On the banks of Lake Karāpiro sits 600 acres of former dairy country, given back to the land. Since 2007, over 800,000 native trees and plants have gone in by hand — and the birds have followed.
Takapoto Estate has been the Plaw family's since 2007, when several neighbouring dairy farms became one. What followed was a restoration: over 800,000 native trees and plants raised and planted by hand, a nursery grown from the estate's own seed, and trap lines that reach beyond the boundary onto neighbouring land. Three kilometres away is Maungatautari, and the corridor of bush between the two now carries tūī, kererū, kākā and more out of the predator-free fence and onto the estate. Alongside the sanctuary is a working estate: an equestrian venue that hosts showjumping, accommodation for guests, award-winning wines, a vineyard, Angus cattle, sheep, deer, beehives, an olive grove and a no-dig market garden. Those behind the gate keep a careful eye on the future, knowing they are only the guardians of a very precious piece of land.
