A group of dedicated West Coast locals have turned a litter-strewn scrap of gravel beside the Hokitika River into a beautiful native ecosystem.

After four years of intensive mahi from Conservation Volunteers New Zealand (CVNZ), the Department of Conservation (DOC) and project partners, Wadeson Island has become a haven for native fish, plants and wildlife – including inanga (whitebait).

Funding for CVNZ’s work crew ended in February 2024 but last week ex staff joined DOC and other stakeholders to see if inanga were returning to the newly restored habitat.

Chris Watson was the Field Coordinator for CVNZ’s Wadeson project and says the project has been a labour of love for him and his old team.

“We saw lots of native fish – it was great to see that the plants and channels are starting to bring native species back to the town,” Chris said.

“We’ve put in a couple of years here, we’re not going to turn our back on it and walk away and see it all fall over,” he said.

All of us are doing it under our power because we love conservation,” he said.

The Wadeson Island restoration has been a labour of love. Over four years, CVNZ staff planted 12,000+ native trees, picked up 3.5 tonnes of rubbish, maintained walking tracks and created an additional 1 km of fish channels to give inanga safe places to breed and live.

“Before we started, it was slowly revegetating down one end, but it was a bit of a tip,” Chris said.

The site has been used for all sorts of unofficial and official activities over the years, including as a fly-tipping spot where people dumped their household and green waste.

Over the last two decades, the site has had intermittent attention from DOC and the District Council, both of whom were keen to see it revitalised as a vibrant green space for Hokitika.

“The cool thing about Wadeson Island is that it’s right on the town’s doorstep so it’s really accessible and very visible,” Chris said.

Chris believes the site could be the crown jewel of Hokitika, a place for recreation and conservation.

“We really want Wadeson Island to be something for the community to be really proud of,” Chris said.

If you want to get involved or sponsor the Wadeson Island restoration, contact Juliette Curry at CVNZ: jcurry@cvnz.org.nz, 021 641 456.

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