Onetahua / Farewell Spit is one of the most extraordinary places in Aotearoa, and caring for a place like this takes commitment, collaboration, and a long-term vision.
Pest Free Onetahua is leading the pest-control in this shared restoration partnership with Manawhenua ki Mohua, Department of Conservation, and HealthPost Nature Trust.
Together, we’re working to protect the unique ecosystem of Onetahua / Farewell Spit, while ensuring visitors can continue to experience this special place.
A major milestone: the predator-proof fence
One of the biggest steps forward is the construction of a 4km low predator fence across the base of Farewell Spit (along the top of the Old Man Range).
HealthPost Nature Trust and Pest Free Onetahua have collaborated to build the fence, which will protect around 2,000 hectares of precious habitat – from the tip of Farewell Spit to the flanks of Pūponga Farm Park.
Pest Free Onetahua has contributed $250,000 toward the fence construction, made possible through a successful New Zealand Lotteries Commission grant. This is a significant investment in the long-term protection of this special place.
HealthPost Nature Trust have funded the rest of the fence and construction is well underway, with completion expected by mid-2026.
Once target pest species are removed, this area will become a safe place for the special species that live here, including kiwi and kororā, and it will open up opportunities for other endangered species to be translocated here in the future.
Importantly, the fence does not restrict public access to Farewell Spit/Pūponga Farm Park.
Restoration at Triangle Flat
In 2025, HealthPost Nature Trust took on the management of the Triangle Flat area of Pūponga Farm Park under a five-year concession. Since then, they’ve been leading a range of restoration activities, supported by more than 15,000 volunteer hours.
Alongside DOC and Manawhenua ki Mohua, HealthPost Nature Trust is also developing a long-term strategic plan for Triangle Flat. This will guide how the area is cared for into the future, and we’ll share more about this once the plan is finalised.
Proven results for wildlife
HealthPost Nature Trust brings strong experience to this work. In 2020, they completed a 3-hectare predator-proof fence at Cape Farewell. Between 2022 and 2024, 198 pakahā / fluttering shearwater chicks were translocated to the site — all successfully fledged. The first birds have begun returning and are now breeding at the site.
Landscape-scale pest control
Pest Free Onetahua is a partnership between Tasman Environmental Trust and Manawhenua ki Mohua, working across Farewell Spit and Pūponga Farm Park to reduce pests. Our team is targeting possums, pigs, hares, stoats, rats, and feral cats. A major milestone was reached in 2024, when pigs were successfully eradicated from the spit.
Since January 2025, an intensive pest control network has been installed over Farewell Spit, starting at the tip of the spit and steadily moving back toward Triangle Flat. This now includes:
- A high-density bait station network on a 100 m x 100 m grid across the entire spit
- AT220 traps placed on a 200 m x 200 m grid along the full length of Farewell Spit
- Additional targeted trap lines in key areas to limit stoat movement
Together, this covers around 1,200 hectares of vegetated habitat.
What’s next for Pest Free Onetahua
The next stage of our mahi focuses on intensive pest control at Triangle Flat and maintaining gains across Farewell Spit. This isn’t instant eradication, it’s a staged, strategic approach to significantly reduce pest numbers over time and prevent their return. Creating safer nesting sites for birds, healthier plant communities, and stronger ecosystems overall.
Community, innovation, and local support
We’re grateful for the contributions of community partners and local support. Farewell Spit Tours have been trapping on Farewell Spit since 2012, and have designed innovative lightweight, collapsible aluminium traps, for better pest control. To date, their work has contributed to removing more than 2,000 pests from Farewell Spit – possums, stoats, rats and weasels.
The western part of Pūponga Farm Park remains a working farm and continues to be grazed by a neighbouring farmer, sitting alongside this wider restoration effort.