Make your vacation more of a vocation

By ROSEMARY FINDLAY

If you yawn at the thought of a resort holiday, or want to gain skills, enjoy the outdoors and are interested in conservation, volunteer work could be your next holiday.

Volunteering allows all kinds of people to become involved in wildlife conservation, have a worthwhile holiday, to do research work, or just to enjoy the experience.

The New Zealand Department of Conservation (DoC) has programmes to suit most people. With DoC you can help to conserve New Zealand's natural, cultural and historic resources. Activities include maintaining huts, searching for nests of yellow-eyed penguins, track-maintenance and wildlife surveys. Projects last from one day to a week and some, such as the South Island's Pelorus Sound clean-up, are so popular they are balloted.

For the week-long project you live on board the 14m launch, the Kamahi, and visit remote islands in Marlborough. Work includes weed-control, track-maintenance and coastal clean-ups around D'Urville Island.

Also subject to ballot is the little spotted kiwi survey on Long Island, in the outer reaches of Queen Charlotte Sound. Volunteers spend the nights doing kiwi surveys and sleep during the day.

The popularity of volunteering has grown. DoC says 10,271 volunteers did 23,242 workdays to the year ending in June this year.

National facilitator of conservation volunteers Paul Dale says: "A good volunteer is focused on the outcome of conservation or has an affinity for the setting or the place. Volunteers have practical skills to offer and enjoy working with people and DoC staff. They have a need to contribute, a desire to do their bit and to make a difference."

Dale adds: "A typical volunteer is a young person seeking work experience or on their OE, as well as older people or retirees.

"There are people in the older age group who travel the world doing volunteer work. Tramping club members are also well represented and are generally passionate about conservation."

Sue Bennett worked on weed-removal at Raoul Island in the Kermadecs.

"It was hard yakka on Raoul Island. Very hot with steep, unstable terrain. Fitness is essential as well as a good head for heights.

"I have always been fascinated by New Zealand's offshore islands and their restoration. It is a good way to visit places otherwise unobtainable."

Environmental science student Greg Farmer, of Tauranga, took part in kiwi surveys at Ohakune.

"It's cold out there so you pile on the clothes and take a sleeping bag, Thermos and scroggin.

"I was one of a group of six and enjoyed the combination of work, fun and friendship-building with people of similar interests." Nathan Hills of the Coromandel took part in several volunteer projects to complement his zoology degree.

"I worked on a project south of Te Kuiti catching a new species of giant weta and moving them to a new site," he said.

He spent 16 days on Little Barrier Island doing surveys to gauge the effect of rats on the skink population and met people with similar interests.

"Volunteering provides contacts to further my career," he said. "I hear some amazing stories, start to absorb the passion and learn about the animals. Also I visit islands off limits to the public and see what New Zealand looked like before the arrival of settlers."

Similar opportunities exist across the Tasman with Conservation Volunteers Australia, founded in 1982. A volunteer can choose a six-week programme which is designed for visitors to Australia, or choose a current project and join for a day, a weekend or a week.

To join either programme costs $A23 ($27.60) a day including meals, project-related travel, and accommodation.

Volunteering is a winner for everyone involved; a cheap holiday combined with satisfying work in unique locations that benefits the environment.

www.doc.govt.nz

www.conservationvolunteers.com.au