Kaipupu Sanctuary

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Kaipupu Sanctuary

Kaipūpū Sanctuary is a pest-free nature sanctuary in Picton. To visit the sanctuary it is just a 10min boat ride from Picton.

We are a community group working under the Picton Dawn Chorus umbrella to create a national ecological treasure for all to enjoy We also have a shop in Picton: 14 Auckland Street, Picton 7220
Open Mon - Fri 9am-3pm

Kaipupu Sanctuary is a community project run by dedicated volunteers. Many thanks to our foundation partners/landowners Department of Conservation and Port Marlborough and our major sponsors:
NZ King Salmon, Mudhouse Wines, and Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries. For more information, please visit our website.

11/08/2026

“What a special corner of the Earth!”

That was the reaction from a member of the Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries team who visited Kaipūpū Sanctuary last week. And we couldn’t agree more!

It’s always a pleasure to show people what makes Kaipūpū so special, and we loved seeing their reaction to this beautiful little sanctuary right here in Picton Harbour.

Bluebridge has been one of our longest-standing supporters, and we are incredibly grateful for their unwavering support of our work to protect and restore Kaipūpū and the wider Picton environment.

A huge THANK YOU to the Bluebridge team for standing behind us year after year.

And Bluebridge, please keep telling your customers about Kaipūpū! We’d love to welcome more of your passengers through the Sanctuary gates and, of course, we’d be delighted to see your team back again soon!

30/07/2026

🌿 A New Track to Explore at Kaipūpū Sanctuary! 🌿

This week we officially opened a brand-new walking track at Kaipūpū Sanctuary, giving visitors another beautiful option to explore this special place.

The new track leads to North Bay and is just a 30-minute return walk from the jetty. Make sure you allow a little extra time when you get there though. It's the perfect spot to sit, relax, and soak up the stunning views across the harbour.

Come summer, at low tide, North Bay will also be a wonderful place for a swim or a picnic. Even better, a seat and picnic table will soon be installed, making it an even more inviting destination.

A huge thank you to our wonderful volunteer Lyn, who generously funded the construction of this track. It was only fitting that she had the honour of cutting the ribbon and welcoming a small group to be the first to enjoy the new walk.

This project has been a real team effort, so thank you to everyone who has helped make it happen. We know this new track will become a favourite for many visitors and is a fantastic addition to the walking options at Kaipūpū Sanctuary.

We can't wait for you to come and explore it! 🌿🚶‍♀️

27/07/2026

What a fantastic couple of days at Kaipūpū Sanctuary! 🌿

Last week we welcomed 93 Year 3 and 4 students from Renwick School for two action-packed days of exploring, discovering and asking some brilliant questions.

The students investigated our amazing native wildlife, learnt how introduced predators have affected our precious birds, explored the impact of both early Māori and European settlers on Aotearoa, and discovered how every one of us can help protect our native species.

We hope they headed home with lots of new knowledge, but even more importantly, we hope they had an unforgettable day. After all, learning is always better when you're having fun... and judging by the laughter echoing through the forest, they certainly were! 😄

A huge thank you to Renwick School for spending time with us. We always love having students at Kaipūpū and can't wait to see you again!

05/07/2026

We are delighted to hear that Andrew John has been awarded a Forest & Bird Old Blue Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to conservation in Marlborough.

Andrew has been a wonderful friend and supporter of Kaipūpū Sanctuary for many years. One of the things we'll always remember is the way he connected with young people. Watching him lead school groups around the sanctuary was something special. He had a gift for making every child feel involved, sparking their curiosity and inspiring a lifelong love of nature.

His passion for conservation, native plants, wildlife, and environmental education has touched so many people across our region, and we're incredibly grateful that Kaipūpū has been part of that journey.

Congratulations, Andrew. This honour is so richly deserved, and we thank you for everything you've done for Kaipūpū, our community, and te taiao.

01/06/2026

Did you know Kaipūpū Sanctuary has two toilets on a 2.7km track?

That works out to one very clean, tidy loo every 1.35km.

We're not saying it's a national record, but it has to be right up there with the highest toilet-to-track ratio in New Zealand.

So if you've been putting off a walk because you're worried about getting caught short, you can relax. At Kaipūpū, you're never too far from a toilet stop!

A huge thank you to the wonderful volunteers who clean and care for these facilities. Keeping public toilets spotless isn't the most glamorous conservation job, but it's one that's very much appreciated by everyone who visits.

Come for the birdsong, the native forest and the stunning views. Stay for the unusually excellent toilet coverage.

04/02/2026

Big thanks to the Marlborough Lines Ltd team - what a great job they did helping us with all those tasks that we just need a bit of extra human power to achieve. Big thumbs up to you all!!

27/01/2026

What a night. What a team.

Around 50 volunteers turned up for our Volunteer Thank You on Monday night, and when the southerly arrived right on 4pm, we were very glad we’d swapped a beach party for the Picton Little Theatre Incorporated. Great turnout, great vibe, and a brilliant chance to catch up with so many like-minded people.

Huge thanks to Mud House Wines and New Zealand King Salmon for their generous donations of wine and salmon - it was very much appreciated by everyone.

Most importantly, thank you to our incredible volunteers - our trappers, tree planters, weeders, nursery and maintenance teams, guides, educators, shop and market volunteers, trap builders… the list truly goes on.

Our volunteers are the reason we are successfully restoring bird and plant life on Kaipūpū Sanctuary and Waitohi Picton. We couldn’t do this without you 💚

21/01/2026

A huge thank you to New Zealand King Salmon at last weekend’s Picton Maritime Festival Trust.

Their awesome team of volunteers prepared and sold a stunning King Salmon dish, with all proceeds donated to a local Marlborough charity. This year, Kaipūpū Sanctuary was the chosen charity and we couldn't be happier 💚

Festival-goers were treated to a seriously delicious miso-cured Regal Marlborough King Salmon, served with Osaka-style slaw, sesame ginger dressing and a wasabi crisp. It went down a treat.

While the weather was challenging, the day still raised a fantastic $1,422 for the Sanctuary, which we’re very grateful for.

Thanks so much, New Zealand King Salmon - we really appreciate your support and generosity.

22/12/2025

It’s Little Penguin (kororā) fledging season on Kaipūpū 🐧
And it’s been a cracker of a year for these lovely little birds.

The chicks have grown well, look healthy, and are now getting ready to head out into the big wide world. Best of all, they’ve been left undisturbed by visitors, which makes a huge difference at this vulnerable stage.

Good luck out there, little kororā. You’ve got this 💙

17/12/2025

We’re really disappointed to share that one of the AT220 traps in our network around Kaipūpū Sanctuary has been deliberately destroyed.

This trap had just had its first service since being installed in July. It’s frustrating, and honestly pretty upsetting.

We launched Project TRAP last December. In just one year, 177 traps have been installed across our area - made possible through community donations and grant funding. Each trap now costs around $640 to purchase, install, and maintain, so damage like this isn’t minor. It’s a real hit to the work we’re doing together.

The AT220 traps are our most effective tool to protect native birds. They:
• Reset automatically, ready for multiple pests
• Use a safe, non-toxic lure that works every night
• Dispense fresh lure nightly, creating trails that attract more pests over time
• Only need servicing every 4–6 months, making them ideal for hard-to-reach areas

These traps are about one thing: giving our birds a fighting chance.
This work is powered by people. Our volunteers contribute over 13,000 hours every year to predator control, planting, maintenance, and monitoring. When someone damages equipment like this, it undermines a huge amount of goodwill, time, and effort from people who care deeply about this place.

We are a community working together to restore our native birdlife. Acts like this go directly against that shared goal - and that’s what hurts the most.
For more information on Project TRAP, please visit www.pictondawnchorus.nz

Address

Kaipupu Point
Picton
7220

Telephone

+6439284957

Website

https://www.pictondawnchorus.nz/, https://www.kaipupusanctuary.nz/

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