katrina_muir's Journal

From Akaroa, find Long Bay Road and drive 7 km up it to the Summit Road junction known as the 'Cabstand'. Turn onto Hickory Bay Road and travel 1 km to the signposted car park.

From the carpark walk down the road for 5 minutes to pick up the start of the track. The track start is marked with a DOC sign.

This reserve is the northeastern limit of beech trees on Banks Peninsula. There are good views from the lookout at the top. There's a good contrast between wetter and drier faces, and many of the rocky bluffs are home to many interesting herbs.

From the DOC sign on Hickory Bay Road, the track climbs through snow tussock and scrub up to the Hickory Bay ridge. It then goes along the ridge to a rocky outlook on a 12 m bluff near the centre of the reserve.

The lookout offers stunning views of the surrounding area. The track then drops down to the Hickory Bay ridge through beautiful beech forest to meet with Hickory Bay Road, with a short walk back to the beginning.

The top of the track is exposed and can be affected by bad weather. For example, strong winds and low cloud. Stay to the marked track.
Parts of the track cross exposed rocks and steep sections.
Fires are not allowed in the reserve.
There is no toilet located here – the nearest public toilet is in Akaroa village or at the Otepatotu Reserve. This reserve is 7.5 km along the Summit Road.

• from the DOC website

A very nice walk, a little scary on top of the rock outcrop but worth it to see the view and native plants. I would have liked to spent more time but I had one impatient companion.

From the Christchurch City Libraries website-

Ōnawe Pa
At the shallow head of the harbour between Barry’s Bay and Duvauchelle lies the once fortified Ngāi Tahu pā, Ōnawe.

1831 invasion
The distinctive whale-shaped peninsula that juts out into the water was the site of a bloody massacre when it was invaded by the Ngāti Toa chief, Te Rauparaha in 1832 following the sacking of Kaiapoi in 1831. Situated on a peninsula the pā was surrounded by the sea at high tide. It could easily be seen from the surrounding shores, and it was on both sides of the peninsula that Te Rauparaha would establish his Ngāti Toa (Barry’s Bay) and Ngāti Awa (Head of the Bay) warriors prior to the battle.

Many Ngāi Tahu had sought refuge at Ōnawe after the decimations further north.

Defences
The pā had 3 defensive areas: an outer wall at the neck and two main citadels higher up the crest. This formed the main defensive area defended by ditch, bank and palisade. Two long protected trenches ran to springs on the western side of the pā for water supply, with canoes also utilised to store additional water.

The pā was well provisioned with many whata (storehouses) and rua (storage pits) to withstand a siege. There were 400 warriors and numerous women and children protected there.

Tāngatahara’s strategy
Tāngatahara was in command of the Ngāi Tahu defenders in the fortified pā. A full-on attack was unlikely, yet Tāngatahara decided to lead a surprise assault against the Ngāti Awa warriors in their encampment. The assault was foiled when sentinels on the hills above gave the alarm to Ngāti Toa. Now under attack himself, Tāngatahara was forced to retreat.

The Pā attacked
There are conflicting stories about how the Ngāti Toa and Ngāti Awa warriors gained access to the pā itself. Jealousy, trickery and incompetent leadership have been suggested as reasons. There was disorder and mayhem after the retreat, and the northern warriors gained access to the pā and the killing began.

The Aftermath
Few Ngāi Tahu survived the day, only the young and strong were taken for slavery, the rest were slain on the flax flats at Barry’s Bay and the Head of the Bay. Te Rauparaha returned to Kapiti with the captives. On the way one of the boats stopped at Gough’s Bay for repairs and it was here that Tāngatahara made his escape by diving into the sea and fleeing into the bush.

When Ngāi Tahu taua (war parties) under Taiaroa were organised for the next fighting season in 1833, Tāngatahara would go with them to oust Te Rauparaha from his encampments in the north.

Ōnawe Peninsula is the eroded heart of Akaroa Shield Volcano that erupted between 9 and 8 million years ago.

https://www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz/news/restoring-the-plants-on-the-plains/

From the Ashburton District Council website-

The Harris Scientific Reserve, is a Council own conservation plots which is managed by the Ashburton Community Conservation Trust (ACCT). The ACCT was set up by Forest and Bird Ashburton to help foster conservation initiative at the grassroots. The Scientific Reserve is 10 kilometers from Ashburton town, protects the remnant of Canterbury dry-land plain tree such Manuka, Kanuka, cabbage, flaxes, Coprosma sp..

Arthur and Shirley Harris purchased a 121.4 h of land in 1964 for their agricultural venture. Because there was no shelter, they decided to fence the 2.5 h of the best Kanuka and the section as a shelter. The original paddock of 16.3 h was still in Kanuka of variable sizes, which are cut and used as firewood source. In 1965, Arthur and Shirley Harris asked the District Council to push any remaining stumps of kanuka into windrows with a road grader. These were burned, land ploughed and converted into pasture. In 1988, Dr Brian Molloy negotiated with the Harris family to create a Queen Elizabeth II Tryst covenant over the 2.4 has used as shelter with kanukas on the perimeter. On assessment, Arthur and Shirley discovered a native Clemantis in full bloom climbing along the Kanuka. The importance of this site increased considerably when it was discovered that this species in undescribed, adapted in both dry and cold environments and characterized by its small stature, with very small leaves, flowers and seed capsules, said Dr Molloy.

The site was later purchased by the Ashburton District Council. In 2006, after a visit to the site with then Mayor, Bede O’Malley, Forest and Bird wrote to the Council suggesting that the covenant be administered by the a trust set up by Forest and Bird Ashburton. They also suggested that the paddock between the covenant and Lovetts road be included as a larger size to ensure a greater survival of the natives, and of regaining the community associated with the Kanuka plants. In august 2006, Forest and Bird members propagated 120 seedlings of Kanuka which were planted on the site. Planting continued in 2009/2010 with 1200 kanuka, Coprosma sp., Muehlenbeckia sp., Melicytus sp. with two planting days that attracted over 60 members of the public. In 2010, F&B set up the Ashburton Community Conservation Trust (ACCT) to administer the reserve and a license to occupy was issued to the ACCT by the council in an official opening ceremony on 18th 2010.

In the same year, the Scientific Reserve was selected by Gordon Hosking and the Trust as one of the 17 living legends projects associated with Rugby World Cup, supported by Meridian Energy, Department of Conservation and the Tindall Foundation. Ten thousand native trees were planted at each site in association with All Blacks and living legend chose for Harris Sci. Res was Jock Ross. The living legend also provided fund for purchase of three plastic tanks and small pump for easy watering when needed. Another 2000 kanuka propagated at the DOC Motukara nursery were planted in 2011.

Since then, over 50,000 natives have been planted at the reserve. HSR has become a place where rare plants from the Ashburton District are safe to grow, eventually to recreate the dry shrubland ecosystem that was once so common. It has provided a haven for insects, lizards and birds that cannot exist on farmland, became an educational resource for students and the district’s children, and seed source for restoration projects and private nurseries. Already the reserve has been visited by a garden club and used by a horticulture student as a resource. Planting is a minor part of managing the site. Hundreds of volunteer hours go into propagation, preparation of sites, weeding, rematting, spraying and general maintenance.

https://natlib.govt.nz/records/36164136

https://www.guardianonline.co.nz/farming/museum-of-plants/

https://youtu.be/L2T__e21Vkg?si=xMOAzL9Rp9LBTinp