New Zealand Bamboo Society
Annual conference and AGM at Wellington, and Makara 25th-26th March 2006
On Saturday morning the director of the Otari-Wilton's Bush Reserve gave us a guided tour of a part of the native forest reserve to enjoy and admire old rimu trees, numerous other natives, and several rare specimen trees.
Lunch was in the Wellington Botanic Gardens, followed by a visit to the Begonia House. Then we were taken on a tour of the gardens to inspect several bamboos and offer our advice.
In the evening we enjoyed a Chinese Banquet at the Regal Chinese Restaurant, along with several members of the Wellington Chinese Association who are planning a major Chinese Garden to be created on the waterfront attached to Te Papa as part of the Scaffers Park redevelopment. There was not much interchange of bamboo information as the restaurant was alive with the loud sounds of karaoke! However the food was delicious. :-)
On Sunday morning we followed a 'Wellington' road (narrow, winding, and perched halfway up a steep hillside!) to Makara, at the southwest tip of the North Island. Our welcome from Jack & Jill Fenaughty was warm; our admiration for what they were achieving unstinted; the memory unforgetable. Jack works on fishing boats in antarctic waters, so conditions and terrain that would daunt those of us used to frost-free and equable climates were quite 'normal' for him. They have tamed some very steep country by planting Moso bamboo (Ph. pubescens) amongst the regenerating bush. They have even found that where gorse regrowth is a problem they can spray it without damaging the Moso. We went for a walk. Wow! Then enjoyed a plant auction, our AGM, and lunch. Thank you Jack & Jill! :-)
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