Willowridge usually specialises in residential subdivisions in Central Otago. However with the purchase of a very special coastal piece of land just 15 minutes north of Dunedin, it may well offer some very desireable coastal sites at some future time.
The land is called "Opeke" and it is situated at Doctors Point overlooking the beautiful Blueskin Bay. Its total area is only 30 acres.
Landscape architects, Isthmus Group, has been retained to investigate the land's suitability for a small eco-boutique subdivision. If the decision is made to proceed, it will go through the resource consent process at some stage in the future.
Land clearing and native revegetation programmes are now underway to enhance and protect this very interesting and beautiful piece of land.
ADDENDUM
Please check out the "Progress Report to Date" from Allan Dippie in the comments. This is the text of a letter received in the mail this weekend.
2 comments:
What do we think?
Click the Following Links for some pictures.
BEFORE - June 2001 From White Rd
AFTER - November 2005 From White Rd
AFTER - November 2005 From Up the Hill
OPEKE
7th December 2005
Progress Report to Date
To: Interested Doctors Point Residents
From: Allan Dippie
We have been working at Opeke for the best part of 3 months now so I thought you may be interested in a progress report and also our objectives for 2006.
As you have seen, our first job was to clear the gorse as promised and this, as we knew, would be a big job however its gone pretty well, with almost all gorse now gone and 90% of the site cultivated and we have managed to undercut the established roots and turn over the soil. We have been fairly thorough with the gorse and we will continue to manage any regrowth with continued cultivation which will ultimately work up a good seed bed before turning the land back into permanent pasture in spring 2006. Using twelve months to gain better control of the gorse will ultimately save years in the long term.
Burning the windrows started well but we suffered from a lack of wind blowing the right way on the afternoon of the second day so once again my apologies to anyone adversely affected by all that smoke.
Whilst we have been in the process of clearing gorse we have also been starting to improve the two main pockets of native vegetation that have survived on the site despite the uncontrolled cattle grazing and also pressure from gorse and other invading species over the years. Our main job here has been to remove Sycamore, Hawthorn and gorse by hand from the valuable native bush.
Our next job has been to start to remove the Pine trees rows. We have also removed most of the overgrown Pines throughout the site and also some of the Macrocarpas, however have left most of the younger Macrocarpas as well as and several larger ones for nesting sites. I know a lot of people who have never had views of the Bay are very pleased with this work and those that have rung to express their appreciation - thank you.
All this work, both gorse and pine tree clearing, is the first step towards our native revegetation plan for Opeke. Some of you will have seen this plan but for those who have not a copy is enclosed.
It is quite an ambitious plan but with commitment is very achievable, with the aim being to re-establish a coastal native margin and also include the roadside edge and gullies on the site in that revegetation. Our aim is to also establish a coastal walkway circuit throughout the natives, starting neck of Opeke and extending around to the Cove and then back up through the main gully to the existing entrance ... a round walking trip of about 30 minutes which could be quite outstanding. If the property is ever subdivided in the future a reserve coastal strip would vest in the Council and this part of the track become public land.
Whilst all this work has been going on the two specialist consultants I have employed have been starting on some initial work. Mitchell Environmental Consultants who are resource management specialists have been talking with the Dunedin City Council about the site and have found various departments the Council to be very helpful. They are also supportive of the coastal walkway idea. I have also employed Isthmus Group who are a firm of landscape architects who have done a lot of really outstanding and award winning eco-coastal work. Isthmus have visited the site twice now, once before it was cleared, and again in the last few weeks. Their brief is to access the suitability of the site for a limited scale but high quality residential use based on eco principals. They have not got back to me with any ideas as yet but it will be interesting to see what they do come up with in due course.
We have received a lot of interest and positive comments about what we have been doing over the last couple of months. We have also received negative comments about our work to date from some people that are highly and perhaps overly suspicious of us and would really rather we were not there at all. We don't mind that either or get offended in any way ... so thank you for all your feedback to date.
We will also be actively seeking your feedback in the future too, as we evolve a plan for the sustainable future of Opeke. I am sure we will be able to surprise even our toughest critics about what can be achieved. In the meantime I would like to inform you of what our priorities are over the next 12 months.
On site objectives for 2006
Briefly these are:
1. Final cleanup of the site.
Involves - Removing remaining unwanted vegetation.
- Clearing remaining waste material.
- Chipper to recycle tree debris into woodchips
- Firewood removal
* Opeke has plenty of free firewood available for local residents however we have put a temporary stop to firewood gathering and cutting a present. The reasons ... OSH if anyone has an accident and the second reason it is quite noisy and we figure we are making enough noise anyway from our near neighbours’ point of view.
The best way for locals to get firewood seems to be for us to hold some managed open firewood days in the first quarter of 2006, so you can get your wood safety and in time for it to be seasoned for winter .... more information about this will follow. We are also interested in delivery of split wood to any elderly locals who can't cut their own wood but would appreciate a free load or two … please contact me or even your leads about who these people might be. There is also a potential local fundraiser available with the wood, so if you would like to be involved in that and wish to nominate a good cause, again contact us.
2. Building.
- A traditional barn to store equipment, situated behind Miss Simpson's original residence.
- This is to be of recessive colour and the floor slab excavated into the bank to reduce height.
- Surrounded by native replanting.
3. Re-establish original boat shed at Cove.
- On original piles.
- Traditional weatherboard construction.
4. Native revegetation Plan (See enclosed).
Involves:
- Restoring existing native revegetation.
- Preparing native revegetation areas.
- Water course works.
- Establishing walkways throughout native bush.
- Large scale re-planting programme.
- Managing regrowth of unwanted species.
5. Fencing and tracks and pasture.
Involves:
- Fencing off native revegetation areas. * 1.
- Establishing vehicle access ways around the site.
- Establishing individual paddocks and pasture.
- Introducing stock to maintain pasture. *2.
* 1. We are bringing a portable sawmill to the site in early 2006 to mill the macrocarpa logs we have recovered. This timber will be milled in to posts and rails for natural post and rail fences which will be used throughout the site. This particular fencing style is very attractive.
* 2. 30 acres even with a percentage in natives is too big to mow so we are thinking about stock and what type. Sheep or cattle would be obvious but hard to bring in and out, for example sheep need shearing .... I am scared of goats in case they got into the new natives! I am reading about Alpacas ……..?
So as you can see plenty to go on with but we should achieve most of the above within the next twelve months. It is our little pet project if you like and we are truly becoming very fond of Opeke. Thank you too, to all the locals who have made us and our staff feel so welcome. Ron Muir who now loves Doctors Point so much he is practically living all the time at the cottage on site has made an outstanding contribution with his thorough and tenacious work and has basically achieved everything to date single handedly .... amazing what you can do with a few old machines. Ron has now been joined by Grant Williams and they seem to be working away well together and are as happy as tin soldiers marching. Ron is also making a video of the whole restoration process.
Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We will report on further progress in 2006.
Best Wishes,
Allan Dippie
Willowridge Developments Limited
Contact Details:
Allan Dippie;
Cel: (0274) 334-128
Fax: (03) 474-0800
Email: allan@willowridge.co.nz
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