Department of Conservation

Kākābeak/ngutukākā flower

Image: Leon Berard | Creative Commons

Get weather forecasts for national parks and other conservation areas, as well as severe weather warnings, the brief mountain forecast and other weather bulletins.

28 September 2023

Finding the fish that swam with dinosaurs

Zooming in on a precious, unusual, and poorly understood native freshwater fish, known around the country as lamprey, kanakana and piharau.

Whitebaiting

Find out when, where and how to fish for whitebait in New Zealand and the Chatham Islands.

National Wild Goat Hunting Competition

Enter the National Wild Goat Hunting Competition to compete for national and local prizes and help protect the environment.

Rakitata River revival strategy consultation

Help shape a new strategy to revive the Rakitata River in Canterbury from its alpine headwaters to coastal hāpua. Consultation is open from 4 September to 2 October 2023.

The deep ocean

Exploring below our shallow coastal waters uncovers the secrets of the deep ocean and its unusual biodiversity.

Matuku-hūrepo/Australasian bittern killed on Dargaville roads

Two critically threatened matuku-hūrepo/Australasian bittern were killed on a stretch of State Highway 12 between Rotu Forest and Maitahi, just outside Dargaville in recent weeks.

Hump Ridge Track upgrade extended to October 2024

DOC says the project to upgrade Tuatapere’s Hump Ridge track has been slowed by supply chain delays, weather conditions and arduous terrain.

Many Southern tracks open, but caution advised

Tracks and infrastructure on public conservation land in flood-affected Southland and Otago have held up well but visitors are still advised to exercise caution and keep up to date with relevant information.

More kea seen at Nelson Lakes

More kea are being seen in the Nelson Lakes area to the delight of visitors and DOC staff, and it’s an encouraging sign their numbers there are growing.

Haere mai

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Finding the fish that swam with dinosaurs

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