We started planting in earnest in the winter of 1992, about a year after we bought the site.

We wanted to plant trees and to live among the trees we had planted. We also wanted to be sure that the land we bought was not valuable agricultural land. We had looked at many parcels of land, but the constraints were manifold – too far from Hamilton – too expensive – over developed – too small – too noisy. Then on a whim, we looked at the old quarry at Tauwhare. We were at once hooked, captivated and enraptured! The workings from the hard-rock quarrying had created a landscape so different from the smooth, rolling hills of nearby. The views over the Waikato flood plain to Pirongia, Karioi and the Hakarimata Ranges weren’t too bad, either.

Pretty much, yes; you must understand that the quarry had its own charm – it was a relic, a piece of industrial history that had supplied the Waikato with gravel for about thirty years. The quarry workings had left behind a place with a strange, skeletal beauty that could only come of human activity on a large scale. The 30m sheer cliffs, the steep, rock-strewn slopes and the sweeping curves of the quarry roads all tied into a framework where form followed function. So, from our point of view it had everything going for it – it had its own character, it was ideal for a rehabilitation project, the Waitakaruru Stream ran through the lower parts and at 17.5ha, it was quite large enough for us to grow into. It also had a burgeoning number of noxious weeds, all of which seemed to have thorns, prickles or cutting edges

We were given lots of advice on what to plant and ignored most of it. There were about ten acres of land with some original topsoil and this we planted with pines. They have grown very well and we have maintained them in a silvicultural regime that one day could ensure some economic return. All other planting had to wait until we had cleared the gorse and pampas, so we progressed bit by bit, year by year, until now, when most of the property has been planted. There is still room for another few hundred trees and shrubs, though.

We did use a map to make an overall plan. Some of the geographical locations were mostly accidents of history and occasionally by design; nonetheless, this method seems to have worked quite well, although there are times when it is a bit of a limitation. For example, the Asian section is too small for the variety of trees that interest us from China, Japan, and India. We chose that particular valley because of its misty appearance in winter – a bit like a Chinese painting.

No, it’s not; but remember that I am an arborist and my interest is in trees from around the world, and the country.