Island alive with natives
BY GLYN CHURCH
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Gardening & Lifestyle
I 'm quite used to being overtaken by cyclists when driving in a big city like Wellington, but it's a bit of a shock when I'm out for an afternoon drive in New Plymouth.
Last weekend Gail and I drove down to Lake Rotomanu on the far side of Fitzroy by the Waiwhakaiho River. Imagine you're on Devon Street at the Fitzroy lights pointing north, aim straight ahead into Clemow Road and follow it to the end. When you pull into the park, there's a small downward hill, and I was driving so slowly to take in the view that a cyclist zoomed past me. Perhaps I shouldn't dither but I was enjoying the view across the lake and the small island covered in native shrubs. On your left is a long shelter belt of Australian Banksias with their bright yellow cone flowers. These super wind- hardy trees are in DOC's bad books because they occasionally come up from self-sown seed. Personally I can't see the problem, they're easy enough to pull out if they're in the wrong place. And even if they're huge, they make terrific firewood. On the plus side they form a narrow, upright tree capable of withstanding fierce coastal winds and with the glorious bonus of nectar-filled winter flowers for our native tui and bellbirds.
Most of the trees and shrubs in this park are New Zealand natives. The whole area was planted by the public in an arbor day event back in the late 70s. I was one of an organising troop of Parkies that day, and it's a pleasure to see the place so well established now.
The island was a bit of a challenge to plant because it was all rocks and no soil. There used to be a causeway for vehicles dividing the lake in two. We planted up the portion that would become the island, and then the digger men removed the causeway at each end. A few months later I happened to drive into Pukekura Park and was asked to take a leaking rowboat to the workshop for repair. When I inquired where the hole was in the boat, nobody seemed to know. My workmate, Myles King, suggested we take the boat to Lake Rotomanu and check out the island planting, and then we would discover the leak. It was so windy, we just about jetskied to the island, and of course we quickly discovered the leak, so one was rowing and one was bailing. Having checked out the plants on the island we then had to row back. In the Taranaki breeze, we found ourselves going backwards towards the opposite shore, and then we tried to row round the side of the lake, frantically bailing all the way. It's very pleasing to see the island covered in native plants now and to be alive to tell the tale.
Having driven down the slope, looking out for speeding cyclists, there's a long straight in front of you and a rock or two on your left. It is worth stopping to park beside the rock and take a short walk through the banksia hedge to your left and you'll see a fabulous wetland created by the city council. NPDC decided to clean up the stormwater run off from the Fitzroy suburb by creating a wetland to filter and cleanse the water before it flows into the lake. Hundreds of local schoolchildren have been involved in the establishment of this beautiful wetland. It's already working well and it's going to be a real asset to the region. Wetland plants are amazing; they can filter out all the nasties in the water, and it's a new home for fish, frogs and birds. If you live in Fitzroy you can access the Peringa wetland from Fitzroy Road or Weka Road.
Back in your car, drive on around the lake and right to the end for a fantastic seaview. If you have a friend or relative who is infirm, then this is a great spot to bring them for an afternoon tiki tour.
Drive back upstream 100 metres or so and park on the left somewhere. I must have been driving even slower on this leg because we were overtaken by a jogger. There are some well designed carparks on the left screened by big flaxes. Pull in there and head towards the Te Rewa Rewa bridge. You can't miss it, this fantastic new architectural bridge is a stunning asset to the coastal walkway.
Wander over the bridge and you're heading towards Bell Block, though the walkway only goes as far as the golf course for now. It's a bit bracing, which is just what you need on a weekend stroll. Listen out for the skylarks who love this open country. Skylarks are related to finches and they look a bit like female sparrows, but they have a clever trick. They can sing really sweetly and hover at the same time, sometimes they fly so high you have to lie on your back to be able to see them. I always know I'm home when I fly into New Plymouth airport and hear the skylarks.
The sand dunes on your left have been screened off to stop people romping through them. These dunes are very fragile and too much foot traffic would destroy them. They're covered in a mixture of vegetation from exotic marram grass, to native taupata bushes and creeping muehlenbeckia. DOC doesn't seem to like marram grass either but it does a brilliant job of binding and stabilising the sand dunes.
When you get level with the first Norfolk Island pine in the golf course, take a look to your left and there's a taupata tree. You don't usually see them this big. Taupata or Coprosma repens is a super tough native shrub with very shiny leaves, capable of resisting salt spray. You can buy them from garden centres in every shade from pink to cream and black these days. They're perfect for windy coastal gardens. And I promise you, they won't get as big as this one. They'll only be a metre or so in your garden.
When you turn to walk back, you'll have the most fantastic view of the sea, the port, the mountain and the bridge and it will make you realise what a special place we live in. It's worth walking there just to have the view on the way back. Apart from the bridge and this new bit of walkway, the two things that impressed me most were the number of teenagers out for a walk and the variety of wheeled traffic. Nice to know not all teenagers are glued to a screen. And the variety of wheels is remarkable, everything from one to eight wheels powered by feet, heels and hands.
- © Fairfax NZ News
