EVAN HARDING

Last updated14:43, February 21 2017

Robyn Edie

Minister of Conservation Maggie Barry on board the HMNZS Otago, in Bluff on Tuesday, before travelling to the Subantarctic Islands.

Conservation minister Maggie Barry, who hosted a gardening show on New Zealand television for years, is hanging out to see the "mega herbs" on the Auckland Islands.

Speaking on the deck of HMNZS Otago shortly before leaving on a 4-day exhibition to the islands, Barry said she wantedto get a glimpse of the rich biodiversity on the island.

"Particularly something close to my heart, I have never seen before the mega herbs, and the mega herbs are in flower so I am really hanging out to have a look at those."

Robyn Edie

Scenes from on board the HMNZS Otago as it prepares to head to the Auckland Islands on a maintenance trip

Barry hosted Maggie's Gardening Show on TVOne from 1991 until 2003.

She expects to get a sense of the pest control work that is needed to rid the islands of the likes of feral pigs and cats, pointing to the government's long term goal of ridding nature reserves of predators by 2025.

She believed New Zealand was capable of the goal, saying she one day wanted to see what New Zealand looked like predator free first hand.

Robyn Edie

Scenes from on board the HMNZS Otago as it prepares to head to the Auckland Islands on a maintenance trip

Barrie was looking forward to the trip, and not worried about seasickness, saying she had a good constitution.

The trip to Auckland Islands had been on her bucket list, andshe had heard amazing stories about the remote islands from DoC staff, she said.

The Auckland Islands are 465 km south of Bluff. TheHMNZS Otago, which has 60 crew on board, is expected to take a day to reach the islands.

Robyn Edie

Scenes from on board the HMNZS Otago as it prepares to head to the Auckland Islands on a maintenance trip

The Otago left Bluff port shortly after 10am on Tuesday.

It was supposed to have left from Bluff port on Monday night, but was delayed when Barry's plane was unable to land in Invercargill due to fog.

Barry, who is accompanied by DoC staff, will experience and observe the vital conservation and research work being carried out on the Auckland Islands.

The largest of the subantarctic islands, the Auckland Islands have unique and valuable ecosystems which support a range of species found nowhere else in the world.

The trip is also the first opportunity DoC has had for maintenance and inspection work on the island for three years.

Barry is to meet researchers working with at-risk species such as the New Zealand sea lion and albatross.

She will also see how DoC is managing the World War 2 coast watchers huts.

Also on board the HMNZS Otago for the trip are a representative from Ngai Tahu, a representative from the nature conservancy and new parliamentary private secretary for conservation Scott Simpson.

The HMNZS Otago will resupply some of the researchers on the islands and bring two researchers back from Enderby Island.

-Stuff

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Maggie Barry keen to see 'mega herbs' on trip to Auckland Islands - Stuff.co.nz