Selwyn Times: October 03, 2017

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday October 3 2017 7
News
THEN AND NOW:
A team of volunteers
helped Early Valley
Rd residents Ken and
Denise McKenzie
replant their property,
which was badly burnt
in the Port Hills fires.
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER ​
Volunteers replant after fire damage
MORE THAN 60 people pitched
in on Saturday to help a couple
whose property was devastated
in the Port Hills fires.
They volunteered their time to
plant about 1000 native seedlings
on Ken and Denise McKenzie’s
Early Valley Rd farm.
The house was saved during
the fires by helicopters dousing
it with monsoon buckets, but the
land was left badly damaged.
The couple’s plantings of native
trees, some which were 25 years
old, were burnt in the fires.
Mr McKenzie said he was left
touched by the work volunteers
had put in. He and his wife never
would have achieved what the
volunteers did in a morning, he
said.
“It was amazing,” he said.
The event was organised by Te
Ara Kākāriki Greenway Canterbury
Trust coordinator Elizabeth
Guthrey.
About 40 volunteers were
registered with the trust while
another 20 associated with the
farm helped on the day.
Mr McKenzie described it as
a wave of planting that moved
across the hill.
The couple had planned to
divide their farm before the fires,
with two thirds for grazing and
one third native habitat.
When Mrs McKenzie’s first
plantings matured enough to
produce seed, she had collected
and potted the seed to plant in
other parts of their farm.
Many of the plants she had
sprouted herself burned to the
ground.
The trust has now written
a restoration plan for the Mc-
Kenzie’s property and plans to
continue helping them by contributing
more volunteers and
funds in the future. The trust is
planning to plant again at the
farm in August next year.
For more information on
the Te Ara Kākāriki Greenway
Canterbury Trust go to www.
kakariki.org.nz
CELEBRATION: More than 60 volunteers helped to replant
about 1000 seedlings on Saturday.
“I’M SO GLAD WE
MADE THE MOVE
WHEN WE DID.”
See Enid & Neville’s story at summerset.co.nz
“So many leave it too late and miss out.”
Enid and Neville have lived at their
As Enid says, “We settled in beautifully,
Summerset retirement village apartment enjoying all the facilities, regular activities
for over five years.
and being close to friends.”
Neville had suffered ill-health for some Neville’s advice is, “Once you make the
time and wanted to know that Enid would decision to do it, do it.”
be safe and well looked after should
anything happen to him.
Come and see why we
love the life at Summerset
Morning Tea & Tour
Wednesday 4 October, 10am
Summerset at Wigram
135 Awatea Road, Christchurch
Contact Anne Walker
on 03 741 0872 or 022 639 2341
wigram.sales@summerset.co.nz
Love the life
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