Durable rescued kauri gets new digs
When Crosby Grieve rescued a kauri sapling from certain destruction at Gore’s landfill 47 years ago, he had no idea he was creating an enduring legacy.
This week the Gore District Council, which eventually ended up owning the section the kauri was on, paid $7000 to have the tree removed to Dolamore Park, so the land could be developed as a stormwater infiltration basin.
The story behind Gore’s only kauri dates from when Candice and Crosby Grieve moved to the Southland town in 1975. Crosby was taking rubbish from their new home to the dump just as a truck from a nursery was leaving.
‘‘He found some shrubs that had been dumped and thought they looked all right, so he grabbed a backload. We prefer to say he rescued them,’’ Candice laughed.
‘‘When he got home he discovered one was a kauri. It was a bit crooked and unhappy looking, but we planted it in what was our backyard.’’
Kauri generally don’t grow in Southland, but this one thrived, she said.
‘‘We were just amazed that it did so well, but it was planted with love and talked to every now and again. A few years later when we heard they put a covenant on it, we had a bit of a giggle.’’
The kauri is listed on the District Plan significant tree register as a ‘rare specimen in Southland worthy of protection’, and it could not be cut down.
The Grieves have since moved, but the kauri became a complication for buyers of the section, on a prime spot near the centre of Gore, she said.
‘‘There was apparently going to be a childcare centre there, but the tree proved a bit of a headache, and a builder wanted to develop it, but he had the same problem.’’
When the council decided the tree had to be moved, Three Waters project engineer Aaron Green said the council sought specialist advice about the best option for the kauri.
‘‘We wanted to know if we could save the kauri, given the threat the species is facing from kauri dieback in the North Island,’’ he said.
Parks manager Keith McRobie said the trickiest part of the operation was delicately placing the tree on the flat deck without damaging it.
The tree’s removal started with an excavator digging a circle outside its drip line – the area under the outer circumference of the branches.
Two excavators and a crane were then employed to scoop up the kauri and place it on the transporter.
‘‘We wrapped carpet around part of the trunk to protect the tree’s soft bark.’’
The tree has gone to Dolamore Park in the Hokonui Hills. It is in a more sheltered spot, which should allow it to flourish, McRobie said.
And the Grieves are thrilled the tree has found a new home.
‘‘When the family come down to visit we’re going to go and have a picnic under our tree,’’ Candice said.