In the last post, The “Hautere Turnips” of Te Horo, the origin and history of the stone walls, cairns and piles characteristic of this area was discussed. Another unusual feature of Te Horo is the large number of totara groves that can be seen in the fields. (more…)
June 9, 2012
Totaranui: the many totara of Te Horo
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: Environmental History, farming, greywacke stones, Kapiti Coast, Old Hautere Road, Otaki Gorge Road, Otaki River, Te Horo, totara |1 Comment
May 31, 2012
The “Hautere Turnips” of Te Horo
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: 1930s, Environmental History, farming, greywacke, Hautere turnips, Kapiti Coast, Old Hautere Road, Otaki Gorge, Tararua Ranges, Te Horo, the Great Depression |[4] Comments
Driving through Te Horo recently, on the Kapiti Coast, I was fascinated by the number of stone walls, stone cairns, and stone piles evident in the locality – more reminiscent of my image of the English countryside, than of typical rural New Zealand. I sensed there must be a story there, and I was not disappointed. (more…)
April 30, 2011
A historic day for Kapiti: the opening of Whareroa Farm
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: Alexander MacKay, Camp MacKay, Department of Conservation, Environmental History, iwi, Kapiti Coast, kaumatua, kohekohe, kumara, Landcorp, Lands and Survey Department, MacKay's Crossing, Maori horticulture, Ngati Toa, United State Marine Corps, wetland restoration, Whakarongotai, Whareroa Farm, Whareroa farm history, Whareroa Farm opening, Whareroa Guardians, Whareroa Stream, World War Two |1 Comment
Today, the 30th April 2011, was a day of great triumph and celebration for many people in the Kapiti Coast community, with the official opening of 440 hectare Whareroa Farm Reserve, between Paraparaumu and Paekakari [click here to view location]. It is certainly not every day that a new recreational and nature reserve is opened to the public, and Whareroa Farm has only become such a reserve as a result of persistent lobbying by the local community and the ongoing work of one community-based organisation, the Whareroa Guardians Trust. (more…)
April 24, 2011
The return of the bellbird
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: ancient sanddunes, Banksia, bellbird, bird song, gardens, Kapiti Coast, korimako, lawns that don't need mowing, nectar, Paraparaumu, Paraparaumu Scenic Reserve, tui |[4] Comments
Today, as I was putting my son down for his afternoon nap, I caught the melodic, undulating song of what might have been a tui, but when I looked out of my son’s window the bush on the bank outside, it was the distinctive olive shape of a smaller sized bird that I saw. It was a bellbird – the first that I have ever spotted either around my home, or indeed, in Paraparaumu [click here to view map], the coastal town in which I live.
January 8, 2011
Views of Kapiti 7: Morning mist over Hemi Matenga
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: Catherine Knight, coastal forest, ecological corridor, Hemi Matenga, Kapiti Coast, Kapiti Island, kohekohe, milling, photography, rain cloud, regenerating forest, Tararua Ranges, Waikanae |Leave a Comment
A view of the Hemi Matenga hills, which overlook the town of Waikanae, taken from Elizabeth Street, eastern Waikanae. Low morning cloud shrouds the hills, threatening rain, and creating a sense of drama and mystique. (more…)
January 3, 2011
Sunset over the channel of the swimming heroine
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: Kahe Te Rauoterangi, Kapiti Coast, Kapiti Island, Muaupoko, New Zealand, Ngati Toa, Rangitane, Rauoterangi Channel, seagull, seascape, sunset, Te Rauparaha, Waikanae |Leave a Comment
Taken on the penultimate evening of 2010, this is a landscape that has probably changed little over the last few hundred years. This is taken from Waikanae beach [click here to view location], looking south-east over the Rauoterangi Channel, towards Kapiti Island. The small island to the left of Kapiti Island is Tokomapuna Island (or Aeroplane Island). The top of the South Island can be seen faintly in the background. (more…)
January 1, 2011
Views of Kapiti 5: Paraparaumu Scenic Reserve
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: eastern rosella, Kapiti Coast, kingfisher, lifestyle block, Maori Land, Muaupoko Stream, Muaupoko Swamp, Nagara West C block, Paraparaumu, Paraparaumu Scenic Reserve, Scenery Preservation Commission |Leave a Comment
This striking landscape is comprised of bush regenerating on ungrazed pasture on the left-hand side of the fence-line, and pasture with remnant bush on the right-hand side. The left side is part of the Paraparaumu Scenic Reserve, a 256 hectare reserve, located to the east of Paraparaumu [see map below]. The right-side is part of lifestyle blocks off the Nikau Valley rural subdivision. (more…)
December 7, 2010
A photographic treasure trove of New Zealand’s natural heritage
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: 1080, David Mudge, ecology, environmental education, fantail, Kapiti Coast, kingfisher, mice, morepork, nest, Nga Manu Nature Reserve, Nga Manu Trust, Peter McKenzie, photography, possums, predation, rats, Rattus rattus, Waikanae, Wellington Zoo, wood pigeon |Leave a Comment
Nga Manu Images is an online photo library created by Dave Mudge and Peter McKenzie, founder trustees of Nga Manu Trust, a charitable trust dedicated to the conservation of New Zealand’s flora and fauna, and conservation education. The Trust founded the Nga Manu Nature Reserve, just north of Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast, featured on this website. What makes this photo repository so unique is that, in keeping with the Trust’s objectives, these images are available free of charge for conservation advocacy and education purposes, as well as non-commercial personal use.
Many of the images on this site are part of a more than three decade-long project to develop a pictorial record of the ecology of Nga Manu Nature Reserve, recording the plants and wildlife and the way they interact. (more…)
October 1, 2010
Top search terms for envirohistory NZ
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: disappearing river, envirohistory NZ, Environmental History, Kapiti Coast, Kapiti Island, kokako, Manawatu, Manawatu River, Maori and the environment, Nauru Island, New Zealand, posts, radiata pine, Ruahine Ranges, Scandinavian settlers, search terms, Tui Mine, Waimeha River |Leave a Comment
Search terms (the key words you put in Google or any other search engine to find information about a particular topic) are an important way for readers to find a particular website or web-based article. They tell you a lot about what readers of a website are interested in. And envirohistory NZ is no exception. We are really interested in what our readers are interested in!
So, what are the top search terms that brought internet users to envirohistory NZ? (more…)
March 25, 2013
How a beach stroll can be a journey of archaeological discovery
Posted by envirohistorynz under commentary | Tags: archaeology, G.L. Adkin, Kapiti Coast, Maori, Peter Beckett, Raumati South, sand dunes, shellfish |Leave a Comment
A view of the beach at Raumati South, looking north-west towards Kapiti Island
Generally, when we go for a stroll on the beach, our gaze tends to fall towards the sea, rather than inland. But sometimes it pays to turn our gaze towards the dune landscape too, as dunes sometimes harbour treasure troves of environmental history – in the form of middens. (more…)
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