The Wallabies of Waimate - Roadside Stories

A Manatū Taonga audio guide to Waimate and the introduction of exotic animal species to New Zealand. Check out the Ministry for Culture and Heritage's audio guide in the image carousel above.

Nineteenth-century settlers were often keen to introduce exotic plants and animals to New Zealand -- with mixed results. Australian wallabies and possums, common around Waimate, have become serious pests, and plagues of rabbits cause massive production losses for farmers.

Waimate,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/south-canterbury-places/7

Introduced animal pests,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/introduced-animal-pests

Acclimatisation,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/acclimatisation

Possums,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/possums

Rabbits,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/rabbits

Overrun by rabbits,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/rabbits/1/3

Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives, http://www.soundarchives.co.nz/. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number sa-d-00709-03-s2-pm D709.3b).

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Roadside Stories are a series of audio guides to places of interest on major road trips in New Zealand. Each guide tells the story of an attraction along the way -- its people, its history, its cultural and natural significance. For more information about Roadside Stories visit http://www.mch.govt.nz/roadside/