Environment: coastal issues, protection, a better way

Conservation Week: David Agnew On The Intersection Of Surfing And Conservation

Josh GaleApr 25, 2026April 23, 20260

DOC veteran David Agnew has spent decades living, working and surfing across the whenua, helping to restore wild places and protect endemic species. He says the intersection between surfing and conservation is clear. DOC veteran David Agnew has traveled the country with his work for DOC … and surfed most...

Conservation Week: Moss Thompson, The Ranger On A Mission To Save Sea Lions

Josh GaleApr 24, 2026April 23, 20260

DOC ranger and surfer Moss Thompson works in the same waters he loves –protecting endangered sea lions where they live, breed and play. Moss shares his story from the deep south. My family has always been the outdoorsy types and from an early age we were in the hills tramping....

Conservation Week: A Predator Detection Specialist With A Passion For Surf

Derek MorrisonApr 23, 2026April 23, 20260

This DOC ranger travels the southern surf coast, mixing her battles for biodiversity with sessions at hidden spots. Writer Jose Watson catches up with Melissa McNaughtan on the West Coast. Surfer Mel McNaughtan is a DOC Biodiversity Monitoring Ranger who works out of Hokitika. She is part of a team...

Conservation Week: How The Karioi Project Returned Birdsong To Raglan

Josh GaleApr 22, 2026April 23, 20260

Next time you’re out for session at Raglan and you hear birdsong in the bush-clad hills above the break, remember the 100+ volunteers, including many surfers, who brought it back from the brink. Whenever Kristel van Houte is out at one of her go-to Raglan spots with her 6’10” mid-length...

Conservation Week: Looking Beneath With Kirsty Prior

Nicole StevenApr 21, 2026April 23, 20260

Surfer, diver, conservationist, civil servant: Kirsty Prior wears many hats. We caught up with her ahead of Conservation Week to chat about how surfers can contribute to a healthy ocean. One day, out at Jailbreaks in the Maldives a young woman was settled on her board between sets, when she...

Conservation Week: The Inspiring Comeback Of Lizard Specialist Ben Barr

Josh GaleApr 20, 2026April 23, 20260

Founder of the Good Surf Now app, Ben Barr lived and breathed conservation until a surfing accident ruined his life. Whangārei writer Josh Gale shares his remarkable comeback story. There was a moment when Ben completely fell apart. He had been teaching Conservation and Environmental Management at NorthTec Wānanga, pushing...

Watch: Salt In Their Veins

Derek MorrisonMar 24, 2026April 7, 20260

Award-winning filmmaker Rita Hencke brings us into the lives of the Bajo people of Southeast Asia, offering an insight into their strong bond with the sea and the challenges small-scale fishing communities face. The Bajo people of Southeast Asia have a deep connection with the marine environment. As descendants of...

Fiji’s Government Moves To Restore Customary Control Of Surfing Areas

Derek MorrisonNov 26, 2025April 23, 20260

Sitiveni Rabuka’s Cabinet has endorsed a bill that is set to repeal a significant piece of regulation that liberalised access to all surfing areas in Fiji. The Fijian government confirmed that the Commercial Use of Marine Areas Bill 2025 had been given the all-clear to be tabled in parliament, which...

Understanding The Battle To Save Wairarapa’s Coastal Access

Derek MorrisonAug 18, 2025August 18, 20250

South Wairarapa District Council’s proposed bylaw – to ban all public access to the public road leading to one of the most remote and spectacular coastlines in New Zealand for a period of three years, may be a misstep. Here’s our guide to understanding what’s happening and how surfers can...

Council Seeks To Close Access To Iconic Wairarapa Surf Coastline

Derek MorrisonAug 17, 2025August 18, 20250

South Wairarapa District Council is proposing a bylaw that would ban all public access – even on foot – to a public road leading to one of the most remote and spectacular coastlines in New Zealand. The Wairarapa Coastline in question is a real jewel in the New Zealand surf...