Innovative Waste - Resource Recovery Centre - Kaikoura
Trees For Travellers Projects
There are three planting sites around Kaikōura for Trees for Travellers and these are planted by our staff and trained volunteers. As each site is planted we will move to other sites around the town until the township is full of trees and bird life once more. These sites are all council or government reserves so there is no danger of the trees being removed at anytime. Details of our three project sites are listed below:
Toms Track
Tom's Track is a 15 minute track running between Torquay Street and Scarborough Terrace and is the main planting site for Trees for Travellers. Until its development for planting it was overgrown with many weed species including Wilding trees, gorse, blackberry, Old Man's Beard & Banana Passionfruit. These are gradually being removed or out-competed as our trees grow. The walkway was developed in the early 2000's by volunteers working for IWK and named after local Tom Smith who tragically died when struck by a Whale he was attempting to free from a craypot.
Cemetery or Aranehu Walkway
The Cemetery Walkway or Aranehu Walkway, is a short link track running between Killarney Street and Scarborough Terrace via the Kaikōura Cemetery. It was developed in the mid 2000's by volunteers to provide different sites and planting areas for some tree species to Tom's Track. It also provided a good link track and alternative route for people walking the popular Kaikoura Peninsula walkway.
Peninsula Walkway
Kaikōura's Peninsula Walkway is an iconic walking track from Kaikōura to South Bay and back again that follows the cliffs and bays at the end of the peninsula. It allows walkers to enjoy broad vistas of the ocean as well as wildlife such as a seagull and seal colony. It has been extensively upgraded by Department of Conversation staff to include high accessibility walkways and routes to the bays. It was established as a planting area for Trees for Travellers relatively recently as the Department of Conservation and Kaikōura District Council work in partnership to increase the biodiversity of the peninsula.
Our Partners
Trees for Travellers is pleased to work with a number of partner organisations, both in Kaikōura, and further afield in New Zealand or internationally. These organisations support us in a number of way, promoting or selling our trees, providing volunteers to help us plant or maintain trees or providing us with business support or mentoring. We would like to thank every one of them for their support and help.
Got a question?
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions. But if you have anything more specific you need to ask us, just get in touch by clicking here
When will my tree be planted?
Our main planting season is in the New Zealand winter, autumn and early winter and also in spring. Our summers (November - March) can be too hot and dry in Kaikōura for planting young trees and mid winter (July and August) to cold.
What happens once my tree is planted?
Yes. Each tree is located using a GPS, and you can obtain your GPS location from Trees for Travellers staff or this is recorded on your postcard if you have opted for the GPS upgrade. This information, along with a GPS locator, can be used to find your tree. For an additional fee a Trees for Travellers staff member can help you locate your tree for you.
Please note the terrain where your tree is located is uneven and rocky, as such care is advised when you are attempting to locate a tree. Trees for Travellers can accept no responsibility for any accidents that may occur in the course of locating a tree.
Where are the trees planted?
All our trees are planted on reserve land in and around Kaikōura. This includes but is not limited to Tom's Track, the Cemetery Walk, and part of the Peninsula Track. See the 'our projects' page for more information on these site.
Can I choose my trees location?
Sorry but at this stage you cannot select a specific location for your tree. This is because we are aiming to develop a woodland system so trees need to be planted in the best location to contribute to this.
How are the trees maintained?
Trees for Travellers staff will care for each tree for three or four years to ensure its long term survival. After this it should be string enough to grown by itself. This means they will be protected from predators and frost, and long grass will be removed as needed. Trees are checked regularly for their health and action taken as required.
What happens if my tree dies?
Very occasionally some of the trees we have planted will die due to weather, disease or predators etc. We undertake to replace dead or diseased trees once in the first year after planting. Unfortunately we do not have the resources to replace trees more often than this however.
What about landslides etc?
On a very occasion we had a landslip on one of our project sites resulting in several trees being lost. If the tree is in its first year of planting it will be replaced as per the above question. Again as explained above however we do not have the resources to replace trees beyond this commitment and the registration will be removed.