The creation of a living environment second to
none where those who choose to make Kinnoull their home will be nurtured by its wild beauty.
To allow Kinnoull Station to
revert to native bush creating an ecological corridor that will one day link the
coast to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. This
ecological reserve will enhance the environment through improved water, soil
values and biodiversity.
The success of this vision involves pest control, road and bridge maintenance. The
Kinnoull Ecological Reserve Assn (KERA) will facilitate these provisions and those in
the Land Covenant for the benefit of the whole Kinnoull community.
See The Third Way article in which Kinnoull Station owner, Wesley Garratt, explains how this would work. This article was published in a Wellington City Council publication called Branch Out.
The vegetation comprises native and low fertility grasses and gorse, which provides a protective habitat for native seedling regrowth. Tauhini is present on the upper slopes while deeper in gullies there are considerable areas showing reversion to indigenous second growth natives, principally whiteywood and punga.
The property is well recognized for its strong persistent winds in exposed spaces and dry summers.
There are decreasing populations of feral goats, wild pigs, rabbits, possums and hares.
The only land clearance allowed in each title is a one hectare house site on each block. This gives certainty that no one can clear the hillsides that form the view that each owner will have and there will be no boundary fences - to maintain a non-fragmented look.
The Kinnoull lifestyle allows you to fulfill the dream of living next to a dynamic coastal environment where nature’s bounty is respected. Snorkel or simply take a walk and explore for yourself the wildlife, history and geology of the South Coast:
Activities in Taputeranga Marine Reserve
The seals at Red Rocks
Red Rocks Reserve
Project to control wild goats
The gorse provides a protective habitat for native seedling regrowth. This will be more pronounced on lower shady faces but will slowly progress up the slopes as shade and ground moisture conditions increase.
The exposed ridge tops will revegetate more slowly due to the wind intensity but will develop into “blankets” of more dense shrubby woody vegetation such as leatherwoods.
In a property like this, a reversion timeframe of about 30 years will change the visual appearance of the property immensely and evidence of this can be seen now. The best example of this locally is to be seen in the hills to the north around Porirua where a similar change has been noted over the last three decades.
The Benefits of allowing reversion are many and diverse.
The first is increasingly
reduced amounts of surface run off during storm events. The increased height of vegetation will act as an intercept mechanism
that breaks the intensity of the impact of rain drops and semi-regulates the
discharge lower down the stem of plants into the ephemeral waterways. In some ways it is acting as a large sponge, regulating discharge on
saturation.
The benefits will be
increasingly noticed during storm events where siltation through runoff will be
minimized, thus improving the deposition of detritus into the Karori Stream and
ultimately the marine environment.
Linked with this more regulated
runoff and reduced sedimentation is also the quality of the water.
With increased vegetation and sediment entrapment comes less fine
material in the watercourse. The time frame is not immediate but increases exponentially with time.
With revegetation, particularly
to native scrublands, comes an increase in the natural biodiversity.
This initially applies to the subterranean fauna but rapidly spreads to
birdlife, which then speeds up the spread of native vegetation seeds. The successful Karori Project to the north exemplifies this.
This contributes to the visual impact. The Porirua example of a
native vegetative background providing a pleasing landscape is a classic.
In 1990 approximately 80% of Kinnoull was clear land as far as the Kyoto Agreement is concerned.
By ceasing farming and encouraging regeneration there is every
possibility that this land could qualify as a carbon sink and therefore assist
the NZ Government in meeting its obligations under Kyoto.
Our neighbours at Terawhiti and possibly Long Gully will produce renewable and sustainable energy. This is not incompatible with a living environment second to none. All the houses constructed at Kinnoull will be acoustically engineered, with double glazing and sound-proofing.
The perfect location for a country home with a pleasant drive to the bustle of the centre
of Wellington. Kinnoull is situated at the end of a country road amidst green hills with
access to the South West Coast and views over Cook Strait; birdsong and water noise the only
disturbance to the peace. Walking,
bike rides, keeping chickens or bee hives, fishing, 4 wheel driving just a few of the relaxing activities to
pursue as you escape the city.
Our hope is that this site describes the sense of place that is the Kinnoull environment. If the idea of creating your own green architectural masterpiece, fully utilizing the latest sustainable building practices and alternative approaches to energy appeals, we invite you to come and share this vision.
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