OUR PEOPLE: GREG BLUNDEN FAREWELLS QEII

Far North rep retires with memories of QEII, kiwi and Aroha

Greg Blunden’s quarter-century involvement with QEII in the Far North brought him unexpected adventures, a prominent role in protecting kiwi in the region, and more than a few stories to tell.

“Doing this work, it was very easy to motivate myself. It’s pretty exciting –you never know what you’re going to see,” Greg says, reflecting on his time with QEII National Trust, which ended with his retirement in April.

Greg and wife Gay took over in 1997 as managers of the QEII owned property Aroha Island, a 12 ha reserve off the Kerikeri Peninsula for kiwi and other wildlife. The island is also home to an education centre and visitor accommodation.

In 2002 Greg also became QEII’s Far North rep, adding Kaipara District to his patch in 2019. Joining QEII was a big step away from his PhD in human geography, although he did learn a lot about land use change.

“The greatest thing about the job is meeting a massive range of really interesting people as well as having a privileged view of many landscapes that your average person doesn’t get to experience.”

In Greg’s time as rep the number of covenants in the Far North has risen from about 70 to nearly 250. They range in size, from a quarter acre to large coastal blocks and Native Forest Restoration Trust bush reserves of around 300 ha.

“Everybody wants to look after what they’ve got on their place and it’s really interesting to find out why they want the covenant. I always try to make sure people think about the future, not just for the covenant, but for their family, their circumstances, all those sorts of things.”

One of the places special to Greg is Foley’s Bush, which was covenanted before he became rep. The small 3 ha area is one of the last swamp bush remnants near Kaitaia/Awanui and contains three threatened plant species. The passion that the late owner, Chappie Foley, had for protecting the bush still sticks in Greg’s mind.

The last covenant Greg was preparing for registration as he left QEII was 100 ha of cloud forest at Pupu Rangi Nature Sanctuary on Tutamoe peak, between Dargaville and Hokianga Harbour. Founder Octavian Grigoriu and his volunteers have made great progress in preserving and restoring the biodiversity.

But no covenant is more special to Greg than Aroha Island, the place where he and Gay brought up three sons and started their conservation journey. The island was previously owned by Colin and Margaret Little, who established the QEII covenant.

“The covenant was created early on in QEII’s history. What it offers in terms of accessibility and wildlife we can thank the Littles for, it’s a fabulous place,” Greg says.

His introduction to kiwi after moving to Aroha Island was finding one noisily foraging amongst the island’s mangroves. With encouragement from a friend, Greg’s kiwi protection work led to the establishment of the New Zealand Kiwi Foundation in 1999, to help coordinate efforts to protect kiwi in the region, including on QEII covenants.

“I like to think what we did was set a small wave going for protection of kiwi on private land. During the period of the foundation, it turned into a tidal wave and now we’re in a phase where kiwi protection and looking after our endangered species has such a high profile. QEII and Aroha Island gave us the base to do all that work.”

Aroha Island is a destination for birders, keen to spot a kiwi in the wild. Late one New Year’s Eve, the Blundens were quietly seeing in the new year, and a car drove across the causeway to the island. It was Australian birder was on a mission to see as many species as he could in a calendar year explained he had 45 minutes to see a kiwi before his deadline passed. Greg was tempted to send him packing but he took the birder out and he managed to get a quick glimpse of a kiwi before midnight.

Greg believes the rapid decline in kiwi numbers in Northland has been arrested in most areas where there’s active pest management and numbers are increasing in areas where the species has a good base. The work to protect kiwi from predators has also benefited other threatened species in the region, including the New Zealand dotterel, spotless crake, banded rail, and the Australasian bittern.

His first sighting of the rarely seen bittern about 20 years ago left Greg less than impressed about the bird’s intelligence. He was driving near Kaeo when he saw something in the middle of the road. He stopped and approached the bittern, which was standing stock still with its beak raised skywards in the way it disguises itself in wetland reeds. “I went over to it, picked it up and took it off the road.”

Greg is keen to acknowledge those who have helped him during his time with QEII, including fellow staff such as John Bishop, who first employed Greg and Gay in 1997. He also cites eminent botanist, the late Brian Molloy, a director of QEII between 1989 and 1998, and high-country representative until 2012. “He was a major influence in my earlier years because of his intensity and passion, he was an amazing fellow.”

Over the years, Greg and Gay have owned seven properties either supporting or suitable for kiwi, on which they set up covenants before selling. That phase of their lives is over and now they live on a 50 ha property, which includes an 11 ha covenant registered by the previous owners.

They breed Speckle Park cattle and remain passionate about protecting kiwi. Greg is happy they have at least four to safeguard on their property.