Official documents released by DOC reveal that Santana Minerals, which wants fast-track permission for its Bendigo-Ophir mine on the western flanks of the Dunstan Mountains, is seeking to undertake exploratory drilling within the adjacent Bendigo Historic Reserve.

Sustainable Tarras deputy chairman Rob van der Mark said the historic reserve was “the jewel of Bendigo”. “If that gets allowed to be explored we can truly conclude anywhere is open slather.

The firm intended to lodge an “access agreement application” to drill there, the correspondence summaries said.

The Bendigo Historic Reserve and a neighbouring scenic reserve are both part of a wider area with historic protection under the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014, known as the Bendigo Quartz Reefs Historic Area.

Santana’s Bendigo-Ophir project also includes exploration further east, over the Dunstan Mountains ridgeline and down towards Omakau. It was recently revealed that there is competitive bidding to mine east of Alexandra and north and south of Waipori. Read the full story from the Otago Daily Times.

Toroa/albatross season breaks records

38 chicks fledged from the colony, including 18 which were fitted with GPS trackers showing their location. DOC Coastal Otago Albatross Ranger Sharyn Broni says this is the most chicks on record to fledge from the colony in a season, eclipsing the previous record of 33 from the last two seasons.

“It’s been a fantastic season at Pukekura. The weather has been great with slightly cooler temperatures over summer, so there haven’t been overheating or flystrike issues, which is better for both the birds and rangers.

“The chicks have also needed less supplementary feeding than in past years, which suggests there was plenty of food available for the parents. We even found a 2kg eel next to one nest, which a parent had brought back!”

DOC co-manages the albatross colony as part of Te Poari a Pukekura (the Pukekura Co-management Trust) alongside Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, Korako Karetai Trust and Dunedin City Council, with the support of the Otago Peninsula Trust. The colony has grown from one breeding pair in 1937 to more than 80 pairs in 2025. Read more from DOC.

World’s biggest mammal spotted near Akaroa

A blue whale, thought to be close to 30 metres long, was spotted at the entrance to Akaroa Harbour last week. About 25 people on board an Akaroa Dolphins cruise watched in awe as the whale made its journey north.

Akaroa Dolphins owner-operator George Waghorn, who was skipper on the boat at the time, said it was only the second time in 21 years of his family running the business that a blue whale had been spotted while on a cruise. “It was pretty out the gate. It was amazing to see the world’s biggest whale. I didn’t even get my phone out. I was just enjoying it.”

Waghorn was not sure exactly how big the whale was, but said it was about twice the size of his 15m-long boat. The last time Akaroa Dolphins came across a blue whale was in 2020. See more from The Press.

Tūroa Ski Area announces $388 season pass for winter 2026

Tūroa Ski Area has announced the sale of a special season pass that is aimed at making snow sports more accessible. Available for just $388 for adults and $88 for youth (ages six to 16), the pass provides unlimited access to the ski area for the entire 2026 winter season.

Tūroa CEO Jono Dean says, “We know Kiwis love to get outdoors, stay active, and try new adventures, but the cost of snow sports can often be a barrier, especially in today’s economic climate. This special season pass offer is about breaking down those financial obstacles and inviting everyone to experience the thrill of Tūroa on Mount Ruapehu.”

Tūroa season passes are available for purchase exclusively online at turoa.com for a limited time only from Wednesday, October 22, through Friday, October 31, 2025. Read more from Snow Brains.

Birds and plants returning to West Coast as predators eliminated

Predator Free South Westland aims to eliminate every possum, rat and stoat from 100,000 hectares that covered from the Southern Alps to the sea. They are more than 90 percent of the way there.

West Coast tourism operators say they’re seeing birds and plants they did not know lived in the area since predators were cleared. White Heron Sanctuary Tours managing director Dion Arnold said it’s been a different picture since Predator Free South Westland’s mahi ramped up.

“I’ve lived here all my life so we’ve been doing these tours a long time. We’ve never heard kākāriki in this forest the whole time we’ve operated here. But the last three years, we’ve started to hear that more a little bit every year.”

DOC’s South Westland operations manager, Wayne Costello, said the goal of predator-free had benefits beyond the forest and wildlife. “As glaciers recede and it’s getting harder for people to come and see those things, diversifying the opportunities for people when they come to glacier country or South Westland, and coming and having an experience with nature that you won’t have anywhere else in New Zealand because of the abundance of it and the way in which it’s protected is going to be, I guess, an important part of our future here.” Read the full story from RNZ.