Country Music Festival returning in January

The sounds of country music are set to ring out from Motueka’s Marchwood Park over the 9 and 10 of January when the Motueka Country Music Club presents their 12th annual Country Music Festival.

Walk-ups will kick off at 10am through to the late afternoon and at 1pm on Saturday members of the local Motueka club will entertain for an hour.

Celebrated local country music artist Aly Cook will begin the evening’s showcase at 6pm. Nick Bourke from Southland’s Brydone, a true master of country music, will also be welcomed and back by popular demand is our very own Monty Gibbons. Allan Borran from Christchurch is also set to entertain with his musical expertise and humour.

This year “Makeshift Country” consisting of Dennis Gentins, John Hall and Allan Barron from the Marlborough area will be on-hand to back the guests.

With free entry and chairs encouraged, food is available onsite until 6pm.

On Sunday walkups will take place from 10am until midafternoon, so bring your seat and cash for raffles and CD sales.

While organisers have their fingers crossed for a fine weekend, in the event of rain the Lower Moutere Hall is available as a back-up.

Once again local businesses have been very supportive of the event including New World Motueka, Motueka Bin Hire, Milnes and Beatson, Ray White, BNZ, ITM and Harcourts who have placed the event in their monthly newsletter. Motueka Mitre 10 has also kindly supplied gazebos and the community BBQ trailer.

“The Club would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their past and present support and volunteering your time and expertise.”

On the hunt for Taiwan cherry trees

Taiwan cherry trees (Prunus campanulata) have been around since the 1960s, with the most common variety, P. Campanulata felix jury, featuring bright, candy-coloured blooms, which has made it very popular.

It was often marketed as a sterile tree but this variety produces fertile fruit, and from late July through to early September, mature trees produce thousands of appealing dark pink flowers that attract pollinators such as bees, bellbirds and tui.

The fertilised flowers then produce small cherries that are eagerly sought by birds and sometimes possums and pigs too. The seed is then spread through droppings to other areas, such as regenerating native scrublands or forests. The seeds have a high germination rate and can thrive even in low light.

MOTUEKA, TASMAN & GOLDEN BAY

They can quickly dominate emerging shrub-land and mature forests and this is now the case in both the Bay of Plenty and Northland, where Councils have had to accept that the pest plant can no longer be contained much less eradicated. However, here in Tasman, we still have a chance to stop our landscape from being overwhelmed by Taiwan cherry.

The Tasman-Nelson Regional Biosecurity Management Plan 2019-2029 lists Taiwan cherry as an eradication species, with wilding populations that are being brought under control in Tapawera, Kaiteriteri, Eves Valley, North Nelson and Enner Glyn.

If you have planted a Taiwan cherry tree as an amenity planting, our biosecurity staff can help with its removal at no cost to you and can approve a replacement tree for each Taiwan cherry removed, up to the value of $75 per tree, after confirming the pest tree or trees are gone. They can also provide advice on the best way to do it if you want to remove the tree yourself.

At the moment we are not too late to attempt eradication, but we need community support to get there. Let’s work to together to ensure Taiwan Cherry doesn’t follow in the same path as gorse, broom and old man’s beard.

To report a Taiwan cherry tree or for further information phone us on 548 3400.