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Our guides for the tour were local councillor and valley resident Annette Main and long-time seed gathering guru Kay Baxter. They provided an ample commentary as our tour bus left the main highways to travel a road getting progressively steeper, narrower and slower. After a winding climb through an invasion of pine plantation, we arrived at the hilltop pass Aramoana Lookout. Here we caught our first sight of the Wanganui river valley.
A wandering ribbon, this erratic strip of valley land containing the Wanganui River looked serene from the distance of a precarious roadside lookout. The marks of humanity below seemed minor in the vastness of the rugged landscape. Yep, our big tour bus was heading towards that little road way down there...
Our guides related amazing stories as our bus progressed carefully down the narrow winding road. We soon began to notice signs of an all-but-forgotten period of intense history. Old trees foreign to patches of reverting wilderness told a story that the rare crumbled remains of buildings only hinted at. Indeed, the opening of this road in 1937 was synonymous with the declining importance of the life-sustaining river, whose surface until then had provided the sole means of travel and transport.
Boats from canoes to paddle steamers once navigated these shallow waters. Our guides pointed out remnants of rock walls in the river bed which helped deepen faster-flowing sections so the bigger steamers didn't ground; holes in the steep banks made by the poles of river boatmen thrusting their crafts upstream; old landing places and signs of earlier human settlements. And stories of one thing the river still does consistently - flood. These occurrences test the fortitude of present residents a few times every year, with an unexpected night slept in your car marooned on a washed-out road being a not uncommon end to the daily commute to work.
A small stand of redwoods marked our first tree stop, at Donald Wickham's orchard. These are soon to be harvested, but are alleged to be of low timber value. The poor quality from a single seed source was claimed to be typical of the species in New Zealand. Comment was sought on this opinion. Perhaps because the New Zealand climate grows trees fast, conifers in general tend to provide softer timber than from traditional climates. (Hardwoods grown faster, conversely, tend to produce a better quality timber.)
"The Wickham family has owned land in this part of the valley for nearly 100 years. The large property was established as a livestock operation based on pastures established after the bush was cleared from the land. In recent decades the difficulties caused by falling returns and the continuing battle against scrub and gorse caused Donald to look at other options to maintain the income from the property. Fifteen years ago the decision was taken to establish a nashi and avocado orchard on some of the narrow flats between the road and the river. As well as planting the orchard the decision was made to plant large areas in pines with the result that today there are approximately 500 acres in Pinus radiata of varying ages."
Avocados grow well on the mainly papa pumice soil from relatively recent volcanic eruptions. Some concern was expressed at the use of unrotted pine mulch around many trees, to help satisfy the trees' surface-feeding roots. This is common practice in major avocado growing areas such as the coastal Bay of Plenty, although the mulch used there may have a much higher bark content.
"The predominant avocado variety is Haas with lesser numbers of Zantano planted as pollinators. Small plantings of Reid and Hay have also been made to evaluate their performance. The southern situation of the orchard results in a later harvest than in the north. This enables Donald to delay picking until the price starts to lift towards the end of the northern harvest."
In this instance, a substantial ditch divided the flatland between road and river to assist drainage and so reduce the risk of problems like phytophthora damaging the trees. The ditch also acts as a moat; with trees of possibly sacrificial fruit planted between it and the road, it helps dissuade travelers from sampling the main crop. Despite best efforts at drainage, some trees near the ditch were suffering, perhaps from localised wet conditions.
An avocado cropping well, despite foliar indicators not being ideal...
A transverse line of Cryptomeria japonica shelter trees provided protection from valley winds.
"The four hectares of orchard are split between nashi and avocados. In hindsight Donald believes that the nashi and avocado blocks should be swapped about to give the avocados the benefit of the better-drained areas."
Returning alongside the ditch, we remarked on the vigour of the nashi rows. There was irrigation under the trees, thought to have been used during their establishment.
"All of the recognised nashi cultivars were included in the planting but experience in selling the fruit has shown a decided market preference for the Hosui variety. This relegates the less popular varieties to act as pollinators. All the fruit is sold within New Zealand."
"Problems include starlings attacking the nashi and phytophera infecting the avocados. The incidence of phytophera has been directly linked to the effectiveness of the peripheral drain to the orchard. Regular drain clearing and the use of foliarfos are expected to control the disease."
Unfortunately, the farmer/orchardists were not present to comment on their substantial efforts. To have the sense and courage to plant trees on arable land, dealing with the river and isolation has made this orchard a world in its own right; some of the magic of the River Tour. With changing times and changing rules, we get real pioneers again - tree croppers, in deed.
(Quoted "commentary" is from the Field Trip Notes)
Editor - Les Gruebner
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Created: 5/June/2002 - Updated: 2004 September 05