“I stayed 3 months at the Sanctuary, longer than actually planned, to do my internship for university. I learnt a lot about the forest, native animals, pests, native trees and about conservation work.
Moreover, it was great to work together with a team of like-minded people and being able to work together with rangers. Another great aspect was the way of living at Pupu Rangi. I really enjoyed being far away from civilisation, off-the-grid and living a sustainable life style without the ‘normal’ luxury. Above all, it was amazing to see what a huge difference a group of people could make and to actually see the forest getting healthier and discovering more indicator species for that, like the kauri snail and kiwi.
Another great experience was to look for kiwi at night and spotting almost every time a few of them, sometimes very close in front of us. Another highlight was the walk to Nikau Falls in Pupu Rangi forest, where we were able to enjoy the view of glowworms at the waterfall.
Overall, it was an unique time at the Pupu Rangi Nature Sanctuary and I learnt important and useful things for a lifetime. I can highly recommend to come here and would love to return to this magic place in the future.”
Off-grid Environmental Internship in New Zealand
