Bullock Creek and the wetlands are a special place. Friends of Bullock Creek Trust, with our five Trustees, exists:

(a) To protect, restore and enhance the public amenity and the environment of Bullock Creek from head waters to its entry point into Lake Wānaka.

(b) To raise and manage funds to support object (a) above.

(c) To engage, inform and educate members of the public and residents of Wānaka as to the significance of Bullock Creek as a spring fed waterway, and how to manage and protect it

Along with the work our Trustees do, engaging in these important advocacy, oraganising, community engagement and managing roles behind-the-scenes, our works contractors Paul and Ed and our dedicated group of regular volunteers and other volunteers we welcome throughout the year, do the mahi of wetlands restoration and education with on-the-ground planting of native species, invasive species management, and pest control.

Combined, all of this work results in the continued restoration of Bullock Creek wetlands, for the benefit of locals and visitors, the creek itself and the ecosystems surrounding it, now and into the future.

If you love what we do and want to support us, consider making a donation. Check out the Support page for bank account details.

https://www.fobc.kiwi/support

Thank you for your support!

Making a donation by the entrance sign at Bullock Creek wetlands

Continuing our volunteer profile series, this week we feature Mary, a long time volunteer and Bullock Creek neighbour. Read on to learn more about Mary and her volunteering.

Mary enjoying a rest after an afternoon volunteer session

When did you start volunteering with FOBC?

I started volunteering for FOBC in 2017, supplying lunch on Saturdays for Corrections workers and also doing occasional work clearing under trees, cutting back blackberry overhanging the creek, clearing in the creek etc. I then began regular Thursday afternoon volunteering in 2023.

Why did you start?

I was helping my husband Roger, who was the voluntary Saturday Corrections Supervisor for several years. I met Paul van Klink (Fish & Game at that time), enjoyed his knowledge and enthusiasm and so became a regular volunteer post-Covid.

What keeps you coming back as a volunteer?

I keep returning as I enjoy the physical work, seeing the very evident results of our input and getting to know a like-minded, happy & positive group of people. The cup of tea and chat after work is great too!

Why is volunteering important to you?

Involvement engenders a sense of purpose, a strong sense of community and I enjoy meeting new people and interesting people passing through, including tourists.

What would you say to others about volunteering? 

Find something you enjoy doing, that can make a contribution to, and give it a go. It's very rewarding - and fun- weather permitting!!

Today we held our regular Thursday volunteer session. A small group of regular volunteers came along on this sunny, blue-sky Autumn day. We focused on mulching around some native plantings that had become overgrown with grass and other weeds. Without regular maintenance and management, it is easy for the native plants to become overwhelmed by voracious weeds, competing with the natives for precious light, nutrients and water.

That is why laying cardboard and spreading a thick layer of mulch over the top is important to help suppress the weeds and give our native plants every chance to grow and thrive. We even need to use the weedeater at times to more easily manage the grass before we can lay the cardboard and mulch.

Being outside on such a beautiful day, laughing and mucking around with our fellow volunteers, having a cuppa after the hard mahi and doing our bit for wetland regeneration is what it’s all about.

Have you seen the Easter Bunny? We have!!! If you go down to Bullock Creek, you may even see two…!

Happy Easter from all of us here at FOBC- we’re almost halfway through the year and powering through our work. We have been having plenty of visitors to the wetlands, including some preschool groups, as well as locals walking through the wetlands and plenty of visitors too.

Our volunteer session time has changed, to fit with the changing weather and hours of daylight. Currently Thursdays 2pm-4pm; meet at the corner of Stone St near the old hatchery site. All welcome!

On Thursday 10th April, we held a thank-you picnic on the wetlands boardwalk platform in the late afternoon Autumn sun. A group of volunteers and Trustees enjoyed a grazing platter, tea and coffee and even a wine (thanks to Sue and Andrew), and enjoyed some social time together, chatting and catching up after the first of our afternoon volunteer sessions for the year (now 2-4pm!)

We had perfect weather and even had a Kahu make a flying visit and a furry friend drop by for some sniffs and pets!

Thanks to Paul for the great idea, the Trustees for attending and backing the event, and of course, our volunteers, without whom we couldn’t do the wetlands restoration work that makes Bullock Creek so special.

Today we want to recognise the importance of partnerships, collaborations and funders to the continued mahi of Friends of Bullock Creek. When organisations work together, resources, knowledge, skills and efficiencies can be shared, meaning more capability within the community for environmental, ecosystem and change and benefit for everyone.

 With the continued collaboration and partnership with key organisations like Te Kākano, WAI Wānaka, Otago Catchment Community Inc, Tiaki Bees, Wānaka Backyard Trapping, Otago Regional Council and Otago Fish & Game, we benefit from their resources and their own staff and volunteer bases, providing the land on which we undertake the restoration work, providing support and guidance, helping us to plant the native plants, and monitoring the creek and waterway health. Plus so much more.

And without funding from key funders like Otago Catchment Community Inc, Patagonia and Central Lakes Trust, the wetlands restoration work we do at Bullock Creek wouldn’t happen. Period.

And let’s not forget our wonderful volunteers, who we continue to uplift and celebrate, in being there week in, week out over the past 9 years, during the rain and the sunshine, doing the hard mahi of weeding, mulching, and planting (and everything in between) to help restore Bullock Creek wetlands and springs to the space we all enjoy now.

Thank you to everyone who makes, and has made, Bullock Creek what it is today.

Be sure to check out and support all these fabulous organisations- together, we all make a strong community, passionate about environmental and ecosystem health and wellbeing.

Over the next couple of months we will be profiling some of our wonderful volunteers, highlighting what draws people to volunteering with Friends of Bullock Creek at the wetlands, what people get out of volunteering and why volunteering is important.

We think our volunteers are pretty special and want to recognise the hard mahi that they contribute to the group and the wetlands. Without our volunteers, Bullock Creek wouldn’t be what it is today.

This month we profile Blanaid- a regular seasonal resident of Wānaka.

When did you start volunteering with FOBC? 

I began in January 2025. I had visited Bullock Creek and found it a beautiful, restful place and I felt I wanted to be involved in caring for it.

Why did you start? 

I found the work very satisfying and could see a visible difference our group made after our 2 hour session. The people are very welcoming and eager to answer any questions that arise. Tea and biscuits after the sessions are good for getting to know the team.

What keeps you coming back as a volunteer? Why is volunteering important to you?

Volunteering is important to me and I am involved in several groups back in the UK. That time worn phrase ‘giving back’ is spot on - Wanaka gives me such enjoyment when I come each summer for a few months, that I am very keen to do my bit, however small.

What would you say to others about volunteering? 

I would encourage anybody considering helping at Bullock Creek to give it a go and learn more about nature in this beautiful place.

If you’re interested in volunteering with us, our sessions run on Thursdays; currently 9am-11am, with a change back soon to afternoons 2pm-4pm. Keep an eye on our social media for session time updates. Contact FOBC at info@fobc.kiwi for more information.

Over the past few months (and even well before then) water pollution and water safety issues have reared their ugly head in Wānaka and surrounds. Most recently the Wānaka Sun reported on the presence of human faecal matter in Lake Wānaka, with concern that people are bathing in the lake and nearby waterways.

Concern over local waterway protection related to continuing development and infrastructure has also been raised as possible causes of water pollution in our region. Developers, in conjunction with QLDC for their oversight and approvals of land developments, have an obligation to ensure that the environment is being considered and any pollution risks are mitigated in any development. To find out more about what QLDC is doing about water pollution and environmental protection management in the context of infrastructure and land development, contact Members of the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board: Environment- Linda Joll (+64 21 921 665 or linda.joll@qldc.govt.nz); Economic- Lyal Cocks (+64 27 438 1443 or lyal.cocks@qldc.govt.nz).

If you’re concerned about water quality and safety, you can contact us at info@fobc.kiwi, or contact WAI Wānaka at getinvolved@waiwanaka.nz. You can also report instances of pollution by calling Otago Regional Council on 0800 800 033 or by completing a report online at https://www.orc.govt.nz/environment/report-pollution/

*Find out more about water quality monitoring at https://www.orc.govt.nz/environment/water-care/water-quality/

You can check out the original Wānaka Sun article here: https://digital.thewanakasun.co.nz/html5/default.aspx

Managing the prolific weed Gunnera tinctoria

Part II

Big, big, big gunnera leaves

The removal and management work

A ‘cut and paste’ method is being used to manage and remove the gunnera found along Bullock Creek and its tributaries. Firstly, the plant stalks are cut down with shears and saw; some of the stalks are more than 15cm in diameter and can weigh at least 7kg or more, depending on how big the leaves are. Secondly, after the stalks have been cut as close to the ground as possible, a herbicide paste is applied directly to the exposed stem, which works to completely kill the plants, spreading through the remaining vascular system. Given that the application of herbicide is being done in the close vicinity of the creek and nearby to other non-target plants, Paul and Ed are very careful to ensure the targeted and judicious use of the herbicide to the gunnera being cut down.

Ed pasting the stumps

This combination of physical and chemical management of gunnera helps to firstly manage existing stands of the plant, whilst also reducing their ability to spread and grow elsewhere. While the cutting and pasting method is effective, it is important to note that even once the plants have been cut down and poisoned, the remaining stumps and root systems can still impact the immediate vicinity and the ability of other plants to repopulate that area. Therefore, it is of critical importance to identify and manage gunnera when it is a smaller plant, to avoid the potential larger-scale problems they can cause as they grow into mature, and very large, plants.

Cutting the last one…a big job

 After being cut down, the stalks and leaves of gunnera are taken to the green waste disposal site where they are then mulched and process to become compost or topsoil. A nice closed loop from foe to friend in the garden.

A trailerful of gunnera, bursting at the seams

What can I do to help?

If you’re a landowner or have responsibility for any creek-side land, you can do your bit by removing gunnera where and when you see it. You can also contact us for more information or for help in the process. For more information about managing gunnera check out this page from ORC: https://www.orc.govt.nz/environment/biosecurity-and-pests/plant-pests/gunnera/

If you love the wetlands and waterways regeneration work we do, you may want to volunteer with us or you may want to make a donation to help continue our work. Check out our website for more information www.fobc.kiwi

With thanks to Paul and Ed, Central Lakes Trust and Wānaka Rotary, and cooperation from local landowners enabling the important weed removal work in the name of ecosystem and waterway health.

References

Environment Southland Regional Council. (n.d.). Chilean rhubarb. https://pesthub.es.govt.nz/?pwsystem=true&pwid=543&sort=alpha

New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. (2025). Gunnera tinctoria.

https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/gunnera-tinctoria/

Otago Regional Council. (2025). Gunnera. https://www.orc.govt.nz/environment/biosecurity-and-pests/plant-pests/gunnera/

Managing the prolific weed Gunnera tinctoria

Part I

Background

Otago Regional Council (ORC) recently GPS-mapped sites along Bullock Creek in Wānaka, identifying eighteen sites where gunnera (Gunnera tinctoria) was found alongside the creek and its tributaries. From these eighteen sites, with funding generously provided by Central Lakes Trust and Wānaka Rotary, Paul and Ed from FOBC have begun gunnera removal, with additional sited identified as needing gunnera removal numbering at least forty.

The removal work began around mid-February and is in conjunction with private landowners who have given permission to access the tributaries running through their land where gunnera is growing. Paul is door-knocking houses based on the eighteen original sites identified by ORC. It is critical to have landowner cooperation with this project, to allow access to first identify and then remove the gunnera from alongside Bullock Creek. One landowner described how they’re happy to be involved because it means the health of the waterways is being looked after.

What is gunnera and why is it a problem?

Gunnera, also known as Chilean rhubarb, is a large growing clump-forming plant, classified as a National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) plant and a DOC-identified environmental weed[1] in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The plants can grow so big, with some of the larger leaves measuring at least a metre wide or more, which is massive! The shade they create negates ideal light and growing conditions for other plants, essentially out-competing other plants for light and space; Ed says that only some shade-loving species can survive in the midst of gunnera. Because gunnera easily spreads and grows more seedlings through its root system and even from stalk cuttings, it poses a huge competition risk to native plant species that would otherwise grow in similar conditions.

Look how big just one stalk and leaf is compared to Paul!

 “They can take over hectares”, according to Paul, who goes on to explain that “the spores release when its mature”, creating ample opportunity for gunnera to spread.

How does gunnera spread?

Spores from mature plants are dispersed through the waterways, hence why so many are found along Bullock Creek and its tributaries, as well as being spread by birds[2]. The plant is often found in high-rainfall and wet areas, and has even been spotted on West Coast beaches.

Big heavy flower heads full of seeds.

What is involved in gunnera management?

A lot of hard work! It is a physical job removing gunnera, and Paul and Ed have been hard at work attending the eighteen identified sites and the additional sites where gunnera is known to be growing along Bullock Creek and its tributaries. Stay tuned for the next instalment to find out more about the removal and management work as well as ways you can be involved in this waterway health initiative.

References

[1] New Zealand Plant Conservation Network 2025 and Otago Regional Council 2025

[2] Environment Southland Regional Council n.d.