seen a lot first hand the effects that our environment is facing every day just from rubbish in our local lakes ... ”

Zoe Parker has been scuba diving for three years in places such as Rotorua, Maketū, Vanuatu and Fiji. Photo / Supplied

After the Blake Inspire camp, she learned more about the science involved and found she was interested in it.

She thought, “I could make a change.”

Zoe said the expedition was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to gain more knowledge about remote places in the world that were “not really touched by humans, but [were] still affected”.

She was looking forward most to meeting other people and exploring the remote islands and wildlife.

Zoe Parker is grateful to her parents, family and friends for their support as she heads off on an expedition voyage with Blake in March. Photo / Supplied

Zoe said she raised $2000 for the expedition – as required by Blake – via a Givealittle page and hosting a quiz fundraising event.

All other costs were covered by Blake, she said.

Zoe said she had support from local businesses. This included Aotearoa Dive, Mini Golf Rotorua, Pig and Whistle, Capers Cafe, Boasters Cafe, Canopy Tours, Hunting and Fishing, Planet Bike, and her grandfather’s business that contributed prizes for her raffle at the quiz event.

She also thanked her parents, family and friends for their support.

Seeing wildlife that ‘most people will never see in their lifetime’

A Blake media release says the subantarctic islands are home to unique wildlife, with many of the birds, invertebrates and plants found nowhere else in the world.

The trip – in partnership with the Royal New Zealand Navy – would involve fieldwork carried out across four projects that it was hoped would develop an understanding of climate change and biodiversity in the Southern Ocean region.

Blake head of programmes Alice Ward-Allen would lead the expedition of 23 crew including scientists, students and teachers.

“During the voyage they’ll encounter wildlife most people will never see in their lifetime. They’ll work alongside scientists from GNS, University of Waikato, University of Otago and SAEF/Monash University, while gaining hands-on experience in scientific research and developing valuable leadership skills,” Ward-Allen said.

She emphasised the importance of continuing Sir Peter Blake’s legacy, which was at the core of all Blake programmes – to experience the environment through adventure and participation.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our rangatahi. There is always a sense of adventure and excitement in the air as these expeditions take place, as we know first hand how life-changing the experience will be for many.”

The timing of the expedition was crucial because the Southern Ocean had emerged as a critical factor in global climate regulation, the media release says.

“This vast marine ecosystem serves as Earth’s primary heat and carbon exchange system between atmosphere and ocean, making the research findings vital for understanding and addressing climate change impacts.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.