The aftermath of cyclone Gabrielle from above in Hawke's Bay. Video / Hastings District Council, Matt O'Kane
Cyclone Gabrielle has destroyed more than 80 trees at Taupō’s Wairakei golf course, which has announced “massive damage” to the grounds.
Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary announced that damage was so widespread that it was forced to shut temporarily.
“There are over 80 trees that have been uprooted and fallen. Assuch we are forced to close operations,” the business said.
The 180ha course is owned by low-key Auckland businessman Gary Lane who has poured millions into making it what some say is New Zealand’s best course and an ecological haven.
Staff said on social media they were “devastated and the damage is extensive” but thankfully no one was hurt.
That contrasts with other parts of New Zealand where five people have now been confirmed dead. North Island locals fear the toll could rise further with recounts of “multiple bodies” spotted during the storm.
Force so intense that trees were torn from the ground. Photo / Supplied
Wairakei became a wildlife sanctuary some years ago when a 5.5km predator-free boundary fence 2m high was erected. Fallow deer and birdlife are extensive within the property, including the endangered kiwi and takahē.
“That prevents both climbing and burrowing animals access to the property,” it says.
Greens have been framed by much-valued mature trees, including natives and old oaks, but it is many of those that were lost when the cyclone ripped through.
“Many find sanctuary on a golf course but it is rare to find a golf course that is a sanctuary,” the business says.
The business has a kiwi egg incubation facility where more than 100 kiwi chicks are hatched every season.
The 18-hole course was designed to blend with the land contours. It was opened in 1970 by the government, via what was then the Tourist Hotel Corporation.
Since 2012, management worked with the Department of Conservation to develop opportunities for native birds and wildlife to thrive there.
Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary where deer roam. Photo / Mark Alexander
“This includes using the predator-free environment as a creche for kiwi chicks and a retirement home for retired breeding takahē. The takahē pairs have enjoyed sanctuary life so much there have been takahē chicks in the last few years. A variety of wildlife flourishes within the sanctuary, mixed colour pheasants, guinea fowl, Pekin ducks, fallow deer and a pair of karearea (NZ falcon) that have nested and raised their chicks for many years,” the business says.
In 2020, Wairakei celebrated 50 years and the completion of a green restoration project.
“The magnificent putting surface of the new greens complements the beauty of the course and sanctuary environment. Navigate your way through 18 testing holes of exceptional beauty. Listen to the cacophony of birdlife, the meandering streams, and delightful waterfalls,” it says.
Media have reported on the success of Wairakei’s kiwi breeding programme, including the kiwi burrow, an article last October said.
It’s a bit more technological than a hole in the bottom of a tree: the purpose-built Crombie Lockwood Kiwi Burrow is a specialist facility that can care for 100 eggs and kiwi every season, that article said.
Wairakei Golf Course and Sanctuary owner Gary Lane and kiwi ranger Renee Potae pictured with a kiwi chick. Photo / Supplied
Eggs are brought there from throughout the North Island, then incubated, chicks hatched and raised before being released into new homes.
The work requires trained professionals and advanced equipment. Predator-proof areas, like the fenced Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary, provide a safe space for kiwi to learn how to fend for themselves, especially while they get to the crucial 1kg weight that means stoats are less of a threat.
Management at the course said today it was shut “until and including Sunday, February 19 at the earliest”. Phones were unanswered but Wairakei said updates would be on its website when information became clearer.
