Join Alzheimer’s Gisborne’s great walk fundraiser at Te Kuri wetlands

Alzheimers Gisborne Tairāwhiti manager Tracy Robinson (left) and Walk for Alzheimers fundraiser coordinator Rochelle Smith with a growing list of people who are doing the walk at Te Kuri Young Nick's Head Station on November 9.

Alzheimer’s Gisborne Tairāwhiti is holding another Walk For Alzheimer’s fundraising event featuring wetlands, native trees, seabirds and even tuatara.

The November 9 walk will offer a unique opportunity to wander through wetlands that resemble Aotearoa in the early years of Māori settlement between AD1200 and AD1300.

Back then, the land was teeming with tuatara, giant weta, petrels, kiwi, penguin colonies and thriving wetlands.

That scene is being re-established at Te Kuri Young Nick’s Head Station.

In March 2023, Alzheimer’s Gisborne Tairāwhiti offered a walk across the top of the station with a passing view of the developing wetlands, but this year walkers will have access to a special ecosystem.

“We are very excited to be able to offer this opportunity and extremely grateful to Steve Sawyer and his team at Ecoworks for making this a reality for the people of Tairāwhiti,” Alzheimer’s Gisborne manager Tracy Robinson said.

The project began in 2003 with the planting of over 600,000 native trees.

Eleven species of seabird have been restored and in 2012 over 60 tuatara were rehomed at Te Kuri, with support from Ngati Koata in Nelson.

Sawyer also acknowledged the Ngai Tamanuhiri iwi and friends who had worked to bring the project to life.

To protect the environment, only 100 people will be given access to the wetlands, which will be a tour under the guidance of Sawyer and his team.

The event will start at 8am, with ticket holders being bussed to Te Kuri to start their 10km return walk to the wetlands.

“The terrain is across a working farm so is not exactly flat, but is not mountainous either, and is steeped in natural beauty,” Robinson said. “A moderate level of fitness is required.”

After the walk and tour, a gourmet packed lunch will be distributed for all to enjoy.

By early afternoon the buses will return everyone to their cars at the meeting point in town.

The event is by ticket only — $100 a ticket — and is not available for under 12s.

Tickets can be bought through Mitre 10 or by contacting the Alzheimer’s Gisborne Tairāwhiti office at (06) 867 0752 or gisborne.alzheimers@gmail.com

All money raised will stay in the community and go towards supporting those affected by dementia and the work of Alzheimer’s Gisborne Tairāwhiti.

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WIN A WALK TICKET: Alzheimer’s Gisborne Tairāwhiti is giving away a ticket, worth $100, for the walk at Te Kuri Young Nick’s Head Station on November 9. Win the ticket by emailing gisborne.alzheiemers@gmail.com with the answer to this question: “In what year did the wetlands project begin at Te Kuri Young Nick’s Head Station and how?”