From Visitor to Kaitiaki

A Story from the Tairua River Trail – one of our GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL – Kaitiaki planting sites

There’s something about the Tairua River Trail that stays with you. Maybe it’s the quiet rustle of the riverbank trees, the flashes of birdlife, or the little surprises like daffodils and orange toadstools tucked along the edges. But more than anything, it’s the people who make this place truly unforgettable.

Around Easter, a familiar figure returned to Pāuanui. Mikiko Meguro, a long-time visitor from Japan, making her sixth journey back to Hauraki Coromandel. Her connection to the area runs deep. It began in 1975, when she came to New Zealand as a student at Auckland’s ATI and was billeted with a local family. They introduced her to this special place and the rhythm of life in Pāuanui. Back then, she camped in a tent or caravan, experiencing the land's raw, untouched beauty, until the family’s bach was built. 

Over the decades, Mikiko’s bond with Pāuanui only grew stronger. In her words, “Pāuanui made my soul feel good.” It became her place of retreat, of reflection, of grounding. A second home, even from afar.

After Cyclone Gabrielle passed through, Mikiko returned and saw the damage for herself. That visit stirred something deeper, a sense of kaitiakitanga, of guardianship. So this time, she came not just to visit, but to contribute. Hundreds of native trees had been donated for restoration efforts along the Tairua River trail, and Mikiko was among the first to put her hand up to help.

Before setting off, she met with Gary Fowler, a local and one of the passionate caretakers behind the Tairua River Trail. They paused for a quick photo, then got to work delivering 200 native trees along the trail. Some were planted by Mikiko herself, others left ready for any volunteer who felt like giving back over the long weekend.

It was a quiet, generous act, one that perfectly reflects what GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL – Kaitiaki is all about, made even more meaningful by time spent alongside her longtime friends and hosts, Jeanette and Peter. “They showed me how volunteering is easy,” she said, “and makes my heart feel good.”

The Tairua River Trail is one of 17 planting sites supported through GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL – Kaitiaki, a way for visitors and locals to contribute to the biodiversity of Hauraki Coromandel through tree planting and predator control. Every tree planted and every muddy pair of hands helps protect Hauraki Coromandel and strengthens the connection between people and place. 

Mikiko’s story is just one of many but it’s a powerful reminder that being a kaitiaki isn’t about where you’re from. It’s about how you show up. How you care. And how, when you give something back to the land, it gives something back to you.

That’s what makes it good for your soul.

Want to contribute or learn more about GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL – Kaitiaki?

• Donate a tree or get involved
• Find out what businesses are supporting the initiative
• See the planting sites