Aorangi Forest Park: preserving a unique heritage

The view from the summit of Aorangi Maunga – previously named Bull Hill. (Photo: Joe Howells)

By Joe Howells

This year is the 50th anniversary of Aorangi Forest Park, which spans 20,000 hectares of native forested hill country south of Martinborough. 

Decimated by logging, fire, and clearing for farming, and further damaged by numerous invasive species, the park had been somewhat overlooked until recent conservation efforts were initiated. 

In 2011, Clive Patton and Phylis Pattie established the Aorangi Restoration Trust to collaborate with the Department of Conservation and other bodies to restore the park to its full potential, thereby enhancing its status as a significant public resource for the South Wairarapa community.

The Ngāti Kahungunu Treaty settlement has brought significant changes to Aorangi Forest Park, including the restoration of original Māori names for key features and the transfer of summit ownership back to the Iwi. These summits are now part of scenic reserves managed by Ngāti Kahungunu. The park, previously known as “Haurangi,”was renamed “Aorangi” in the 1970s by local Māori, a name meaning “Light of Heaven,” among other poetic interpretations. 

The former name “Haurangi” meant “drunk” or “wild and windblown.”

Noteworthy name changes in the area include Bull Hill, now called Aorangi Te Maunga, and the highest peak in the Aorangi Ranges, formerly Mount Ross, renamed to Hikapu Mount Ross. 

Mount Barton in the Whawanui White Rock area is now known as Tuhirangi.

Introduced mammals have significantly disrupted the ecological balance in Aorangi and across Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Starting with Capt. Cook, who brought pigs, sheep, and goats in the 18th century to provide food sources, the region saw a major environmental crisis by the 1800’s due to these non-native species. By the mid-1840s wild pigs were common in Wairarapa, with hunting parties coming around the coast from Wellington to hunt them. 

Pigs endanger many ground-nesting native birds and seriously disrupt the forest ecosystem.

The accidental introduction of rats and mice, along with deliberate introductions of rabbits, hares, trout, perch, ducks, geese, and deer by early European settlers, exacerbated the situation. Rabbits quickly became a major pest, leading to the release of predators like cats and mustelids to control their numbers, further compromising the ecological balance.

Hedgehogs were introduced to remind settlers of their homeland and control garden pests, but ironically, they too became predators of native wildlife. The Australian bush tail possum, introduced for its fur, has devastated local plant and bird species. Both hedgehogs and possums have periodically reached plague levels in Aorangi Forest Park and along the Wairarapa coast, causing significant ecological damage.

The loss of any species is permanent—once extinct, they are gone forever. Sir David Attenborough has pointed out the urgency of helping nature heal itself, emphasizing that we often do not realize the importance of a species until it’s too late. The native flora and fauna of Aotearoa New Zealand, and particularly those in the Aorangi Forest Park, provide a point of distinction on the global stage. Maintaining this uniqueness is not just a matter of national pride but also of ecological and cultural value, a view strongly supported by local Māori.

Aorangi Forest Park, with its northern flank a mere 10-minute drive south of Martinborough, has tremendous potential as a community asset. The rich diversity of native birdlife and flora could greatly enhance this value. Conversely, a forest overrun by introduced predators that have already caused numerous native bird extinctions and a degraded forest detracts significantly from the park’s appeal and ecological health.

The Aorangi Restoration Trust is at the forefront of efforts to manage these invasive species.

OSPRI’s funding of four consecutive 1080 poison drops over the park in 2014, 2017, 2020, and 2022 has significantly reduced predator populations, notably possums and rats, and has led to a resurgence in birdlife, including the recently discovered endangered Long Tail Bat population in the Waihora River area. 

Although TB is no longer a concern in local domestic herds, leading to a cessation of OSPRI funding, the trust is determined to continue these efforts and is actively seeking funding to support another 1080 campaign.

Clive Paton, the trust patron, acknowledges the controversy surrounding 1080 but asserts that without it, the alternative would be to allow mustelids, possums, hedgehogs, and rats to dominate the forest, inevitably leading to further extinctions. 

He emphasizes the remarkable recovery of the forest ecosystem following predator control measures, also noting the crucial role of the local hunting community in controlling larger mammalian species like deer, goats, and pigs.

Get involved

The trust runs extensive volunteer programs managing predator traplines throughout the park. Community members who wish to contribute to the “Battle for our Birds,” can email Clive Paton at Clive@atarangi.co.nz or Joe Howells at joe@greenjersey.co.nz for more information on how to get involved. Further details about trust activities can be found on the Trust website at www.aorangitrust.org.nz/

This ongoing commitment underscores the importance of collective action in preserving and enhancing Aorangi Forest Park for future generations.