From the deck, not just a view but a mission to restore Middleton Stream

Their community group is called From The Deck. And it’s true that from the

deck at the back of Penny and Rod Hansen’s house in Ada Street, Remuera,

there’s a lovely view of the prolific native bush spilling down the formidably

steep slope of their land beyond the deck to Middleton Stream in the valley

below.

They could have been excused for just admiring the view from the deck, gin

and tonic in hand. But not the Hansens — and not their friends Carole Davies

and Colin Harvey, from nearby Swinton Close, a steep lane off Bassett Road

where sections also plunge down to Middleton Stream.

Instead, they’ve joined with neighbours all long the valley to rescue the

stream, blocked by overgrown bush and rubbish, mainly builders’ rubble

dumped over the years. It’s a huge task, made harder by the severe slope

and the difficult access, not to mention the stream’s identity crisis, given that

it’s on the boundary between Ōrākei and Waitematā Local Boards.

But undeterred, they joined forces to form From The Deck in 2017 and lead a

multi-year project to clear the stream and re-plant the valley, installing tracks,

steps and handrails to access the site.

They’ve enlisted the support of both local boards as well as Watercare and Te

Ngahere, a commercial group of environmental experts dedicated to the

restoration of native environments. Funding has come from Auckland

Council’s stormwater management department Healthy Waters.

Last year 10 tonnes of rubbish were removed from the stream, including a

gun! And since 2018 they’ve planted 5,500 plants, including big trees like

Pūriri and Kahikatea.

The valley used to be full of Pūriri, and still has a number of very fine old

specimens of this magnificent tree that feeds native birds with nectar, fruit

and seeds.

The 2023 Anniversary Weekend floods were a huge setback, with 2,000

plants washed away. But Penny and Carole and their team just tipped the

water out of their gumboots and carried on. Colin, a geologist, spearheaded

the identification of places to plant where the trees are unlikely to be washed

away, and Te Ngahere has advised on which species to plant.

“The next big project, replacing an old sewer at the top of the valley, is almost

complete thanks to Watercare responding to all our communications,” Carole

says. “It was on the point of collapsing.”

Penny and Rod moved from a flat section in Mt Eden 10 years ago to this

challenging bush-clad taonga. Carole and Colin have lived in their part of the

valley for 30 years.

Neither couple is young. How do they maintain the energy and enthusiasm to

keep up such hard mahi year after year? Penny explains that mainly it’s

because it’s a shared project – with neighbours, the Local Board, Auckland

Council, Healthy Waters, Te Ngahere and Watercare, “Everyone contributes

and keeps the energy going. We all want a clean harbour and that begins

with clean streams.”

— Story and photos Jan Power

See their lastest newsletter about the project: https://fromthedeck.org/blog/

Pic 1. Aerial view of Middleton Stream

Pic 2. Penny Hansen (left) and Carole Davies in their bush-clad valley

Pic 3. Middleton Stream