Sue Cameron, a volunteer on the island, has one of the most important roles, keeping 34 people well fed and watered. So far she has filled 270 dinner plates. Here is her account of life on the island as chief cook. 

A few of my friends came to Whenua Hou/Codfish Island for the 2008 breeding season and just loved the experience. When they heard the rimu was fruiting again they suggested I put my name in the ring. I love tramping and being in the bush but thought my fitness level lent itself more to being a cook than a nest minder. I was lucky enough to be selected off the volunteer list and here I am.

The blurb sent out to prospective cooks talks about an average of 20 people on the island, I’ve fed my two sons and all their mates so how hard can 20 people be? The blurb also warns of the maximum of 35 that was on the island for the last big breeding season of 2002. Well guess what – there were 34 people on the island when I arrived.

There is a great variety of fresh fruit and vegetables flown onto the island so it is easy to put meals together. Everyone is very hungry so bulky carbs with stews and casseroles, and the odd barbeque meal, if the weather permits, are the go. Everybody is very helpful in the kitchen assisting with the chopping and stirring and of course the mountain of dishes that result from meals for 34.  People ask, “What’s the hardest part”? There isn’t one really – even the cold temperatures are good as they provide relief from the steamy over-warm kitchen.

Cooking so much meat at once can be a bit of a challenge so tonight we are going full vegetarian.

One o’clock is the time for me to leave the kitchen for some quiet time with a book or for a short walk in the bush around the hut. A wander along the beach – avoiding the sea lion, admiring the Ruggedys or checking out the Yellow Eye Penguin prints in the sand is another favorite.

Dinner for the nest minders needs to be ready about 5pm so they have time to digest the food before they head up the hill for the night. There is a real buzz in the hut as muesli bars, nuts and fruit are packed, containers of cereal and small containers of milk are readied for breakfast in the bush. When everyone has left for night duties it is time to start the prep for the next day’s meal or do a spot of cleaning.

A new team of volunteers arrived today which meant saying goodbye to some fast-made friends. It happens like that in the pressure cooker world of the Codfish volunteer; comradeship cemented in the short hours spent at base each day – refueling, debriefing and warming by the fire.

For me it’s 270 dinner plates filled so far and with one week left there are 192 plates to go. It’s been a great experience and for all the information sent in the blurb, it doesn’t tell you about all the awesome people you will meet, both the dedicated, tireless kakapo team members and the volunteers.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be involved in the programme, especially in such a monumental year. It will be sad to leave the island when the time comes but  I look forward to following the progress of the chicks and females, now familiar from the hut conversation, through further diary entries.