Wilma and Dick will go back to Tiniroto again.

Dick will arrive in nz early in November 2008. He will leave again early April 2009. You find his flight schedule here.

Wilma will join him in January and Februari 2009.

This morning I came hurrying down from Gisborne (car didn’t want to start – had to call the AA; brought Husqvarna to the shop for service) to be in time to welcome Bob. Ann brought some friends from Gisborne. They went into the Ruakituri Valley to see
We made a trip in the Mule around Lake Kaikiore. Found a number of trees that need to be labeled (again). Then took a lunch and walked into the paddock behind the homestead.
It was a cloudy day. Few short moments of sunshine. Good for walking around.
Bob handed me the list with all the names of the trees we looked after the previous time he was here.

to remember:
1. we need to look after a new Abies pinsapo ‘Glauca’ (the one in the garden had to be taken out).
2. There are 2 Kauri’s at Hackfalls.

When Bob and Ann and their friends had left again, I took a bit of rest, and after that went on a short trip through the arboretum, to clean up some wood and have a look at some of the things I’ve been working on, for instance Kevin’s Bush. I took some cuttings of Rhodo ‘Bas de Bruin’.

Wed 2008-02-06 I mowed in the orchard of Sally. Julian helped me to get some firewood out.
Although it was cloudy much of the time we didn’t have any rain.
Tue 2008-02-05 I worked at Hackfalls in the north-west corner of the Ridge, close to the woolshed, mowing thistles and rushes.
Mon 2008-02-04 I worked at Hackfalls along the entrance road. Mowing thistles and rushes.
Sat 2008-02-02 and Sun 2008-02-03 I worked at Sally’s place.
Friday 2008-02-01 I worked at EWH. Cleaned a part of the brown track. I met John Dean, who used to work at Nuhaka (on the mainroad from Gisborne to Wairoa, close to Mahia). He was president of the local branch of the Farm Forestry Association, after Bob was the president. Nowadays he is the president of the NZ Tree Crops Association.

Thursday 2008-01-31 I went to EWH, after doing some household work.

Monday Jan 21st, Tuesday Jan 22nd and Wednesday(-morning) 23rd I have been mowing (and raking) along the Entrance Road (Berry Road it’s called on the maps). Wednesday afternoon Mr. Brian Crankshaw (check his name) from EWH was at Hackfalls.

We’ve been working on the Entrance Road before. There grow lots of thistles, and rushes, and some Digitalis. Large parts are more or less clean already. But it’s rather a long road (check how long exactly!). I worked on different parts from the middle cattle-grid, close to the beginning of Lake Kaikiore, up to the entrance of the station.

Monday:

I heard the harriers all morning. Repeated high call. One was (or two were) sitting in the Weeping Willow at the point of Lake Kaikiore.

4 hrs. mowing of thistles with the Husqvarna. Couldn’t start the Shindaiwo (again)!

{2 Pictures of beginning of Lake Kaikiore}

For the future: it will be nice to cut the alder <i>Alnus glutinosa</i> in this corner of the lake, to get a better view on the lake from the Entrance Road! But careful. There might breed a harrier.

In the afternoon I heard the yellowhammer a bit further up on the road.

Tuesday:

Been raking for 3 hrs. And removed the waste (two loads on the trailer) to one dump. On top of a dead and already heavily rotting lamb, close to the entrance of the station. This would be a nice place to ask Bob and Ann to plant a memorial tree. And there could be an information panel here as well! Welcome to visitors, etc.

For the future: clean up the wood-dump here; remove the temporary thistle- and rushes-waste dump, Mowe blackberries and prune overhanging trees.

{Picture of trailer loaded with thistles.}

Cleaned up the temporary waste-dump near the middle cattle-grid, that Wilma and I made there a few weeks ago. The lower layers were in a far state of rotting already. Brought one wheelbarrow of the best stuff to the compost-station behind the homestead. Dropped two wheelbarrows at the foot of ….. tree.

Although it was very windy (even stormy), the sun was shining. And the calves found shadow under tree nr. 6.

{Picture}

It was really frustrating to see that someone had dropped a lot of burning-rubbish on the compost-station.

The last three days I was busy finding trees with no labels on it.
Today (Monday 14th) Bob Berry was here, to identify trees with no labels on it. I did some preparations for that Saturday and Sunday.
We found … trees without labels.
It depends a bit on your opinion. Uncle Bob thinks that common trees, like Eucalyptus viminalis etc. don’t need to be labeled. They are quite common (in NZ). In front of Kevin’s Bush a whole group of them is planted. But how will a visitor (from Europe, for instance) know that?
Visitors from abroad often don’t know the common trees of NZ.
Well, apart from this we found a good number of trees that needed labeling.
I hope to make a complete list of them soon.

Saturday I mowed one hour at the end of the Ridge.
This afternoon I mowed one hour at the beginning of the Ridge (and found some trees without labels again!).

It was a very warm day today – Diane reported temp of 33.4 degrees.

Next Monday Bob will be back to continue the listing of unlabeled trees.

(crossed order)

2007-12-16 Sunday:
Sunny.
Took cuttings of Muehlenbeckia astonii
Wilma drove around through Arboretum on Mule with Diane’s mother.
Wilma measured large Eucalyptus macarthuri (small ?)
Afternoon: small trip via Ruakaka Road to Hangaroa River -> Doneraille Park. Back home via Tiniroto Road.

2007-12-15 Saturday:
A sunny day with strong easterly wind.
morning: electric power is off.
Chainsaw 2 Muehlenbeckia astonii in Diane’s Garden.

wv gets again a number of trees out of their protection:
(same place as friday)

Nyssa aquatica 1982 011 # … check: the one in G7 of in H7?
removed protection
good growing tree, no flowering.
Acer grandidentatum 1985 003 # … check: in F7 or G7?
removed protection
healthy tree.
Populus ??? tremuloides at first sight.
no label. About 1 m. omtrek. Much root suckers.
About 15 m. beside it is a labeled Populus tremuloides 1977 017.

Malus transitoria 1995 027 #1716 (G7)
Nice healthy large apple tree. Fruits < 1 cm.

Castanopsis eyrei 1997 021 # 660. (G6)Catalogue says ?
removed protection.
“Nice charming little tree” (wv).

We get up to the ridge now, where db is mowing:
Aphananthe aspera 1982 004 # 356 (G5)
Removed protection.
Beautiful large tree.

Leaves of Aphananthe aspera

Aphanante aspera

Acer davidii 1992 225 # 85 (G4)
Removed protection. Nearly fastigiate!

Tilia mandshurica 1980 043 # 3735 (G4)
Flowering, scenting! Photo

More flowers

db does mowing at the end of the Ridge, near the gate to next paddock.

afternoon:
Wilma meets Ann, the garden lady.
Planting of Totara seedling on hilltop accross Lake Kaikiora.
Cutting thistles along entrance road near middle cattle grid.

2007-12-14 Friday:
Cloudy all day. Very low clouds. Not real mist, but drizzly.

Wilma starts at a new location:
close to the corner of 3 paddocks (Chook, Reserve and Ridge) down the Ridge
manuscript!

db mowes rushes at the end of the Ridge.

2007-12-13 Thursday:
nice sunny day. later some clouds.
Hackfalls:
Wilma cuts down rose at new entrance. Finds 2 Tutara seedlings.

db mowing on The Ridge near the first sideway down and down along the first sideway.
Here (G7 / H7):
Eucalyptus alpina 1986 014 # 1029 in G7
old label on the ground! (attached on stem 2007-12-16). Rough bark with old fruits (?)
afternoon: chainsawed large overhanging branch. using ladder.

Little branche, leaves, Bark
Bark of the higher stem
´Exostose´on bark

Magnolia ‘Milky Way’ 1994 162 #1634 in H7 (new label)
removed protection.

Elaeocarpus cyaneus 1996 028 #995 in H7 (new label)
liberated from steel harness and stakes. Nearly flowering!

Quercus marilandica 1976 013 #2707 in H7 (new label)
removed dead branches.

Quercus semecarpifolia 1988 058 #2828 in H7 (new label)
removed plastic protection.

found protection with label Taxodium m…

Daphniphyllum macropodum 1987 018 #964 in H7 (old label)
removed metal protection and metal posts.

Quercus aliena 1968 041 #2426 in H7 (new label)
ask Paul K. to prune ???

further up:
Acer oliverianum ssp. formosanum 1997 050 #121 (? label)
label says A. serrulatum
database says: in G4 check!
removed some badly broken branches

etc. from manuscript

2007-12-12 Wednesday:
Waipatiki -> Tutira:
….
Boundary Stream Mainland Island Reserve:
NZ falcon! check

Wairoa: pies at Osler’s. Shopping.
Tiniroto arrival 5pm.

2007-12-11 Tuesday: Waipatiki
morning walk along the beach / cliffs -> South
Walk to Redwood Reserve – uphill; to Waipatiki Road.
Back via Waipatiki Road: view at Waipatiki Scenic Reserve
Walk through Waipatiki Domain.
(see: Wiki-en by db)

ca. 6pm: walk along the beach / cliffs -> North

2007-12-10 Monday: Napier
among other things: visit to Napier Botanic Gardens

This is the new weblog of (our activities) in Hackfalls Arboretum, Tiniroto, Gisborne, New Zealand.

We will describe which work we’re doing, and observations we make.

For general information on Hackfalls Arboretum, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackfalls_Arboretum

Hackfalls Arboretum is situated in Tiniroto.
For general information on Tiniroto, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiniroto

This weblog is started by Wilma Verburg and Dick Bos. We come from the Netherlands. We have visited New Zealand a couple of times. The last time was February to April this year.
Dick Bos is working now in Hackfalls Arboretum from September 2007 until March 2008. Wilma Verburg arrived last week (end of November), and she will leave again in the beginning of January 2008.

They have a weblog in Dutch at WordPress: http://wvendb.wordpress.com