Forgotten Corners The loving makeover of Mill Stream.
Photo by Jim Tannock
WHEN IVAN and Margaret Sutherland bought the 127ha Dog Point property in 1991, they envisioned far more than grapes on the land. A quarter of a century later, there are banks of Tasmanian blackwood, silver green slopes of olive trees, a pine nut grove, stands of white trunked birches, a smattering of oaks, and more than 10,000 native trees, flax, grasses and bushes. At the heart of it all is the beautiful Mill Stream. “When we first got the property it was a rambling mix of cracked willow, old man’s beard, and rubbishy plants,” says Margaret, who recalls watching four-wheel drive club vehicles tear through the stream in an annual mud derby. The Sutherlands set into its restoration with gusto, kicking off a hearty battle to clear the pest plants and keep them at bay, while planting thousands of plants. It’s an incredible success story that’s resulted in a clean clear waterway, bordered by a tall native corridor for birds and insects. Mill Stream is just part of the biodiversity package that saw Dog Point win the Supreme Award at last year’s Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards, as well as the Landscape and Habitat Enhancement category. The work is ongoing, and since that award, a new section of the stream has been cleared and planted, with hardy flax and grasses on the more erodible land at the edge of the stream, and more delicate trees further back. It’s a huge effort, Margaret admits. “It is totally worth it. We now have an attractive environment which is enjoyed by family, staff and visitors.”
28 / Winepress November 2018
