The Wairarapa is full of amazing places to visit that are off the beaten track and are not well known to visitors and even locals. Fensham Reserve is one such place. Just five minutes west of Carterton, Fensham is 29 hectares of primary and regenerating native bush, and a further three hectares of wetlands, all administered by Forest and Bird and open to the public.A Key Native Ecosystem (KNE) in the Wellington Region and home to the endangered brown mudfish, it was gifted to the Royal Forest and Bird Society by the late John Fensham, who was well ahead of his time in his wish that the reserve be preserved for future generations.
You can comfortably walk the circuit track through the bush in one hour in either direction. There are some moderately steep sections but the all weather tracks are well maintained with boardwalks over wet areas.
The western side entrance is recommended as a starting point as there is a small carpark area and a picnic area. Falcons are often seen around here on fences, protecting the bush from various vermin that are a constant threat.
Entering the bush you are immediately immersed into a world that is becoming increasingly rare on the plains of the Wairarapa: a largely untouched remnant of big native trees. Take a right at the “circuit track” sign and walk a little. Supplejack hangs thickly like curtains and the undergrowth hugs the narrow tracks which are in parts almost unnoticeable, just the way tracks should be.
A little further on, a group of huge kahikatea sentinels stand as a fitting memorial to legendary Fensham volunteer David Gawith. Estimated at between 400-700 years old it is fascinating to think that these were around when the great plague was decimating various parts of Britain and Leonardo Da Vinci was finishing the Mona Lisa. Looking around the surrounding land that Fensham is located in, it is a miracle that these were not chopped down years ago.
Just past the kahikatea there is a small side track that overlooks a secluded swamp area. Try sitting here silently and you may hear the swoop of a kereru, then a crash as it unceremoniously lands in the trees overhead. Fantails, kingfishers and tui may all be seen searching for food in this area and beyond.
So far, the track has been flat but now it starts to climb. The seats placed at strategic positions so you can rest are a nice touch. If you want to avoid the hill altogether you can take the “old fence track” back (which coincidently used to be an old fence). However it is well worth walking to the higher points of the reserve to take in the views. By taking a small side track off the main track a fantastic view of the whole Wairarapa lower valley can be seen.
Carrying on this part of the reserve feels moist and cold. Soon you are surrounded by a prehistoric world of ferns, and trees dripping with fungi and moss which slowly morph into regenerating bush. Through this area you will walk on the many metres of wooden boardwalks that have been painstakingly built by volunteers over the years.
When walking around the area it is hard to imagine it in any other state, but it has come a long way over the years. Old man’s beard, gorse and wilding pines which all once featured regularly in Fensham are all now at a unnoticeable level. Feral cats, stoats, possums and other pest animals will always be a risk to such an area but levels are kept low with ongoing control and monitoring.
The credit for the current state of the reserve falls on the shoulders of the past and present dedicated volunteers from the Wairarapa branch of Forest and Bird, who have spent many hours over the years. The collection of seed to grow plants, carrying out pest plant and pest animal control, planting natives, monitoring, and any maintenance tasks that pop up.
Greater Wellington Regional Council is also involved with Fensham in a support role, providing traps and bait, monitoring expertise, and assistance when needed.
Fensham is one of the best examples of a forest remnant on the Wairarapa Plains that is freely accessible to the public. It offers the visitor a rich tapestry of different ecosystems in a relatively small area. It is worth a trip to Fensham Reserve some day to experience a place that should be celebrated as a jewel in the Wairarapa. It is a triumph that it exists at all. The more people that appreciate its significance the more hope there is for our disappearing natural areas.
Ben Winder is a Biosecurity Officer at Greater Wellington Regional Council in Masterton.
Need to know how to get there?
When travelling through Carterton from Greytown on High St. turn left at the roundabout onto Belvedere Rd (if travelling from Masterton turn right). Travel straight down and then turn left onto Cobden Rd. One entrance is just down from Cobden Rd and Haringa Rd’s. The other is on Upper Belvedere Rd.
The circuit track takes approximately 1 hour to complete and requires a reasonable amount of fitness to tackle some of the steeper sections.
Boardwalks can become slippery: Shoes with good tread are recommended. No pets permitted. Poison and traps are laid in the area so not a good idea.
No cycling. Car parking and picnic area.
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