Bushtown Waimate’s open day draws a crowd
Organisers were pleased with the turn-out for Bushtown Waimate’s open day on Saturday despite the weather.
Committee secretary Ann Dennison said they had good support from the community, with participants travelling from Ō amaru, Timaru and Palmerston.
Dennison said they decided to hold the open day as an opportunity to show off the site after the annual Steam Up Day was cancelled due to Covid-19 related impacts.
She said there would have been about 200 visitors, and 40 participants and volunteers.
‘‘It was a boggy old day, but everyone had a smile on their face.’’
Bushtown is a historic village spread over 7 hectares that pays tribute to the bush and milling history of the area, and includes steam traction engines, a miniature railway, bushman’s huts, a threshing mill and a working steam operated vintage sawmill as well as a bush and a stand of tō tara.
More than 20,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted at the site by members of the Waimate community, schools, organisations and other supporters of the heritage site.
The open day also featured offerings and historical curios from the South Canterbury Traction Engine and Vintage Steam Club, and the East Otago Vintage Club.
Dennison said the children who attended were ‘‘mesmerised by the sawmills, steam engines and the stories of the bushmen.’’
Bushtown works very closely with local schools, with all of them having been to the site with their teachers as well as having a hand in planting native trees, she said.
The committee hopes to run the Steam Up Day in March 2023, at the same time as they host the two-day New Zealand Axeman South Island Wood Chopping competition.
Next year also marks 20 years since planning started for Bushtown.