Hinewai Reserve Update

Report from Colin Meurk, 14/7/11

Kia ora Tatou

There were a lot of conflicting reports circulating around yesterday regarding the fate of Hinewai Reserve following a lightning initiated fire somewhere about 1pm on Tuesday. This is an iconic example of ecological restoration (through facilitating regeneration) in NZ within a >1000 ha Trust-owned reserve. It is often used as a model and field site for Manaaki Whenua research and thousands of volunteers and visitors over the years.

I have spoken to Hugh Wilson, living treasure, and manager of Hinewai, and I can report the following:

It is very unusual for lightning to cause fires in NZ because this phenomenon is generally accompanied by rain in contrast to continental situations where dry lighting events are commonplace. In this case there has also been a prolonged period of (dry) westerly weather – unusual in winter – and immediately after the unforecast lightning storm the rain dispersed and strong gusty dry winds ensued.

Up to 1/3 of the reserve has been burnt – however the affected areas are largely introduced gorse and Hugh is hopeful that given the fast hot fire that skimmed over the surface some of the fire-retardant broadleaved regeneration under the gorse, such as mahoe and broadleaf, may only be singed and, come Spring, will resprout – and even get a head start on the next generation of gorse that will also be stimulated into action by this event.

Apparently no fire got into the extensive areas of tall kanuka – which would have gone up like a torch. This is extremely lucky. However, some valuable areas of young dracophyllum have gone up in smoke.

It has rained now and there is some snow on the peaks so the crisis is over for now it seems.

Hugh was forced to ride in a helicopter to assist the fire-fighting strategy (if u know Hugh’s attitude towards the internal combustion engine then u’ll appreciate the compromise here) but acknowledges the role these petrol guzzling monsters played in averting an even greater disaster, and their ability to access ponds to fill their monsoon buckets in repeated precision operations.

Hugh was desperate and despondent on Tuesday evening and was evacuated from his house but is relatively upbeat today. So, yet another natural event strikes Canterbury – I guess at least there is no careless human action to blame such as a cigarette butt out a car window. It could have been much worse. There was a very real danger that the whole reserve would be engulfed. So Hinewai lives and will live again. as Hugh said, he always hoped that the reserve would be big and resilient enough such that natural disasters would be contained within the wider continually shifting disturbance/regeneration mosaic (well, he didn’t put it quite like that). it seems that this has been the case and of course there will be much to study in the future.

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