Make a Donation

image courtesy of geographx
Stoats
Rats
Mice
Weasels
We’re bringing back the native species that make this place special
Martins Bay lies at the end of the Hollyford Valley in World Heritage Status Te Wahipounamu, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.
Known as a ‘Biodiversity Hotspot’, the area has a range of landscapes, habitats, flora and fauna – both marine and terrestrial – unparalleled anywhere in Aotearoa.
Habitats include fragile dune systems, a world recognised wetland, unique podocarp forest, and is the only place in New Zealand (arguably the world) where bottlenose dolphins enter a fresh water lake. Martins Bay – Whakatipu Waitai – is a treasure, or taonga, of Fiordland National Park.
It is of vital importance that we protect it. The Hollyford Conservation Trust, Te Roopu Manaaki o Whakatipu Waitai, aims to do just that: to protect, enhance and restore all native flora and fauna for the enjoyment of all, today and for generations well into the future.
Latest news

2019 annual bird monitoring
The results of the 2019 bird monitoring show birdlife in the valley has increased significantly since intensive pest control began in 2015.
Join Our Newsletter
2022 Jobs for Nature Expansion
Funding from Jobs for Nature has kickstarted the Whakatipu Waitai Predator Control Expansion. 120km of tracks are being cut to give access to a new DOC200 stoat control network, enlarging the existing stoat control area from 2,600ha to 12,000ha. Track cutting is well underway with 94km cut and 30km to go. 1000 DOC200 traps are all set to be deployed in late 2022. The Trust is very excited to see this expansion happen. It will no doubt bring a greater level of protection to birds living and breeding in the Hollyford Valley.


You can make a difference
Donate today
We want to see a healthy and thriving native ecosystem in the lower Hollyford Valley, with diverse and abundant bird life free from the risk of predation by possums, stoats and rats.
Our Vision
To protect, enhance and restore all native flora and fauna for the enjoyment of all, today and for generations well into the future.
About The Trust
The Hollyford Conservation Trust was formed in June 2014 to establish a ‘mainland island’ sanctuary in the lower Hollyford Valley, in partnership with the Department of Conservation (DOC) and other stakeholders.
Pest control
This project was established in 2014 after local landowners realised the impact introduced pests were having on the Lower Hollyford Valley – the birdsong was gone, and the canopy was collapsing, with the more palatable species such as southern rātā and fuschia being browsed extensively to the point of dieback.
Bird translocations
One of the key long term aspirations of the project is to return species that once lived in the project area but have become locally extinct.
Cliff Broad Tawaki Project
The Cliff Broad Tawaki pest control project is a trapping line along the rocky coastline to the North of Martins Bay to protect Fiordland crested penguins/tawaki during the breeding season. This project is funded by a generous donation from the Broad family in memory of their father Cliff Broad, who had a special bond with the Hollyford Valley and Martins Bay.
Latest News
2019 annual bird monitoring
The results of the 2019 bird monitoring show birdlife in the valley has increased significantly since intensive pest control began in 2015.
February 2020 floods in the Hollyford Valley
Early February brought record rainfall to the Hollyford Valley, causing signficant damage to the Hollyford and Milford roads, as well as causing large slips and damage to tracks, huts, and the Trust's own infrastructure. 1,000mm of rain fell in a 60 hour period in...
Hollyford Conservation Trust Newsletters
Newsletter Archive