Category: Dunedin
Rolling Up Your Sleeves
Members of Portobello Community Incorporated put in another solid morning’s work on Sunday preparing the area adjacent to the public toilets for a new planted border. This area has always been a dark damp corner that attracts rubbish and receives little sun. The removal of a willow, rubbish and invasive vines along with the lifting of trees has improved the area significantly. Using more timber from the old jetty and further planting in the next fortnight will create a very attractive space that enhances the area for the benefit of the community. Special thanks to Geoff, Paul, Peter and Thomas (9) for their efforts on Sunday morning in making a start on another important main street landscaping project.
New Trees at the Portobello Domain
It was a pleasant surprise to see that the Dunedin City council had planted new beech trees on the bank above the Domain last week. The new plantings have really added to the landscaping of the area and in the future they will provide shade, bird roosting and a strong visual impact on the reserve. The bank above the sports-ground has always been a wet area and hopefully the trees will help to soak up some of that moisture. Great to see the City Council proactively planting new trees on its reserve areas, they will really add to our local recreation area. Well done.
Magic Day at the Portobello Market
It was a magic day at the Portobello Market held in conjunction with Cadbury’s Chocolate Carnival on the Otago Peninsula. A beautifully warm day brought nearly 1000 visitors from around the region and overseas. With a good number of stalls, food, entertainment and plenty of free Cadbury’s chocolate Portobello put on a great day for everyone. Highlights for young and old was an entertaining performance by magician Jonathan Usher, who wowed the crowd with his patter and his magic. Balloon performer Jay also had an enthusiastic and lengthy queue of children wanting balloon hats, animals and cartoon characters.
It was also great to see local music teacher Mary Jennings and some of her local Peninsula students give a performance on the Coronation Hall stage. Local groups contributed to the event by putting on stalls and used the event as an important fundraiser for their organisations in our community. The Cadbury’s Carnival is a popular event for the Peninsula and the Dunedin region and the generosity of the company for its sponsorship is greatly appreciated. Hope to see everyone in Portobello next year. Click on pictures to see in full size viewer.
Hairbraiding was very popular at the market
Peninsula musicians perform at the hall
Jay entertaining with ballon art
Enjoying the show
Camping Ground for the Peninsula
The Dunedin City Council have announced plans to develop a “DoC style” campsite on the Peninsula. In a report in The Star on the 2oth of June a Council spokeswoman announced that the City Council was investigating sites on the Peninsula, but would not name the sites. In an unusual statement the City Council spokeswoman was quoted as saying “It is not something we are going to do secretly and decide…” Now the question here is if its not a secret and the City Council wanted the process to be “fair and let people know they were considering it” why would the Council not provide the community with all of the relevant information now? Clearly it is a secret and it begs the question of how this proposal might affect community use and recreation on public reserve land for the Peninsula community in the future.
The pressures on the business community to actively ensure that their enterprises are viable in the present economic climate are immense. It’s difficult to fathom why the City Council would explore such an enterprise when it will no doubt unduly affect local accommodation businesses like that of Sherryl and Kevin Charles in Portobello. What’s even more difficult to understand is why the City Council wish to compete in the accommodation marketplace? Surely if the demand for an additional campsite was required then those with the funding, land and enterprise in the private sector would undertake to develop such a project. To date private sector investment of that type has not been realised. The City Council will be creating a subsidised accommodation business without having to pay a mortgage, rates or development costs. That’s a distinct financial advantage and one that competes directly with the private sector.
Otago Peninsula Volcano Walk
It dawned cool, crisp and clear in Portobello today with a solid frost on the windscreen of the car to remind us that winter still bites. Portobello School have been studying volcanoes and were taking the short climb to the top of Harbour Cone (Hereweka). The cone is a remnant of the volcano that exploded 10-13 million years ago and created the Otago Harbour. After a short steep climb the spectacular views across the Peninsula and harbour are worth the effort, and the whole area was bathed in bright sunshine. Enjoy the pictures by clicking on them for the viewer.
Papanui Inlet and Victory Beach – Harbour Cone
Hooper’s Inlet, Allans Beach and Mt Charles – Harbour Cone
Main Street Landscaping Project
Members of Portobello Community Incorporated have worked steadily over the last few weekends to get the planting and edging of the main street plot completed, and what a difference! With a donation from the Dunedin Amenities Society for the plants from Ribbonwood Nurseries, a good supply of mulch from John Clearwater Contracting and using the old Portobello Jetty timber for edging, this little project has really tidied up an unused area of the main street of the township. Thanks to all of the team from Portobello Community Inc. especially Paul, Peter, Richard, Wayne and Geoff Sheridan for the use of the truck to cart all of the timber. Well done, let’s do more! Click on pictures below to see in viewer.
View from the Creek
Main street landscaping
Overview from bus shelter
Changes to Hooper’s Inlet Channel
The opening of the Hooper’s Inlet channel by the Dunedin City Council on the 6th of June saw a marked change in the water levels within the inlet. Since the opening work was undertaken the Otago Peninsula has been in the grips of a keen storm front that has swept across from the South Island into the central North Island. Accompanying the storm were high seas and tides and it was worth the chilly walk to see how the channel opening had coped since the original opening.
There has been a marked increase in the width of the channel as the eastern edge has eaten into the existing dunes. This has increased the height of the channel upwards of 3-5 metres in places. Typically of storm periods there was significant debris on the beach which had also been pushed into the inlet. Noticeable too has been the increase in water around the old channel position across the beach, though it was difficult to see whether it had reopened back into the sea. There is still extensive water movement in and out of the channel and visitors should be cautious while visiting the area. Certainly the recent tidal and wind conditions along with the water movement have altered the area and it will be interesting to see how the channel changes once the weather calms down into spring and summer. The pictures taken here were at high tide on Sunday the 23rd July. Click on pictures to view in gallery.
Compare the pictures from the initial opening.
High winds blow loose sand across the beach
The easterly movement into the existing dunes
View from the inlet showing the easterly movement
A large log washed up on the inlet edge
Debris field on the inlet side of the dunes
High tide and strong seas
Portobello Community 