Chatham Islands, New Zealand

His Excellency the Governor-General of NZ, the Hon Anand Satyanand formally launched the newly formed Chatham Heritage and Restoration Trust (CHART) at a reception on Friday 19^th December 2008 at the community Hall in Waitangi, Chatham Islands.  The Governor-General is patron for the Trust and was pleased to celebrate its launching with the Trustees, local dignitaries and landowners who have an interest in the preservation of the Chatham Islands. 

CHART has been established to assist the community to protect and restore their heritage by undertaking conservation and restoration projects on both private and public lands.  Possible projects that have been identified include the reforestation of kowhai forest on a popular stretch of unoccupied crown land on Te Whanga's shore, pest control on private land as well as arranging for pest control workshops for landowners.  One long term project that got an excited response was investigating the feasibility of the eradication of possums from the Chatham Islands or part thereof.

CHART welcomes new members and annual subscription is $20, payable to CHART, PO Box 17 Chatham Islands 8942.  To learn more about chart email: or visit the website www.chathamheritage.org.nz

During their Excellencies visit they travelled to Pitt Island by boat, visited the Ellen Elizabeth Preece CC and had lunch with the community at the Pitt Island school.  On main Chatham they were welcomed on to Te Kopinga Marae, visited the Hapupu National Historic Reserve and its famous moriori dendroglyphs (rakau momori) and were taken down south Chatham to view taiko camp and the predator-proof covenant at Sweetwater CC.  Their last afternoon was spent with the Mayor Patrick Smith, fossicking for fossilised sharks teeth on the edge of his property on Te Whanga.