The Parapara River has a long and layered story — one that winds through both hardship and hope. Over a century ago, its lower reaches were scoured bare by gold miners, stripping the valley of its vegetation. Today, that same landscape is alive again, with native bush reclaiming the slopes and birds returning to the river’s forested catchment from mountain to sea.

Among those helping to restore the area is the Parapara Valley Environment Group, a dedicated team of locals who are caring for this special place through predator and weed control. They’re creating safer habitats for species like Whio (blue duck), Kārearea (NZ falcon), and Fernbird/Matata — and now, they’ve added another piece to the puzzle.

Recently, the group carried out its first Banded Rail survey, exploring the Parapara Inlet, where the river meets the sea. They found plenty of footprints and heard several birds calling across the saltmarsh — an exciting find for the small, family-friendly team.

To learn even more about who’s living there, they have set up acoustic monitors on loan from the Department of Conservation to listen for the deep, booming call of the Australasian Bittern (Matuku-hūrepo) — another secretive wetland species that might be quietly inhabiting the inlet.