Now for something entirely different… On a recent pleasant relaxing therapy stroll led by Juno around Turangi, we stumbled across some interesting and challenging imaginative landscaping to compare to the boring, unimaginative Council’s versions.

We trust you might appreciate that after losing a magnificent mature Oak tree to Council’s butchers recently, we have become more aware of protecting landscaping issues.

On the other side of Turangi, we admired a brave soul who had the courage to extend his landscaping and gardening skills to include the roadside strip. How refreshing! SWMBO claims he deserves an award.

We tried to capture the difference in photos below. We realise that some people do not care about their surroundings because they rent their homes. They may prefer a streetscape without any trees to save them the trouble of removing leaves in Autumn. The Council claimed the tree roots were damaging the footpaths, but why not just move the footpaths?

Any likely difference in individual property value would be interesting. Compare, where would you rather live? Do the mature deciduous trees add anything? You can bet the Council valuers have made no difference in their ratings assessments.

About 60 years ago, the village was designed by the Ministry of Works, with trees as a significant feature of Turangi’s residential planning. Compare the difference now. The Council are instead trying to recreate a barren residential development setting.

Toe-Paw Council planners have improved the visual amenity by removing all the larger trees, providing clean, uncluttered, modern images.

Yet we are aware that some other prospective purchasers have complained as well. They much preferred the former mature setting fringed by deciduous European trees. I wonder how much $ value has been removed or added in the streets where the trees were removed. As we do not live there, we accept it is none of our business, and perhaps it should not qualify to be in a TRM blog.

But after being subject to the Toe-Paw Council’s unforgivable removal of a majestic protected mature Oak tree on Taupahi Road outside my window, they have made it our business, and many residents have become more concerned about their motives.

Any specimen trees planted in a public recreation space in Toe-Paw receive royal treatment, such as the Kauri below. Perhaps up there, they are worth more? But, sadly, not in Turangi.

Where we are located in the other, older original settlement, the surrounding mix of mature trees has additional residential value, particularly by fostering an attractive environment for native birds. It is only when any particular tree is removed that we realise the loss.

Although we are still in mourning for the lost Oak tree, if that is all we have to worry about then we also have to admit, life is good!.