Auckland, New Zealand  - There are strict rules in force on this island: No pets are allowed and visitors are told to remove any dirt from their shoes or clothes before they disembark.

"Please ensure that your lunch is kept in a container made of plastic or metal and take all your refuse with you," passengers are told before the catamaran sets off from Auckland harbour

From here, the voyage takes them to Tiritiri Mantangi, an island in the Gulf of Hauraki, just four kilometres from the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and 30 kilometres north-east of Auckland, New Zealand's largest city.

This tiny, lowland territory in the ocean covers just 220 hectares, but offers a predator-free habitat which provides a safe haven for many rare and endangered species. New Zealanders are proud of the project, which has been conceived as an open nature sanctuary rather than a closed one, completely off limits to the public.

Tiritiri is one of the world's most successful conservation projects. Eleven endangered bird species have returned here since volunteers cleared most of the bush, planting trees and leaving just over a third of the area as grassland.

A total of 78 bird species have been observed on or near the island and among the endangered ones introduced or reintroduced are the takahe, kokako, tieke, stitch bird and brown teal.

Even the emblematic, but rare kiwi thrives here again as tour guide Robin Child tells tourists during a ramble across the island to discover the vibrant plant and animal life. "Nearly half a million trees have been planted here over the past two decades."

Animals lived here too before the project got underway. The island was used for farming and cows grazed here for as long as the earth was fertile. "One hundred and twenty years of agriculture led to the destruction of 94 per cent of the original flora and fauna which was mown down or removed," said Robin.

Between 1984 and 1994, volunteers joined forces with the New Zealand government to lay the foundation for the island's sustainable future as a nature reserve. The number of visitors allowed to land is restricted to 150 a day. They all arrive by boat and can spend the night on Tiritiri - albeit without running water or electricity. Apart from the lighthouse keeper and his family, there are no other permanent residents.

Robin, a wiry figure with a white beard, remembers when the island was just a barren pasture.

"The transformation here really is incredible," he said.

An important part of his job is to make sure that visitors do not stray from the official paths. "Look but do not touch" is one of the mottoes on Tiritiri Matangi.

The tour of discovery on which Robin takes his guests through thick woodland is supposed to last for 90 minutes, but actually takes much longer since he or one of the bird watchers frequently stop to observe something along the way.

New Zealand's isolation has enabled bird species to survive even though they have become extinct down the centuries elsewhere.

"However, we must ensure that we provide them with a suitable environment," said Robin.

All rodents and pests on Tiritiri Matangi have been eliminated, particularly the rats which attack and destroy bird's eggs. "Although not everyone was happy about us using bait to lure the rats", recalls Robin.

Some of the birds on the island seem to enjoy having a little fun with the visitors too. "I've just heard a takane," cries out Jim Miller from Auckland, clearly thrilled. The other
12 people on the trip are delighted too, but Robin finds its hard to suppress his mirth. "No," he says "that was the tui on the tree over there. He likes to mimic the other birds."

Internet: www. newzealand. com, www. tiritirimatangi. org. nz (dpa)