Te Akau (Elliot Bay) saved for conservation

The Ipipiri Nature Conservancy Trust has achieved its funding goal through the generous donations of founding donors and Friends of Te Akau. It completed the purchase of the Te Akau property in the Bay of Islands in March 2022.

Te Akau is home to endangered bird species like kiwi and dotterel which will now be protected – as will the ancient, kauri, totara, and rimu in the surrounding native forest.

The area is also historically and culturally significant to Māori, and the Ipipiri Nature Conservancy Trust is delighted to be working alongside Ngāti Kuta and Te Patu Keha to protect and improve the biodiversity of the area.

The Ipipiri Nature Conservancy Trust was established by Fran and the late Geoff Ricketts in 2019 to preserve and protect Te Akau. Its vision is to enhance the ecology of the area and—potentially—connect it to other walking tracks in the area to create a high quality multi-day walk in the Bay of Islands. The 710 hectare property has been in the Elliot Family for nearly a century and comprises 500 hectares of native forest and 200 hectares of farmland.

“As well as the conservation gains, this project will be great for the economy of Northland. It will create jobs and help develop the Bay of Islands environmental tourism.”

“But most importantly, it will protect this taonga, this treasure, for future generations of New Zealanders.”
– Geoff Ricketts, Settlor of the Ipipiri Nature Conservancy Trust