Conservation and heritage were the focuses of the second day of the regional visit to Northland. Dame Patsy and Sir David went by ferry to Urupukapuka Island, a picturesque jewel in the Bay of Islands. It was a chance to learn more about pre-European history and first contact between Europeans and Maori in the region, and to find out about Project Island Birdsong from DoC ranger Andrew Blanshard, Richard Robbins and Viki Rewha. Andrew's rat-catching dog Tike monitors the presence of rats to ensure that the island remains predator-free. Reintroduced birds are flourishing, including saddleback, robins, kiwi, brown teal, dottrels, morepork and kakariki.
In the afternoon, Dame Patsy and Sir David visited Pompellier House, one of New Zealand's most important and esteemed heritage properties, where 40,000 hymnal and prayer books in Te Reo were printed at the instigation of Bishop Pompellier in the 1830s and 1840s. Russell Primary School students were on hand to act as tour guides as we moved through the various rooms of the house, learning about the painstaking work required at each stage of the printing and binding of the books, including the tanning of leather for the covers. Dame Patsy and Sir David learnt about how the printing press was presented to Kingi Tawhaio, and gifted back to Pompellier House by his descendant, Dame Te Atairangikaahu.
The students then entertained Dame Patsy and Sir David with their band, which featured saxophones, ukeleles, and drums.
