Join Kathy Lidgard on Te Kurī A Paoa/Young Nick’s Head walk for Alzheimer’s

Kathy Lidgard (left) is the lucky winner of a ticket for the Walk for Alzheimer's – Te Kurī A Paoa/Young Nicks Head fundraiser, to be held on Saturday. Alzheimer's Gisborne-Tairāwhiti manager Tracy Robinson presents Lidgard with her ticket. Tickets are available at Mitre 10 until 4pm on Friday.

Kathy Lidgard will enjoy Saturday.

It is forecast to be a warm, sunny day and Lidgard will be on the Walk for Alzheimers – Te Kurī A Paoa/Young Nicks Head fundraiser, after winning her ticket in an Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairāwhiti competition.

Lidgard was delighted when notified she had won the ticket, which is valued at $100 and includes a gourmet lunch.

Lidgard has always wanted to walk around Te Kurī A Paoa/Nick’s Head Station and having access to the native animals and plants in this ecosystem was an added bonus.

“I don’t know of too many people who have had this chance to see this unique environment that is on our doorstep,” Lidgard said.

Saturday’s walk will offer a unique opportunity to wander through wetlands that resemble Aotearoa in the early years of Māori settlement between 1200 and 1300.

Back then, the land was teeming with tuatara, giant wētā, petrels, kiwi, penguin colonies and thriving wetlands.

That scene is being re-established at Te Kurī A Paoa/Nick’s Head Station.

The restoration began in 2003 with the planting of over 600,000 native trees.

Eleven species of seabird have been restored and in 2012 over 60 tuatara were rehomed there.

The event will start at 8am on Saturday and ticket holders will be bussed to Te Kurī A Paoa to start their all-round 10-kilometre walk to the wetlands.

Alzheimers Gisborne/Tairāwhiti manager Tracy Robinson said it was exciting to have a large group of people booked in for the walk.

“With the wetlands being such a special environment, we are only able to take 100 people through so as not to disturb the animal and plant life that has been established out there.

“However, we still have some tickets left for sale.”

The last of the tickets will be available to buy from Mitre 10 until 4pm on Friday.

“Then it will be all go getting the freshly prepared gourmet lunches ready and packed for the day,” Robinson said.

Email gisborne.alzheimers@xtra.co.nz for more information.