Milford Sound
10 Years of Sinbad Sanctuary Support
A conservation project dedicated to Milford Sound’s Sinbad Gully is about to celebrate ten years of preserving native wildlife one of New Zealand’s most special places.
The Sinbad Sanctuary Project is a conservation programme partnered through the Fiordland Conservation Trust, the Department of Conservation (DOC) and principal sponsor, Southern Discoveries.
The partnership is dedicated to restoring Sinbad Gully to its original pest-free status. It has been working towards that goal for the past decade, through the trapping of predators such as stoats, rats and possums and monitoring beech seed fall (which drives predator numbers).
The gully, located next to the iconic Mitre Peak, is already home to at least 20 different native bird species, as well as three species of threatened lizard, with the Sinbad Sanctuary Project aiming to reintroduce even more species as pests are eradicated. The valley walls surrounding Sinbad Gully form a natural barrier against the re-invasion of these predators.
Southern Discoveries’ passion for preserving Milford Sound’s beauty for future generations has seen the company commit more than $330,000 to the Sinbad Sanctuary Project over ten years, but their support goes beyond the purely financial.
Southern Discoveries’ staff are also involved in predator control, surveying and other monitoring, and the combined efforts of all those involved in the project has delivered significant results.
DOC workers and Southern Discoveries volunteers initially laid out 70 traps in the area in December 2009, with a second stoat trap line established in 2017. The team has undertaken around 90 trap checks, 20 whio (native blue duck) surveys, two kiwi surveys and three distance sampling surveys of other wildlife over the past decade.
Those actions have seen the number of whio in the Sinbad Sanctuary increase from one identified pair to at least five identified pairs. The number of kiwi estimated in the area also increased from 10 to 19 over just five years.
Populations of other species, such as the bellbird, fantail, kereru, tui and weka, have also grown, with the toutouwai (native robin) due to be reintroduced to Sinbad Gully later this year.
Southern Discoveries CEO Tim Hunter says this conservation work remains an integral part of their business.
“As one of the largest tourism operators in this very special part of the world, we’re dedicated to preserving its unique natural environment,” Hunter says.
“The Sinbad Sanctuary project has reached some amazing milestones over the past ten years, and we’re very proud to have been part of those efforts.”
Fiordland Conservation Trust chairperson Murray Willans says it’s encouraging to see tourism operators like Southern Discoveries working to protect such an important part of the country.
“Without the support of Southern Discoveries and their customers, projects like the Sinbad Sanctuary just wouldn’t happen,” he says.
Southern Discoveries’ customers are able to support the Sinbad Sanctuary Project directly by making donations when booking online or at one of the company’s visitor centres.
Further details can be found here.
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