Our
wetland
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Our property
comprises 11.4 hectares (28 acres) at the mouth
of the Kauritutahi stream. About half the land is
gently-contoured pastures and river flats, and the
other half is steep hillsides, gullies and wetlands.
We bought the land from Amy and Alf Jackson, a retired
couple who had tended it lovingly for 12 years as
a dry-stock grazing unit.
We settled here in July 1992.
Our aim was to develop a diverse, sustainable
property which provided fresh organic food for
ourselves, family and friends, a healthy lifestyle
and some income. We were committed to long-term
protection of land, stream edges and native bush.
We also committed ourselves to an ongoing working
relationship with Ngaati Te Ata.
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Development Plan
We began our development
process by commissioning Kay Baxter of Koanga
Gardens to complete a design plan based on permaculture
principles for the land. The plan included:
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Planting
organic vegetable and herb gardens near the house |
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Establishing
three orchards: |
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subtropical
fruit (40 trees):
including banana, cherimoya, casimiroa,
mountain pawpaw, tamarillo, avocado |
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deciduous
fruit (50 trees and vines):
including apple, pear, peach, nectarine,
plum, quince, fig, arguta, grape |
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nut
(15 trees):
including walnut, chestnut, pinenut, macadamia,
almond, carob, olives |
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Managing
poultry, some in a straw yard, and some free-ranging |
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Logging
140 self-sown, unpruned, unruly pinaster pines on
the cliff tops |
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Fencing
off all slopes along the stream edge, approx. 1
km |
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Undertaking
5 ha of native regeneration - 5000 native trees
to begin with, and several hundred more each year |
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Planting
2 native timber plots - kauri and totara - 25 trees
each |
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Planting
4 exotic timber plots, including: |
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Acacia
melanoxylyn |
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Eucalyptus
- globoidea, muelleriani, saligna and
microcorys |
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Cupressus
- lusitanica, macrocarpa |
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Pinus
radiata |
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Continuing
to manage 4 paddocks as pasture (4.6ha), leased
to a neighbour for grazing. |
Additional Projects
In addition to implementing
the development plan we have:
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Established
a heritage weaving flax collection (from the Rene
Orchiston and Buckley Fyers collections and others)
in conjunction with Ngaati Te Ata |
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Created
a small lake and native wetland area |
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Undertaken
the restoration of a 3 ha (7 acre) gully (weed-infested,
with large rubbish tips) to an accessible native
bush and wetland area with walking tracks |
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Planted
a small commercial banana plantation |
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Established
our business, earthtalk@awhitu |
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Planted
a block of 30 rewarewa as additional native timber
trees |
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Developed
two sleepouts, Banana Bungalow and Pohutukawa Place,
for WWOOF and farmstay accommodation; moved on the
small independent Kettlewell Cottage for Tanya's
father. |
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Completed
planting of pioneer native trees on all our streamside
slopes |
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Installed two worm farms and a full sewage treatment and recycling system |
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Established
outlets for sales of fruit, vegetables and preserves,
including the monthly Awhitu Country Market, and
local motor camps during holiday seasons |
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Our land development project
has involved a large and diverse group of workers
including family members and friends, local contractors,
Task Force Green employees, Ngaati Te Ata elders
and young people, WWOOFers (Willing Workers On Organic
Farms) from 27 different nations, periodic detention
workers, and volunteers from the city.
We helped to establish the Awhitu
Peninsula Landcare group and the ''Trees for Survival''
planting programme on the Peninsula, and have
continued to work in a range of community activities.
We also host guided tours, field trips, workshops,
group visits, school visits and other educational
activities.
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A
summer day's harvest
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