The Southern Coastal Charitable Trust has just completed one of its rubbish picking up expeditions on Rakiura Stewart Island’s western beaches.
The trust has completed six rubbish collection trips along the Fiordland Coast and Rakiura Stewart Island since 2012 and amassed more than 80 tonnes of trash.
Operations manager Joyce Kolk said teams of between four and six people were dropped off at beaches to pick up the rubbish.
"We’re doing God’s work as far as I can see, tidying up the beaches so the people that visit those areas don’t get this idea that it’s just a rubbish dump, because it really looks like a rubbish dump when we set upon the beaches."
Some of the beaches might only be 100m long but if a helicopter could land the rubbish could be picked up.
The volunteers found it very satisfying leaving the beach clean.
"That’s what we want for New Zealand, don’t we?
"Clean, green."
The rubbish, which included fishing gear and plastic bottles, ended up landing on the island.
"It comes off the coastline of Australia and then it goes down our western coastline all the way down to Stewart Island and then it sort of circles around out in that Mason’s Bay area," she said.
"It’s a natural collection area for rubbish."
It was especially distressing seeing the number of plastic water bottles in the collection.
"They shouldn’t be there.
"I would hate to imagine how many plastic rubbish water bottles we’ve got."
This year she had noticed a greater number of dead seabirds.
"If I said that I’ve seen 200 dead birds or carcasses or frames ... I’m probably underestimating it."
In the past she had noticed small piles of plastic near dead birds.
"Maybe these birds are dying because they’re starving because their stomachs are full of plastic."
She had a list of people who wanted to take part in the trip but first option was given to people who sponsored the rubbish collection.
It cost about $100,000 to pay for the collection but that did not include the service of companies who provided free help.
RealNZ helped with travel to the island and Fiordland Helicopters and Stewart Island Flights flew teams to locations from West Ruggedy to Easy Harbour.
Sponsors also included fishing industry groups.
"Without them it wouldn’t happen."
The rubbish was collected in fadges and shipped back to Bluff where it was trucked to a yard to sort.
She was grateful for the support of the Southland District Council staff who had helped the group with the cost of disposing the rubbish in the landfill.
