The Coromandel Peninsula, known for its stunning landscapes and rich biodiversity, is home to one of New Zealand's most iconic trees: the Kauri. These magnificent giants showcase the region's natural beauty and play a vital role in the cultural and ecological landscape. Driving Creek has played a part in replanting Kauri and other native trees through the hard work of Barry Brickell and his family and friends.

History of Kauri

Kauri trees (Agathis australis) are among the largest and longest-living trees in the world. Kauri can grow up to 16m in girth, 50 metres tall and can live for over 2,000 years. Tāne Mahuta is the largest remaining  Kauri tree and lives in the Waipoua forest measuring 45m tall. Kauri trees once covered 1,200,000 hectares of New Zealand. Now only 7,500 hectares of mature Kauri trees remain due to the logging industry. These ancient trees have thick, straight trunks and distinctive, spreading crowns. The wood of the kauri is renowned for its durability and resistance to decay, making it highly prized for construction and carving. 

Logging of Kauri

Add dates - in the 18-1900’s? To harvest the wood, teams of bushmen would saw through the logs with a double-ended saw for upwards of 12 hours per log. Once the Kauri logs were felled in flatter regions they were towed out of the forest using a team of bullocks or horses. In the Coromandel region, the terrain is quite extreme so towing wouldn’t be a viable transport option. A method used to get the logs out of the forest was ‘driving’. Driving Creek is named after its past use in driving Kauri logs down to the harbour. Creeks were dammed up in the hills and filled with logs. Huge volumes of water were then released, washing the logs downstream to be milled or exported. Thousands of logs were sent down to booms below, though only 20% were estimated to arrive in a usable condition. In addition to the wood, the Kauri tree was also prized for its gum or sap. From the 1840s, kauri gum was exported to Britain and America to make varnishes. Between 1850 and 1950, 450,000 tons of gum were exported. 

Cultural Significance of Kauri

Kauri trees hold deep cultural significance for Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. They are often associated with spirituality, and their timber has been used in traditional carving and construction. The Kauri gum was also used to make ink for Tā Moko, a traditional Māori tattoo. The gum was burnt and the ash was combined with animal fat to make ink. This ink was tattooed into the skin and as it hardened, caused a raised effect. Māori people would also use the Kauri sap for medicinal purposes and chew on it like gum combined with a plant called Puha to cure stomach aches and headaches. Kauri gum was also used for cooking and lighting because of its flammable properties.

Kauri Dieback Disease

Kauri forests are rich ecosystems that support diverse plant and animal life. The trees provide habitat for various species, including birds such as the Tūīi and Kererū, as well as insects and other wildlife. The days of Kauri logging are now gone as the Department of Conservation has protected Kauri trees since 1987. Although logging is now banned, Kauri forests face significant threats from pathogens like Kauri dieback disease, which has led to widespread tree mortality. Kauri dieback disease poses a significant risk to our Kauri. It is a microscopic pathogen that is spread via infected soil. The pathogen that causes Kauri dieback disease, was first recorded on Great Barrier Island in the early 1970’s. There is no known cure for Kauri dieback so all Kauri trees which become infected will die. To help reduce its spread, visitors must carefully and respectfully follow the rules when visiting Kauri forests- not walking directly on Kauri roots or near Kauri trees, disinfecting their shoes and staying on formed tracks. Conservation efforts are crucial to protecting these ancient giants and the unique ecosystems they support.

Kauri at Driving Creek

Driving Creek is nestled in the heart of The Coromandel and is more than just a tourism operation. It’s a testament to the late Barry Brickell's pioneering spirit and unwavering dedication to art, engineering, and conservation. Barry set out in the 1970s to return the Driving Creek land to pre-colonial times by replanting the 24-hectare property with over 27,000 native species including Rimu, Totara, Matai, Miro, Kowhai and Kauri. “The whole district, including my block, had undergone 150 or so years of savage exploitation that was, in fact, ecological plunder. From virgin kauri forest to cut-over and logged forest, to repeated burn-offs, to freshly ‘broken-in’ farms, to abandoned, weed-infested, highly eroded hills, to 60 or so years of regenerating scrubland and fern. When I moved on to the land, the better parts were in tall Kanuka forest, which is really mature scrubland with the merest fraction of the diversity of plant and animal life of the original forest. Aware of this ecological history through study, my vision became fixed on reversing the decline of biodiversity.” - Barry Brickell.

Following Barry’s wishes after his passing in 2016, Driving Creek is now a not-for-profit organisation that delivers on its vision to protect and enhance the environment through pest animal and weed control and enrich the artistic community with our unique artist residency programme. We continue Barry’s conservation legacy of protecting and enhancing our native biodiversity by operating intensive pest animal and environmental weed control programmes, performing environmental research, running free conservation events, and connecting people with New Zealand’s natural qualities through enriching, educative and unique experiences. Today, the property is covered in second-generation native forest and is QEII covenanted to protect the land for perpetuity. Driving Creek continues Barry’s vision and commitment to the Tiaki promise to protect, maintain and enhance our natural environment, be a community leader and centre for understanding and contribution to conservation initiatives, and continue improving the health and wellbeing of our local community and visitors.“To inspire others to heal and respect the land by showing what is being done and why. Appropriate utilisation rather than exploitation is demonstrated. Showing and telling is aimed at making the viewer and listener think and hopefully act.”- Barry Brickell.

Did you know there are three types of frogs in The Coromandel? Two are native, and one is an introduced species. The frog you often see in the garden is likely the green and golden bell frog, a species introduced from Australia. These frogs, with their green or yellow bodies and gold or bronze patches, are now common across the North Island. Bell frogs are the largest in New Zealand, growing up to 10 cm long with a loud call. Females can lay between three and ten thousand eggs, which hatch into tadpoles in about two days and become frogs within two months.

Rare Archey’s Frog Discovery at Driving Creek

Our native frogs are very different; they belong to an ancient group that has remained unchanged for 70 million years. These small, silent, and cryptic frogs include Archey’s frog, our smallest and rarest, growing up to 3.7 cm long. Archey’s frogs, typically found in damp forests 400 meters above sea level, were recently discovered on Driving Creek land—a thrilling find as they are a threatened species and extremely hard to spot!

Hochstetter’s Frog Thriving at Driving Creek

We also have Hochstetter's frogs at Driving Creek. These semi-aquatic, nocturnal natives are brown-green to brown-red with warty skin and dark bands. Much smaller than bell frogs, adults are less than 5 cm long. Unlike bell frogs, Hochstetter's frogs don't croak and skip the aquatic tadpole stage. They lay only about 20 eggs per season, and it takes 3-4 years for the froglets to reach full adult size. Hochstetter’s frogs are more frequently seen at Driving Creek, as they are slightly larger and have consistent habitat preferences.

Protecting Our Native Frogs

We are fortunate to have such remarkable creatures here on the property. To protect these rare native frogs, we actively engage in extensive trapping work to reduce the presence of introduced predators, which are a key threat to their survival. By enhancing predator control at key sites and restoring stream habitats, we strive to create a safer environment where these native frogs can thrive.

Recently, the Driving Creek conservation team had the opportunity to delve deeper into the fascinating world of moths. Local moth enthusiast Tony Steer visited our team and generously shared his extensive knowledge.

Uncovering New Zealand’s Moth Diversity

The exact number of moth species in New Zealand remains unknown, as new species continue to be discovered and taxonomic revisions occur regularly—identifying moths can be quite complex. The Driving Creek team learned that identifying similar species often requires a detailed inspection of moth genitalia. Additionally, the team discovered that there are approximately 1,700 described species of moths in New Zealand.

The Ecological Importance of New Zealand’s Endemic Moths

New Zealand’s isolation and unique environment have led to the evolution of many endemic moth species found nowhere else in the world. Moths play crucial roles in ecosystems as pollinators and as a food source for various predators, including lizards, birds, and bats. These moths inhabit a range of environments, from forests and grasslands to urban areas. While most moths are nocturnal, some species are active during the day. Certain moths are host-specific, laying their eggs only on particular native plants, meaning that understanding moth populations can also provide insights into local plant species.

Future Efforts to Study and Protect Moth Populations

With Tony's guidance, the Driving Creek team will soon deploy special light traps to assess the diversity and abundance of moth species at Driving Creek. The team extends their gratitude to Tony for his invaluable introduction to this captivating world.

Driving Creek is home to the threatened Coromandel Striped gecko also known as the Northern striped gecko.

The species is threatened and nationally vulnerable. For a while, northern striped geckos were so rarely encountered they were considered to be the 'rarest geckos in the world.' More recent survey efforts have confirmed they are on the northern Coromandel Peninsula and can be locally abundant at sites with good pest control. (NZ Herpetological Society).

Early in 2023, a Driving Creek Conservation Team member discovered a Coromandel Striped gecko just outside of the Driving Creek boundary. This prompted a visit from the Auckland Zoo herpetological team to survey the habitat of this rare native species. Luke from the Driving Creek Conservation team guided the Auckland Zoo team through a tour of the property and discussed the conservation efforts of the team. Luke also was able to show the Zoo team where he first spotted the Coromandel Striped Gecko. The group discussed habitats and survey methodologies while viewing the Driving Creek Gecko enclosures. 

The Coromandel striped geckos have slender bodies and can grow up to 95 mm in size (from snout to vent) plus their tails which are longer than their body length. The geckos have tan stripes covering their length and may have fine flecks of spots. Male striped geckos have three large pointed scales on each side of the tail base that differentiate them from the females. The geckos have brown or grey eyes and have a distinctive mouth with a pink lining and orange-coloured corners. The striped gecko is similar to the Pacific gecko and goldstripe gecko however, the orange in the corners of the mouth differentiates them. (“Toropuku Inexpectatus | NZHS”)

The striped geckos are arboreal meaning they live in trees and are nocturnal- active at night. They are found inhabiting coastal forests and shrubland. In the Coromandel, they have been seen sun basking on branches and tree trunks, often with their limbs parallel to their bodies. Captive Coromandel striped geckos have been observed leaping with force and speed as a form of escape technique rather than dropping like other native geckos. (“Toropuku Inexpectatus | NZHS”)

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The hard work and dedication of Driving Creek’s Conservation Team is producing great results for our beautiful native forest and wildlife. We now have evidence of a thriving kiwi population in the forest that surrounds Driving Creek and overlooks Coromandel Town. 

Our Conservation Team has been trapping pest animals and expanding traplines to target mustelids, possums and rats since 2019; working to protect forest on surrounding Public Conservation Land as well as our own property. The conservation department seeks to create a safe habitat for the Coromandel Brown kiwi and other native species.

Our Conservation Team uses various methods to gage kiwi numbers in our area, including a trail camera network. The cameras are triggered by movement and capture images of kiwi or other animals that pass through key points in the project area. This allows the Conservation Team to track not only the presence of kiwi but also pest species. 

Region-wide Kiwi call survey: Tracking progress yearly

In late 2023, Driving Creek was again part of a region-wide kiwi call survey, the second year in a three year survey organised by Predator Free Hauraki Coromandel Community Trust. Kiwi call surveys are one way to determine the presence of adult kiwi in different areas, with a positive bias towards male kiwi due to females calling less frequently. They can also be used to estimate and compare the relative abundance of kiwi populations, and are useful for understanding long term trends. 

Simply put, a kiwi call survey is performed by walking to a high ridge late at night, sitting quietly, and listening for the kiwi distinctive calls for three hours in the dark over three consecutive nights. When the Conservation Field Ranger hears a kiwi call, they record the time, direction, estimated distance of the call (distance from the listener) and the gender of the kiwi, which is identifiable by the type of call, and record it on a data sheet. 

“We want to stress that our kiwi listening emphasises minimal intrusion," says the Driving Creek Conservation Team. "Our aim is to let the kiwi live as naturally as possible while we learn more about their abundance and habitat preferences in our area."

Positive Results and Expansion Plans

Based on two years of our kiwi survey data, we can estimate there are two breeding pairs of kiwi plus an additional male bachelor in the area. We think this is the case, as kiwi only call when they are of breeding age and searching for a mate. When a male and female kiwi call in a repetitive pattern in close proximity, we identify these as “duet calls,” which is an indicator of courting pairs of kiwi. 

Even more good news is that the recent kiwi survey data shows a dramatic increase from 1.38 calls an hour in 2022 to 5.75 calls an hour in 2023. This increase highlights the positive impact of Driving Creek’s Conservation work in trapping pest animals, removing environmental weeds and protecting the local wildlife. 

We are ecstatic about this result and are planning to further expand the area which is covered by traplines to remove pest animals, expanding across more Public Conservation Land. We hope that the two pairs of kiwi will breed and their chicks will make it into adulthood to continue increasing our kiwi population. 

Heartfelt Encounters: Building Trust with Wildlife

While the survey results alone are incredible, our Conservation Team also experienced a rare, heartfelt encounter with a young inquisitive male kiwi, now affectionately named ‘Squeaky.’ The young male approached a Field Ranger during a kiwi listening survey, to within touching distancing and was seemingly unfazed by the rangers presence. "This is a brilliant example of the  vulnerable nature of young inquisitive kiwi, and how important it is to keep pest animals and pets such as dogs and cats out of our forests" says the Field Ranger who had the chance to share this unforgettable moment with the young kiwi.

A Shared Success Supported By Tourism

As we celebrate this milestone at Driving Creek, we would not be able to perform our conservation work without the support of other local conservation groups such as Moehau environment group, our relationship with Te Papa Atawhai and the financial support from Waikato Regional Council to buy traps for Public Conservation Land. We also must thank all of those who visit Driving Creek’s railway, zipline and pottery activities. As a not-for-profit we are continually expanding our conservation work to better protect and enhance our native environment and wildlife, with the evidence of a thriving kiwi population being an incredible outcome that we can share with visitors to Driving Creek.

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