Plucked from the dark safety of his travelling case and brought out into the dazzling sunlight of a brilliant summer’s day, three week- old kiwi Kopuku squirms and lets out a series of cute squeaks.

Also emitting a rather sweet noise is Jools Topp. Here on predator-free Motuora Island to release the handreared bird into the wild, she is entranced by the endangered chick. “Hello, my baby!” she coos. “Hi, darling. What a champion, man! What a little groover.”

But as Auckland Zoo’s curator of native fauna, Ian Fraser, places the wee ball of brown fl uff in Jools’ arms, the grooving stops. Kopuku – whose name means “fine-feathered cloak” – quits squeaking and struggling, visibly relaxing as he is cradled in the singer’s right hand. “You’ve got the touch,” says Jools’ partner Mary Massara, leaning in to stroke the chick’s fur-like feathers. “Beautiful, huh?” replies a humbled Jools. “What an absolute honour.”

After the young kiwi is ushered into its pre-dug burrow, the couple take a tour around the secluded island – which is located halfway between Auckland and Whangarei, in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park – with Jools pointing out particularly fi ne specimens of native trees. “I should’ve come as Camp Leader!” she jokes, picking up a plastic ring that’s been washed up on the beach. “A kiwi could get its beak trapped in here.”

Then, as Mary takes a dip in the warm, clear water, Jools sits herself down on Kopuku’s big day the grass under a gnarly old pohutukawa tree and chats to the Weekly about the magical moment we’ve just shared. “We released a kiwi!” she whoops, her hands in the air. “I’ve never seen or been around a kiwi, except at the zoo. I hope like hell it fi nds its legs and breeds.” Referring to Prince William’s kiwi release on his fi rst offi cial visit to New Zealand in January, Jools (51) smiles, “I’m up there with royalty today – what a privilege!”

The entertainer is here to help raise awareness of the Motuora Restoration Society, an organisation set up to protect this fragile island, which is home to about 60 kiwi, many of which, like Kopuku, were hatched and reared at Auckland Zoo. It’s a cause Jools and her twin sister Lynda are so passionate about, they’ll be performing a concert at the zoo on 28 February to support it.

Jools worked at Auckland Zoo as a gardener many years ago, but says the place has changed dramatically since that time. “People don’t want to see animals in concrete cages any more. Society has moved on from the idea of animals as entertainment and the zoo realises it has a responsibility to save animals.

“I’m really proud of Auckland Zoo’s kiwi breeding programme. It’s our native bird! If we lose that, we’ve lost our identity. People from around the world know us as Kiwis. How bad would it be if the kiwi became extinct? What would we call ourselves then? Pukekos?”

What about Kiwifruit? “Ha! That’d be all right for the gay people, at least!” Lynda is unable to participate in the kiwi release today because, as we speak, she’s doing her own important charity work with Casting for Recovery, a group that takes women affected by breast cancer on therapeutic fly-fi shing weekends.

Jools – who underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy during her battle with breast cancer in 2006 – explains, “Lynda is a really passionate trout-fi sher but the reason she’s volunteering is because getting breast cancer is as common as stubbing your toe these days.”

Her voice drops to a mumble as she continues, “It seems like everyone’s got it. You turn around and someone else has been diagnosed. Most of these women have had the surgery. I’m fully versed in that – I’ve got scars all over me.

“That scar where the breast was, sometimes you can’t move your arm properly. But they’ve found the movement of casting a fi shing line can get these girls using their arms again – and

it helps that they’re outside too. Nature is a great healer.” With their performing and recording engagements, plus busy farms to run, Jools and Lynda have little free time, but they try to support as many causes as they can.

“We’ve always spoken out about what’s important to us,” says Jools. “It’s our service back to the community. If it wasn’t for the New Zealand public out there, we wouldn’t be the Topp Twins. We’ve been pretty lucky so we like to raise money for the things that make this country a cool place. That’s why we’re here today. Plus it’s nice to be in the Weekly for something other than chemo!”

Interview over, we jump back in the water taxi that will return us to civilisation and Jools faces the island one last time. “Goodbye, Kopuku!” she calls. “Don’t get caught in a rat trap!”