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The big tree by New WorldIs the Californian Big Tree (Sequoiadendrum Giganteum), amongst other names, by New World, the ...
30/08/2026

The big tree by New World

Is the Californian Big Tree (Sequoiadendrum Giganteum), amongst other names, by New World, the most well-known tree in Masterton.

It must have welcomed thousands of residents and visitors to the northern end of Queen Street.

Our kids used to call it the "Midnight cat tree" because a mum and here litter were living under it.

I have found a number of photographs that have the big tree in them. Most are from the 1960s but it looks like one from the 1930s has the tree in it. They are all from Wairarapa Archive.

The photo's are also interesting due to the changing businesses and vegetation on that part of Queen Street.

The other photo's were taken yesterday and show what is currently happening around the big tree.

The trees are telling us something
30/08/2026

The trees are telling us something

Many views of the Hidden Lakes Te Tirohanga o Hinetearorangi ki te motu ki a Kapiti Tirohanga Bruces LakesThe Hidden Lak...
26/08/2026

Many views of the Hidden Lakes

Te Tirohanga o Hinetearorangi ki te motu ki a Kapiti
Tirohanga
Bruces Lakes
The Hidden Lakes

Rerenga is the name of the cliff that you can see from State Highway 2.

Tamiti is the point that stands out by itself.

Maybe a bit confusing but Tirohanga is the Maori name of Days Hill or the hill above Double Bridges and also the shortened version for the ancestral name of Hidden Lakes.

Whatever they are known as they are one place where I feel anyone who gets to visit them is fortunate.

Being one who has been favored to gaze upon the lakes what must now count as many times, I never tire of seeing familiar views and there is always a new spot or scene to discover.

Recent regular visits through Ruamahanga Restoration Trust, Trev Thompson and owners has brought even more magic.

Here are some favourite photographs that I have taken over the years of different parts and people around the lakes. Unfortunately, an external hard drive with more favourites won't work.

The old sketch is from National Library, the old map and postcards are from Wairarapa Archives, the aerial views from Greater Wellington.

The photo of a cliff bank with red arrows on it is from GNS. This shows an exposure of the Wairarapa Fault from which the big 1855 earthquake occurred and created the Hidden Lakes. The cliff is near the southern foot of the hill on the Ruamahanga River.

Harakeke on the western side of Ouwaka Isn’t the harakeke (flax) doing well on the lower western side of Ouwaka/Lansdown...
25/08/2026

Harakeke on the western side of Ouwaka

Isn’t the harakeke (flax) doing well on the lower western side of Ouwaka/Lansdowne Hill.. A lot of it, along with ti kouka (cabbage trees) and manuka has been planted in the last 10 years.

There is also noticeable amounts of self seeded and bird assisted karamu trees, one of our local nursery trees apparent too.

The following could be a pointer as to why the Harakeke etc are doing well.

“From Kaikokirikiri I proceeded across the plain of Opaki, which is stony, and dry to the Westward, but covered with grass, flax and anise; to the Eastward up the hill called Owaka the ground is wet, and covered principally with flax.

Journey through the 40 Mile Bush.

November 10th 1853”

Yesterday Kenai and I walked from Third Street to to bottom of the hill that goes up to Milford Downs. We purposely looked at how harakeke plantings were doing along the way.

I must say partly because I am aware and partly through seeing but Masterton District Council, contractors and others have and are doing a lot of work right along the Lansdowne walks, actually in reserves and parks around town.

Attached are a few photos from yesterday, a portion of an early map (thanks Shayne Davies), a photo of Lansdowne Lake/Dam and a 1986 photo of Maunsell’s Reserve where people will recognise the small lake.

The photo of Kenai in water is where the Opaki water race becomes the Opaki Stream again.

Douglas Park School at Hidden Lakes.Today and on Tuesday 11 August, two syndicates from Douglas Park School came to Hidd...
25/08/2026

Douglas Park School at Hidden Lakes.

Today and on Tuesday 11 August, two syndicates from Douglas Park School came to Hidden Lakes to plant, learn, have new experiences and adventures.

Teachers Shaun, Ginny, James, teacher aides and parent help did a great job organising, walking beside and getting stuck in with the children. This meant all the trees were planted in good time.

The Ruamahanga Restoration Trust and Trevor Thompson of the QE II Trust worked with DPS.

Thanks to the farm owners for supporting all the work at the lakes.

Today’s adventure was coming out via an old track on the north eastern side of the lake. There were more stunning views from different angles.

The further you go and more you get to explore the more you appreciate just how big the 1855 earthquake, that formed the lakes, must have been and the power it had to create the landforms we see today.

Looking across to Mikimiki, Kiriwhakapapa and up to the top of the valley.Last photo Tawera Maunga on left, Pukaha Maung...
25/08/2026

Looking across to Mikimiki, Kiriwhakapapa and up to the top of the valley.

Last photo Tawera Maunga on left, Pukaha Maunga on right, Ruamahanga Awa coming down through the middle

EnAction at Wairarapa College.The EnAction group at Wairarapa College is a student-led environmental team in Masterton, ...
24/08/2026

EnAction at Wairarapa College.

The EnAction group at Wairarapa College is a student-led environmental team in Masterton, focused on positive eco-friendly changes and sustainability awareness around the school and local community.

School and Community rubbish clean ups, environment and sustainability awareness, clothe swops, stream care, native tree planting and restoration projects are a few examples of EnAction activities and initiatives. Recently they completed an E-DNA test on the Waiwaka Stream.

Today I gave EnAction a hand to plant more grasses and trees along part of the Waiwaka Stream that runs through the college grounds. Despite members not being able to attend due to illness and other commitments we got stuck in.

We added grasses along the stream edge between ones that were put in a few years ago. We also filled in spots with a variety of nursery trees on the northern bank. All to help shade out the stream from direct sunlight to help soil on banks, water in the stream and generally to encourage more life.

We gave a lone totara on higher ground a couple of spaced out friends, hopefully one of these ends up being the opposite s*x to the current one so the boys and girls bits can mingle.

Hopefully they grow but we planted a couple of Waiwaka Trees, after which the stream is named but there is a complete absence of or has been for decades.

We also picked up rubbish did a bit of weeding and cleared some debri from the stream.

Well done student leader Shaughan McGregor and year 13s Demelza and Stephen.

The Ruamahanga Restoration Trust (RRT), Trevor Thompson, Gill Stewart of Enviroschools, Norfolk Road Nursery, Sam Ludden of Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Ahu Collective provided support, planning and advice for today.

A big personal thanks to RRT for giving me the opportunity to work with more schools and our community.

Orua-pouanui/Baring Head area from Wainuiomata along Coast RoadBeing in Wainuiomata over the weekend to see Bailee, Tama...
23/08/2026

Orua-pouanui/Baring Head area from Wainuiomata along Coast Road

Being in Wainuiomata over the weekend to see Bailee, Tama, Joey and dog Pāua I decided to go for a walk.

A cruising 15-20 minute drive south from Wainuiomata brings you to Orua-pouanui/Baring Head car park which gives you access to several tracks. There’s a climb but once at the top you have great views across to the South Island, beaches below and westward to Wellington.

I thought about a few Wairarapa connections to the area.

This stretch of coastline was used for centuries by closely related iwi of Te Whanganui A Tara (Wellington Harbour) and Wairarapa as they walked back and forth.

In 1839 a famous peace agreement was negotiated in the area by rangatira of Te Ati Awa and Wairarapa iwi. That is after a majority of the Wairarapa people had left their homes following conflict. The agreement meant they could come home.

Williams Deans the first European to physically come to Wairarapa did so in 1840 via the coastal route with the help of a Māori guide.

Four years later in 1844 the first sheep were walked, swum and carried around the coast by messrs Clifford, Vavasour, and Bidwill. In 1990 descendants of these men re-enacted the first stock drive.

A bit further to the east of the car park area is Orongorongo Station that was owned by the Riddiford family for generations.

Then Turakirae Head has ‘a globally significant sequence of four major Holocene marine terraces and storm-beach ridges. These landforms record prehistoric and historic co-seismic coastal uplift events driven by major earthquakes along the Wairarapa Fault and Rimutaka Range over the last 7,000 years.’

An extra eye One evening I was getting firewood. To aid vision I had a headlamp on. When I got inside Tawera said he wan...
20/08/2026

An extra eye

One evening I was getting firewood. To aid vision I had a headlamp on. When I got inside Tawera said he wanted an extra eye. So we found him a headlamp.

This made me think of cyclops and that a few of us had recently watched the new Odyssey movie.

I tried to recall whether we have any one eyed giants in local myths and legends. Couldn’t think of any but did come up with maero.

Maero are said to be humanlike but with supernatural powers. They are two metres plus tall, huge muscular bodies, very strong, covered in dark hair, with long fingers ended with sharp dagger like fingernails. Their eyes glow like red embers.

They have cannibalistic tendencies which is perhaps why they live on remote peaks in the Tararua mountains surrounded by mist, hidden in dense forest and steep cliffs.

They are solitary but if any one should wander into their domain beware because they are aggressive and have a taste for raw meat. Perhaps because they don’t like or use fire.

Another angle to Maero is that they were custodians of the lands, forests and waterways who once lived not only on the mountains but in the valleys, the hills and coastal areas. They did not like how newcomers from across the ocean disrespected nature. They became tired of and then angry about man’s ways. So they retreated into the mountainous wilderness to protect the last bastions of the ancients.

If they see humans, especially ones doing silly things, they give them plenty of reason to show respect.

They bring clouds filled with heavy rain, raise flood waters in the flash of an eye, drop the temperature to below freezing or send huge trees, rocks and soil hurtling downwards. All to remind humans not to mess with nature.

Well that finished a bit serious so to end here is Tawera with his extra eye.

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