New Zealand tourism operator RealNZ’s A Night for Nature gala has raised a record NZ$240,675 (approx. AU$199,760) in support of the translocation of kiwi pukupuku / little spotted kiwi to Ao-ata-te-pō Cooper Island in Fiordland.
It is the highest fundraising total from any of the company’s gala events in its decade-long history.
The translocation, due in 2028, was announced by RealNZ in May, following a decade of predator trapping led by the company on Ao-ata-te-pō Cooper Island under a Community Agreement with the Department of Conservation. The island’s proximity to the mainland means it can never be fully predator-free, but sustained suppression of predator numbers – alongside a strong commitment to future management – has given DOC the confidence to approve a wildlife permit for the return of kiwi pukupuku to Fiordland for the first time in generations.
The evening was narrated by MC Tamati Rimene-Sproat and opened with a mihi whakatau from Paulette Tamati-Elliffe. RealNZ director Mark Malpass and Ngāi Tahu Holdings CEO Todd Moyle spoke to the importance of partnership, before a video message from Conservation Minister Tama Potaka reflected on the national significance of collaborative conservation in Aotearoa.
Guests then heard from Department of Conservation Director-General Peter Chrisp, following a conservation film and a lights-out moment that plunged the room into darkness to the sound of kiwi calls. Comedian Te Radar hosted the live auction, with attendees bidding on exclusive trip packages and one-off items.
As part of the fundraising effort, the Les Hutchins Conservation Foundation raffled a once-in-a-lifetime expedition cruise to New Zealand’s remote Subantarctic Islands, courtesy of Heritage Expeditions, the event’s major prize partner.
“I’m grateful to RealNZ for hosting this fantastic event. Nature is a cause people want to be part of. This event shows what can happen when that energy is turned into action,” Chrisp said.
“Tonight’s result means we start the next chapter for kiwi pukupuku from a position of real strength, and it sits on top of a decade of hard, unglamorous work on the ground at Cooper Island. Thank you to everyone who gave so generously, and to our partners, sponsors, staff and volunteers who make this night what it is,” RealNZ CEO Dave Beeche said.
Fundraising for kiwi pukupuku continues beyond the event, with RealNZ’s Real Promise donating one per cent of all online booking revenue to the project until the end of September, alongside staff-led fundraising events. RealNZ is also backing kiwi pukupuku in this year’s Bird of the Year competition, which opens for voting on September 4.
