Papanui Bush Update
John Stringer
Hi everyone, I’ve been working nights at Isolation Centers since March so have not been free to be at much of Rotary this year. When we’ve been allowed together ourselves I've been self-isolating during the day at Papanui Bush when able, and working with distanced others to make progress in 2020.
One development is that I’ve negotiated a partnership with TransRail to co-manage the rail corridor alongside the Bush with Northgate Trust (Northcity Church) that sits on the land at the top end of the Bush.
The plan is to level this area with clean fill and topsoil, with large native trees; use historic disused rails and sleepers to create a fence and plant this area as a public walkway into the Bush from Sawyers Arms Rd next to the decommissioned Scout Den.
There is also a plan down the track (literally) to erect a feature entrance way. TransRail are keen to support this and we are awaiting a formal response so we can take things further.
This area sat at the heart of the 1850s Bush, so is quite appropriate as a restoration project as part of what we’ve been accomplishing in the Bush itself. We have had donated a large number of native flax, and the idea is take these and plant them outside the Bush along the barrier fence, along the TransRail corridor, to help create a barrier (both wind and noise) from the trains.
Denis and I have discussed this as a possible rolling-along project we could do with Rotary, starting at Langdons Rd end by MEGA and working our way up gradually to Sawyers Arms Rd filling in the gaps with harakeke (flax) plantings as we go. There are already a large number in situ along with old historic cabbage trees.
You might be interested in this early photo of the area which shows some of the post-Papanui Bush market gardening. Langdons Rd runs through the middle in front of the new Papanui Tech.
The 2018~ restored Papanui Bush runs where the trees are, over the house (at center) and to the west of Papanui High between the two parallel roads. The Kruses Waterway settling pond (Just left of the school wing) is still there today.