Nelson Community work parties recently spent two ‘long’ weekends on D’Urville Island, in the Marlborough Sounds, to help a local Maori trust develop its land.
Reaching the remote island, which is part of Ngati Koata lands, involved a three-hour drive plus a half-hour ferry ride, so three-day trips away were organised with the groups of eight community work offenders working nine-hour days clearing scrub.
Community Work Supervisor Jack Pike says the offenders worked extremely hard during their time on the island. "I woke up at 7am on Saturday and found that the whole work party had started clearing scrub on their own accord before breakfast - that’s how committed they were.”
The groups were hosted by the Hippolite and Elkington whanau in a family trust house at Catherine Cove.
Ngati Koata's Allen Hippolite co-ordinated the weekends with CPS and says the help the trust received from the community work crews was 
invaluable.
"From our point of view, the weekends were great. The men were hard-working and very respectful.” Although not all were of Maori descent, many formed bonds with the people and the place.
"We didn't realise beforehand, but some of the offenders were actually part of our extended whanau," says Allen. "It was good to see them find a little more of their own identity by making these connections."
Jack says other offenders are also keen to serve their hours on the island.
Meanwhile, Allen hopes to use community work parties in the future and says he was impressed with the work ethics of the supervisors and the offenders.
"I'd be happy to work with them again in the future. They are a pleasure to host and they work very hard."