Tutukaka headland to get 6000 plants

More than 6000 plants will be planted on the QEII covenanted Taurawhata headland at Tutukaka. Photo/Malcolm Pullman

More than 6000 plants are to be planted at Taurawhata headland as part of a long held family dream.

The Bowden family own Tawapou, a 300-acre property on the Tutukaka Coast. That property includes the Taurawhata headland which is the closest point on the mainland to the Poor Knights Islands.

Family member Guy Bowden said the long-term aim is to return the land to coastal bush over time.

"We're really excited to get going."

The plants include manuka, flax, karo and other coastal species.

"Just a really narrow range, they have to be extra tough, it's an extremely exposed headland."

A helicopter lifts native plants onto Taurawhata headland ready for re-vegetation planting. Photo/Malcolm Pullman

A Queen Elizabeth II Open Space Covenant was placed on the property last year, and Mr Bowden said it was huge for them.

"It's such a significant property, we wanted to keep it intact."

Mr Bowden said he and each of his siblings have a house site on the property and the rest of the land, about 120 hectares is covered by the covenant.

A QEII covenant helps private landowners permanently protect special features on their land.

The property has about 3km of coastal frontage and features some of the district's largest remnant pohutukawa and coastal lowland broad leaf forest.

They have prepared the headland for planting and about a week ago a helicopter transported the plants to the site up a steep gully.

This Saturday they are holding their annual planting day.

Mr Bowden said previous planting days have been with family and friends, but this is the first one of significance and they are inviting volunteers.

They are expecting about 80 people.

"There's a real groundswell of people who want to help with this sort of thing. People love to help."

Anyone who wants to help plant on Saturday can meet at the Tawapou Woolshed at 9am. They are asked to bring a spade.

Rare birds making Northland home again

Grey-faced petrels have been found breeding on the Tawapou property.

Guy Bowden said he was collecting manuka seed on the cliffs of Taurawhata in September last year when he found about a dozen bird burrows.

"It's an area I hadn't been for years."

He set up a night vision camera and captured footage of adult Oi, or grey-faced petrel, birds feeding their young. He was thrilled with the find.

This is the latest discovery of Oi breeding on mainland Northland, after the birds were discovered in Bream Head Scenic Reserve in 2015.

Predators drove the birds away decades ago.

Mr Bowden said pest control started on the property 40 years ago.

"It's a reward for keeping the pests away."

The last of the fledgling chicks left the burrows in early February this year and will return in a few years time to breed.