A 100-year-old Douglas fir tree behind the UCOL chef training school on Queen St got the chop yesterday.
Wairarapa Treescaping was given the job of felling the tree which had "become a hazard".
Director Kevin Walsh said it had been a tough job cutting the tree down to size safely.
"We've been here since yesterday," he said on Friday.
Head arborist Nick Henderson, who was perched at the very top tying off branches and lopping them, could be seen rubbing his hands together in the bitter cold - but he still managed a smile for the camera as he waited for the portable crane to arrive to handle the heavier sections.
