The tumultuous devastation experienced by our Christchurch and Canterbury neighbours has taken priority over all else in the past few weeks. To Judith and her Heritage Roses members our thoughts and condolences are with you. The National Executive members have been in close contact with our neighbours and are aware of the many personal tragic experiences of our members. We send our love and will continue to support in whatever way we can.

And now for some good news!  A long term plan has been confirmed by your National Executive.

Firstly Di Durstan will be available to tour regions in November and early December this year 2011. Di is one of the ‘Tea Rose Group’ who came together because of a mutual love of tea roses and wrote the beautiful book ‘Tea Roses, old roses for warm gardens.’ Di will be travelling with her friend Jenny Jones who is also one of the ‘tea ladies’.

The National Exe, will take care of all travel arrangements though we will be requesting your assistance as Di and Jenny move between the regions. Your role will be to provide accommodation, advertising and a venue for the presentation. Ticket sales will be a regional decision but a small portion ( probably $5 per person) will come to the National Exe to cover Di’s flight from Australia to NZ. Di and Jenny will begin their tour in the north moving south through the regions.

Barbara Keen, the Nat. Exec’s travel liaise member, will organise the details of the tour and will be in contact once you have confirmed with me that you wish Di to visit your region.

Part two of our long term plan is to host the first Heritage Roses New Zealand Inc. conference in Dunedin either late Nov or first week of Dec 2012.The Nat. Exe’s  goal is to bring members together to share their common interest. We believe this is vital for the future of our society and have been quietly working away on a programme. What I can share with you is the confirmation of Peter Boyd to attend. Peter is very excited and enthusiastic about visiting New Zealand and it will be his first visit. He has heard many stories of our ability to grow old roses, especially the love of his life, the Scots roses which will the topic of his presentation. Peter is Collections Manager of Shrewsbury Museums Services, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He is arguably the world’s foremost authority on the Scots roses (a.k.a.spinosissimas). His collection of this family comprises some 300 different species and cultivars which has been awarded National Collection status.

Some of us first heard Peter speak in Paris 2006. We were so impressed we decided then and there we must somehow bring him to NZ. He has since been on the European circuit and is one of the speakers for the Sakura conference.

More conference plans will be revealed as confirmed but I would like to reassure you we are very conscious of financial costs to our members and are thinking outside the square with regards to planning. The theme will be fun and roses!

Thanks for your overwhelming response to the survey. I’m not able to share results at this point due to our March meeting being postponed to allow a total commitment to Ellerslie. The next journal will reveal all. Thanks also for the tremendous feedback regarding our first journal.  We can’t help but feel in awe of the talents of our Fiona.

Finally some free advertising I would recommend your region hook into is available in both the NZ Gardener and the Weekend Gardener. It’s a good way of us promoting our society.

The Weekend Gardener will list under “Garden Events”. Forward details of your event to ‘Weekend Gardener Events, PO Box 8185, Symonds St. Auckland, 1150 or ph 09 377 2340, fax 09 377 2369 or email robwg@xtra.co.nz.

The NZ Gardener will list under “Garden Clubs”. Forward  regional convenor’s name and phone number  to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz or write to ‘Garden Clubs’, NZ Gardener, PO Box 6341, Wellesley St, Auckland, 1141. This column lists your name, eg Heritage Roses Southland and a contact but on the website more details are available.

As we come to terms with the devastating events around us may we also share our love of old roses and the comradery of members and friends by coming together for cuttings days and other planned meetings over the next few months.

Location: 132 North Taieri Road, Abbotsford, Dunedin 9018
Contact: president@heritageroses.org.nz or wylde.willow@xtra.co.nz (Fran)
Phone: +64 3 488 3988

Oamaru Public Gardens

Bannerman Park, Gore
Bannerman Park was named in 1977 in honour of Mr R B Bannerman, whose foresight helped procure extra land for the park. Known as the Hidden Valley, the land dates from the 1870's. Since then herbaceous perennials have been extensively planted. Today, streams, bordered by sealed pathways, meander throughout the valley. The daffodils, meconopsis, camellias, cherry blossom and magnolias announce early spring. The rhododendron collection includes large beds of R. yunnanense, R. decorum and R. spinuliferum all grown from seed gathered in the wilds of the Yunnan Province in China. In November the streams and ponds are lush with gunneras, hostas, irises and candelabra primulas. Native ferns, astelias and Chatham Island forget-me-nots also edge the streams. Peonies, daylilies and ajuga groundcover add to the colour as summer progresses. The deciduous foliage provides brilliant autumn colour from the weeping maples to the oaks, twisty willows and silver birches shading the picnic tables. Then winter brings the hellebores into flower. Most of the plants in the park are named. Stout walking shoes recommended.

Dolamore Park Scenic Reserve, Gore
Dolamore Park is named in honour of the Dolamore family whose gift allowed the camping area to be developed. The Gore Borough Council originally bought the land in 1940 to establish a public picnic area and provide access into the adjacent Croydon Bush Scenic Reserve in order to maintain it as a wildlife sanctuary. Walking tracks enable visitors to view the native birdlife, such as wood pigeons, fantails, bellbirds and tui especially in spring when the kowhai and flax flower. This native forested area forms a green backdrop for the park and is the largest lowland broadleaf Podocarp forest in the region, featuring substantial stands of southern rata and rimu, totara and matai over 500 years old. The Waimumu Stream and Whisky Creek running through the park are home to trout, eels, crayfish, ducks, geese and native shags, herons and kingfishers. Extensive lawns are bordered by stonewall terracing. In spring the mature rhododendrons feature, followed by the red rata flowers in summer. Fine selections of conifers can be seen in the Bert Newman Arboretum and the Ian Gilchrist Conifer Collection. The park includes a children's playground and is popular for picnics, parties, barbecues and camping. A country music festival is held here each February. An Education Centre is open by appointment, displaying interactive information, which shows the balance of biodiversity in native forests. Stout walking shoes recommended.

Gore Public Gardens
The land was originally set aside in 1874, but not laid out until 1906 by David Tannock of Dunedin. The present design is based on this historic layout and incorporates many mature trees such as the gigantic Wellingtonia and horizontal elms planted at that time. Among the exotic trees and shrubs are a number of rare and unusual specimens including those in the extensive conifer border. Spring bulbs are accompanied by the camellias, magnolia and enkianthus trees flowering. Then Gore's Rhododendron Festival is held each year in the Gardens in October, complemented by the spring bedding display of annuals. Tree peonies are a feature, the peony border being spectacular in November. This is followed by the roses, modern varieties making an impressive display through the summer months when the eucryphia trees blossom. Further annuals continue into the autumn as the deciduous foliage begins to turn on the maple trees, and enkianthus becomes a bright red and red berries appear on the sorbus trees. Winter features include the witch hazels, which bear yellow flowers on bare branches after the yellow autumn foliage drops. Hawthorns (Crataegus) produce red berries through the winter after the white blossom finishes. The conifer border is also a winter attraction and the Winter Garden complex is open all year. An added feature is the aviary, especially in spring. Stout walking shoes recommended.

Invercargill’s Parks and Gardens

Invercargill abounds with superb parks and gardens, ranging from the peaceful dignity of Anderson Park to the gracious opulence that is Queens Park. For a city of just 50,000 people, they are a treasure that the citizens can be truly proud of.

Each park charms with its own identity!

Whether it be by simply smelling the roses, testing your skill on a golf course, or appreciating the quality of art – take time to explore nature at its most noble and preservation at its proudest …

QUEENS PARK
Without doubt, Queens Park is the grandest of all the city’s parks; encompassing more than 80 hectares, it also offers the visitor the most diverse range of facilities and attractions.

One of the principal entrances to Queens Park is through the elegant Feldwick gates. An ideal way to get your bearings is by wandering along the tree-lined (Silver Birch and English Beech) Coronation Avenue, which leads from the gates, through the centre of the park to the band rotunda and beyond. All points of interest are easily accessed from this stunning walkway.

One of the park’s major attractions is the Southland Museum and Art Gallery. Located adjacent to the Feldwick Gates, the giant pyramid shaped roof is a feature in itself. Be sure to witness the only living relic of the dinosaur era – the tuatara. A successful breeding programme is currently in place at the museum tuatarium. While at the museum, experience a touch of local history – marvel at exhibits of nautical interest including those of early whaling. Don’t miss the unique exhibition of New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands, it includes a spectacular audio-visual presentation.

The Invercargill Visitor Information Centre is located in the museum foyer.

Both the Museum and Visitor Information Centre are open weekdays from 9:00am – 5:00pm; weekends and public holidays from 10:00am – 5:00pm.

Beside the museum is an Observatory. It is open to the public from April to October on Wednesdays from 7:00pm – 9:00pm..

The Queens Park Garden is a mecca for those interested in horticulture. Its numerous botanical attractions provide vibrant displays whatever the season. Among its most prized are the Jessie Calder Gardens, featuring a large collection of old fashioned shrub roses, and the Henry Edginton Rose Garden, which harbours a range of modern roses including bush, standards and climbers. There is an azalea garden and a rhododendron dell – these provide dazzling, long-lasting displays during the early summer months. The all season indoor Winter Garden features lush tropical and flowering indoor plants – an adjoining house exhibits a variety of cacti.

The park’s most recent addition is the Japanese Garden, with its design dating back 1,000 years. It incorporates mountains, a waterfall, a river of pebbles and Japanese lanterns. The large stones placed around it represent either animals or some part of nature.

There are also significant areas of New Zealand native plants, rock and herb gardens. To enhance these majestic grounds, a variety of mature specimen trees and shrubs are located throughout the park.

In 1857 during the initial surveying of Invercargill, Queens Park was originally set aside as a bush reserve. However, at first much of it was let out for grazing, and large plantings of radiate pine and macrocarpas ensued. Today we enjoy those same trees – many plantings are more than 100 years old.

FACILITIES
A network of paths and tracks allow exploration at leisure. For the energetic the four kilometer fitness trail will indeed test your ability.

Queens Park is also popular with children!  There is endless entertainment available for youngsters. The Wonderland Castle is an ideal place to start. Nearby is the bronze Peter Pan Statuary and adjacent to this are the children’s playground and splash pool.

The aviary has an extensive collection of birds and, like the animal enclosures, this is popular with all ages. Wild ducks are present all year round on the pond.

Thanks to the forethought of the early developers Queens Park today boasts a variety of excellent sporting facilities. Among these is the Queens Park Golf Club’s 18 hole golf course – visitors are most welcome. There is also a first class cricket wicket within the park grounds. Other sports catered for include bowls, tennis, squash, hockey, croquet and petanque.

There are two excellent cafés in Queens Park. The Pyramid Café is located in the foyer of the Southland Museum, and the Kiosk is near the children’s playground.

ANDERSON PARK
The gracious Georgian-style mansion and park land was gifted to the city of Invercargill in 1951.

The 24 hectares on show today were originally part of a large block of farmland known as Victoria Park. In 1910, prominent businessman, Robert A Anderson (later Sir Robert) purchased a rather neglected 300 acre block. The 50 acres of native bush on the property had attracted him.

Initially, he developed the property as a sheep farm, but his passion for horticulture soon saw Sir Robert and Lady Anderson planning extensive flower gardens. However, it wasn’t until 1925 that their magnificent homestead was completed. It was built at a cost of approximately $30,000 - roof slates were imported from Bangor, Wales. White plaster interior walls were chosen, in order to hang to advantage Sir Robert’s collection of paintings and etchings.

Maori artifacts were another of his great interests. Genuine carved pieces from the Ngati Tarawhai tribe in Rotorua were used to construct a replica Maori Whare Whakairo (carved house). After a completion of the Whare Whakairo, the family installed a sprung dance floor – informal dances were sometimes held.

R. A. as he was affectionately known, was a generous man and it was his wish upon the couples death, that the residence and grounds, including the block of native bush, be gifted to the city for use as a public park.

The native bush covering most of the park is typical of that which originally covered much of the Southland Plains.

A well defined walking track, suitable for wheelchairs, leads the visitor on a short circuit through its interior. It passes by a variety of vegetation, but the tall trees are primarily kahikatea, rimu, thin-barked totara, matai and miro. The principal canopy tree is the pokaka. However, without doubt the most noted tree on the property is the monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana). It was planted more than 60 years ago, and is located near the car park.

Each spring and summer, the landscape is coloured by thousands of flowering annuals. For the rose lover, two separate gardens have been developed, one of which is a garden of miniature roses.

The spacious grounds also include a children’s playground, and wonderful picnic and wedding area.

The Andersons’ elegant home now houses the Anderson Park Art Gallery Society’s splendid collection of quality New Zealand art. This collection has grown steadily since the Society’s inception in 1951.

Entry to the art gallery is free except during exhibitions, and it is open daily from 1.30pm – 5.00pm. Closed Mondays. Anderson Park is located just 7km north of the city centre. Entry is off McIvor Road, which runs off North Road (SH6).

OTEPUNI GARDENS
Popular shaded pathways, winding along the banks of the Otepuni Stream make a refreshing break from the hustle and bustle of the city’s commercial centre.

Otepuni Gardens once claimed the role as the main city park, complete with nursery, display houses and aviaries, but that is a by-gone era – and gone too are most of those features; however, their charm and beauty remain. The spacious 9.4 hectares, encompassing four city blocks, are an important central landmark, and joggers and cyclists take advantage of the sense of seclusion the gardens offer.

The Puni Creek, as it is commonly known, was straightened from its original course, to allow for drainage, and town planning. Several years ago, major flood protection work necessitated the construction of stop banks; this enhanced the Otepuni Gardens, and today they continue to provide a peaceful sanctuary for city workers, shoppers and local residents.

For further information contact:

Sandy Point – Invercargill’s Natural Playground

Origins
In geological terms, Sandy Point is very young. The peninsula of sand, gravel and water-borne silt probably appeared some 4,000-5,000 years ago when sea levels were higher.

Old gravel storm beaches and ancient sand dunes are the main landscape features, forming low parallel ridges. Lagoons that once occupied the troughs between ridges have mostly disappeared. The largest remaining lagoon (and only source of fresh water) is Silver Lagoon.

A rich human history
Long before the site of Invercargill was developed, the rich natural resources of Sandy Point supported an important Maori settlement/kainga called Oue. The arrival of sealers and whalers brought change, although the whaling station established there in 1836 was short-lived.

Owen McShane was Sandy Point’s first European settler. While Maori valued the once abundant groves of cabbage tree/ti kouka for food and clothing, McShane became notorious for the rum he distilled from its roots.

Whalers became farmers. By the 1880’s, over-grazing, fire and the liberation of rabbits had created serious erosion problems. Forestry replaced farming and dune planting programmes eventually stabilized the shifting sand.

Until 1929, the estuary was Sandy Point’s only highway. Today, Sandy Point is a ten minute drive from Invercargill – an outstanding natural playground (over 2,000 hectares) of beach, river, estuary and forest. It is managed as a recreation reserve by the Invercargill City Council and is home to some 25 clubs and sporting organizations.

Forest – native and plantation

Sandy Point’s ancient sand dune forest of wind-sculpted totara and matai is rare and nationally important. Totara remains dominant, despite some milling at Daffodil Bay and Kilmock Bush in the 1880’s. Other native podocarps include rimu, miro and kahikatea.

Native forest walks reveal a rich wildlife community from the shaded, ferny floor upwards. By contrast, the open pine plantations seem lifeless and better suited to recreational pursuits like mountain-biking. Yet these forests also support wildlife, particularly on their outer edges.

Estuary and Wetland
The estuarine mudflats and salt marshes which fringe the Oreti River are also home to prolific plant and animal life. At least 15 different fish species have been recorded. For some, like eels/tuna, glaxiids (which include whitebait) and sea-run trout, the estuary is part of a migration route. For several flounder species, its sheltered waters provide a commercially important nursery.

Abundant food attracts large numbers of birds, including migratory waders and waterfowl. This wildlife diversity extends inland to Sandy Point’s freshwater lagoons and flooded gravel pits, providing a drawcard for fishermen, birdwatchers, photographers and educational groups.

The New River Estuary is part of the Awarua Wetlands, one of the largest wetland complexes in New Zealand and proposed as a Wetland of International Importance.

Exploring on foot
A 13.5km network of well-formed, signed walking tracks makes it easy to explore Sandy Point on foot. Some of the more popular tracks are introduced below.

Hatch’s Hill Lookout (5 minutes one way)
The track is signed at the turn-off to Noki Kaik Beach. The lookout provides panoramic views across the New River Estuary to Invercargill and south to Bluff and Stewart Island. The track continues to the picnic area at Noki Kaik beach (15 minutes one way).

Daffodil Bay to Hatch’s Hill (45 minutes one way)
The track entrance is signed from the picnic area. It combines good estuary views with the unusual totara-matai forest so characteristic of this area.

McShane’s Track (25 minutes return)
The track starts opposite the settlement at Cooper’s Creek and passes through an attractive remnant of native forest. At the Loop Road, cross the traffic barrier and turn left to return to Cooper’s Creek.

Kilmock Bush (30 minutes return)
This loop walk starts from Fosbender Park. It is a gently undulating track through a carpet of bush lily/astelia and hound’s tongue fern/kowaowao, beneath gnarled totara trees.

Petrie’s Track(20 minutes one way)
A popular, open walk through pine plantation to Daffodil Bay. The track is signed off the Daffodial Bay Road, some 500m beyond the Water Ski and Runabout Club.

Location
Sandy Point is 7km west of Invercargill. The Dunns Road bridge over the Oreti River marks the entrance to the recreation reserve. Directions to the various recreation facilities are signposted off Dunns Road and also displayed outside the Visitor Centre on Sandy Point Road.

 Picnic Sites
Large groups are encouraged to book picnic sites through the Parks Division Office. Use gas barbeques only.

Contact the Parks Division
for further information on recreational opportunities and features of natural and historic interest