Bushy Park educator Keith Beautrais introduces Whanganui Girls' College students to Ratanui, the giant rātā tree at Bushy Park Tarapuruhi. Photo / Bevan Conley
Bushy Park educator Keith Beautrais introduces Whanganui Girls' College students to Ratanui, the giant rātā tree at Bushy Park Tarapuruhi. Photo / Bevan Conley
If you haven’t visited Bushy Park Tarapuruhi north of Whanganui recently, the best time could be now. Liz Wylie talked to custodians of the forest sanctuary and historic homestead to find out what’s happening in spring.
The native bush walkways in the forest sanctuary are lush with new spring growthand birdsong seldom heard in other places, Bushy Park board member and educator Keith Beautrais says.
“The clematis is in flower, and it is a fantastic time to visit and watch the birds feeding and gathering twigs for nest building,” he said.
“I want to let people know that you don’t need to be especially fit to experience Bushy Park, and there is good wheelchair access on some tracks.
“There seems to be an impression that the tracks are only suitable for trampers and the super-fit, but there are areas where people can just sit and let nature come to them.”
The sanctuary, surrounded by a predator-proof enclosure, is home to a range of native birds, including populations of toutouwai [South Island robins], tīeke [saddlebacks] hihi [stitchbirds], pōpokotea [whiteheads] and Aotearoa’s smallest native bird, tītitipounamu [riflemen].
The tītitipounamu are the most recent arrivals, translocated from Taranaki Mounga in April this year.
Beautrais said it was a bit soon to observe how the tītitipounamu population was doing, but the pōpokotea population introduced from Waitahinga Reserve last year appeared to have increased.
“The original birds were banded, and we have spotted a number of unbanded ones recently.
“Visitors are most likely to see the toutouwai, the robin. They are friendly little birds and quite cheeky - they like to hang around and see what’s going on.”
A curious toutouwai observing visitors to its Bushy Park home. Photo / Bevan Conley
Beautrais said the best way to observe the birdlife was to sit quietly near one of the feeders at the sanctuary.
“There are feeders near the start of the Twin Ponga track, which is wheelchair-accessible.
“The other notable thing for visitors to see are the new plantings carried out by our volunteer team. There has been a lot of revegetating, and when visitors look down from the carpark, they will see that the punchbowl area has been planted with moisture-loving native species.”
There is also some very well-established native plant life to be admired, including a 500-year-old rātā on the forested land that was bequeathed to Forest & Bird by farmer Frank Moore in 1962.
Forest & Bird has retained title to the forest, and the Bushy Park Trust took ownership of Bushy Park Homestead and the area around it in 1995.
Tarapuruhi was known to local Māori as a place of abundant birdlife, and the trust works in partnership with iwi Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi and the local hapū in the district.
The million-dollar predator-proof fence that has enclosed the sanctuary since 2005 was funded by local individuals, businesses and trusts, and was largely driven by the late conservationist and farmer Allan Anderson.
Beautrais said the fence had been very effective at keeping predators out of the sanctuary and that it would likely cost at least $2m to install a similar boundary today.
He said the trust appreciated funding received from Horizons Regional Council and Whanganui District Council (WDC) to help with projects this year.
“The WDC support came from the climate change fund and was used for the wetland planting,” Beautrais said.
“Rainforest regeneration is one of the best things we can do to prevent flooding, so that funding was put to very good use, and I’d like to acknowledge the council for that.”
A male hihi with distinctive yellow colouring approaches one of the feeders at Bushy Park Tarapuruhi. Photo / Bevan Conley
Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki made her first visit to Bushy Park in April this year as part of the organisation’s 100th-anniversary celebrations and to welcome the titipounamu to the forest.
Toki said the Bushy Park sanctuary provided a “beautiful example” of what many parts of Aotearoa could look and sound like if forest areas were allowed to regenerate.
The Bushy Park sanctuary is free to visit during daylight hours. Wear comfortable clothing and footwear. No pets allowed. Donations are welcome.
Bushy Park Homestead
Bushy Park Homestead proprietor Dale Pullen is looking forward to welcoming diners and overnight guests after some recent refurbishments. Photo / Bevan Conley
Dale Pullen recently celebrated the conclusion of his fifth year as proprietor of the Edwardian homestead at Bushy Park.
He has just renewed his lease and is looking forward to hosting the Dinner With the Stars literary dinner on September 30, which is part of the Whanganui Literary Festival programme.
In five years, he has dealt with Covid-19 restrictions as well as major and minor repairs and renovations.
“I’m still very much enjoying being here, and I’ve just had new carpet laid in the drawing room.
“It’s a beautiful, floral pattern. It’s new, but produced by heritage makers and in keeping with the age of the homestead,” Pullen said.
He had also acquired some Victorian-era furniture that he was looking forward to placing.
“It’s been quiet over the winter months, which is always expected, but it’s about to get busy,” he said.
“We’ve got some new items on the menu for summer and the bookings are coming in.”
The Homestead is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, or by appointment for Devonshire teas, morning teas and lunches.
It is also a fully licenced five-bedroom bed-and-breakfast homestay and function venue, with picnic baskets available on request.
Spring is a perfect time to have tea or lunch on the verandah at Bushy Park Homestead. Photo / Bevan Conley
Liz Wylie is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. She joined the editorial team in 2014 and regularly covers stories from Whanganui and the wider region. She also writes features and profile stories.
