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Stop 1 - Mature Permaculture, Coastal Road Barrytown
Starting on bare river shingle and building an octagon shaped house, Larry and Dianne Wehner have used hard work, increasing knowledge and their engineering skills to create a mature productive permaculture property, nestled close to the abundant rata forest of the coastal Paparoa Ranges.
Seeing Is Believing!
Stop 2 - Wasabi Enterprise, Barrytown Flats
Springwater flowing strongly through course old gravels provides a natural resource for Alan and Nola Weir's sizable Wasabi operation.
It was a steep learning curve, but now they have mastered the growing and marketing of this prized and strongly flavored culinary condiment.
The tuber is processed into a paste. Dare To Taste!
Stop 3 - Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki
No visit to the West Coast would be complete, without a stopover at our premier tourist attraction set in the heart of the Paparoa National Park. Dense coastal shrubland and nikau forest gives way to windswept flax and sea views, all safely seen from the Department of Conservation’s impressive and newly upgraded walkway.
Expose your Cameras!
Lunchstop - Charleston
Surrounded by historic gold mining areas and limestone escarpments of the Paparoas is the rustic and friendly Charleston Hall.
Lunch was provided by the local community's "Little Blue Penquin Protection Group", with proceeds going towards stoat and other predator control.
Spare a thought for those who serve us - embarking upon an urgent Management Committee meeting, left in photo below.
Stop 4 - Special Natives, Cape Foulwind
We passed across ancient coastal dunes and gold workings now being extensively developed for dairying to a green and multicoloured propagation native nursery.
A Real Oasis.
Stop 5 - Development Horticulture, Westport South
In sight of the Buller River, Murray and Tui Dellaca have realised their dream of creating a lifestyle ideal, through a series of horticulture and residential developments - turning former gorse and swampy sites into attractive and productive landscapes.
Philosophers At Work!
A progressive dinner around Westport commenced with a noisy re-uniting at the Miner's Brewery for a brief look and taste. It concluded at the Westport Motor Hotel with the traditionally riotous Tree Auction, which was most competently conducted for the benefit of branch funding.
Text - adapted from the extensive tour notes provided and considered opinions expressed along the way
Photos - Les Gruebner and Gail Newcomb
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Created: 2005 May 29 - Updated: 2007 August 10