Every autumn so many guests comment favourably on the deciduous trees that are a feature of Turangi. Some rave about them. They provide so much mature character etc…
But there are always others that can’t see the wood for the trees…
Following is just some of the fb rants after a local criticised the trees…. just to show the depth of feeling for this lovely little tourist town. We have removed the names to avoid any embarrassment. (Photos on right are from TRM library)
Ok who has had enough of the hundreds of unkept oak trees in our town. In my street alone there are 37.
It has become a health and safety issue when one gets a twack on the head from acorns falling from great heights. Not to mention the waste of rate payer dollars/man power/machines to clean up the autumn leafs that clog the road side waste water systems inclusive of my spouting.
I would be happy to donate a fruit tree or two to replace the ones at my gate.


I would far rather munch the leaves with my lawn mower for a short time, than have my rates sky rocket to build an ivory tower in Taupo to house the council…
🙂
Shallow rooted trees come down easily in high winds
We are so lucky to live in a town that has a real Autumn. Sure the leaves are messy but it doesn’t take much to rake them up. They are a highlight of our lovely town.
If you are free this weekend Janeve see you on my roof. Lol.
I’m sure you’d have some beautiful autumn photos of our town???
i think i do somewhere. ill dig them out
Yes please!!!
Come on bro its the nature of autumn awsome colours would you rather live in a concrete jungle fruit trees would be great but they shed leaves dropped fruit would attract wasps fruit would be missilesfor our tamariki theres two more reasons for people to complain about
Take a walk today and look at the stunning colours on show. Take the other issues out of it and look at what the trees provide. Colour, streetscape, shade to name but a few.
Look at my photos from the walk today. Nothing else like it in the North Island anyway
You dont need to remove the trees just give them a good prune every few years! The problem these trees is they have been neglected.
Unfortunately, heavy pruning can have the opposite effect and cause rapid regrowth. Generally, 20% of the trees foliage area is the most that should be removed and NOT FROM THE TOP!!!!!!
I’d also ask what neglected is? Where do you see trees in nature being crown lifted, thinned, topped, reduced, trimmed etc? They’re not neglected they’re growing true to form.
I love the trees. We are so lucky and our town is so beautiful. I totally agree with you Ian Ashmore
The trees are like Tourists! A nuisance in bulk for a few weeks a year.
The beginning of Turangi the hydro town. The oak trees were planted in acknowledgement of England

Unfortunately, they’re not English. The only Oak that is English is robur. All the others are of American origin.
Tell that to those that planted them. Lol
Why I like Turangi! The town is not sterile and in Autumn coming over the paunga its full of colour. Gives a great feeling of beauty.
Im sure the council will permit you to get rid of the Oaks if your street had a design Manu Kerehoma. Some Napier streets have removed specimen species in favour of low growing fruit trees and vegetables. It is an individual householders responsibility to care and maintain the plants for the street/town.
What is directly outside your whare is your responsibility. The council could help with providing a plan of where the water pipes are.
Napier also has some substantial street trees such as Purriri. They look awesome.
kei te pai Manu i have visited carefully planned streets and they are inspiring.
Oaks have a place but really 37 on one street is visionless town planning, time to move into the 21st century.
I love the trees in Turangi but there are loads of for and against in this argument, like totally overkill with too many trees in some parts of town and then minimal in other parts of town, the maintainence on your home can be very high in the autumn/…See More
At least your subject has created interesting korero,Manu!
Feel for you, I lived across the road, mum there now. Getting no natural light on your property must be a factor as well as the leaves. During bad storms the risk of the trees? Council should look at your situation.
What we do need is a much more pro active council who can organise extra resources both human and financial at this time of year to reduce burden on home owners / dwellers.
I love the trees! and a small price to pay for the beautiful colours in autumn and the gorgeous shade in summer.. Had lots of positive comments from visitors over the years. I thought the Council did a thinning of the trees a few years back.. maybe should revisit some of the overcrowded streets now..
The trees are part of the town ,so pretty an it only takes a couple hours to clean them up !!
Go figure ay
So far, I haven’t heard too many decent solutions. People put forward ideas of planting fruit trees or natives without actually thinking through the issues that idea presents (as I described in an earlier post). Also, what do you do? Remove every singl…See More
Councils arborists say topping trees is bad for the tree….but they don’t even prune to uplift them…when they were planted little consideration was given to the sun angel…ie trees were planted on the southern side of the street and not the northern….all our trees are topped with no issues.
I can tell you for a fact that topping trees is bad practice but take a look on the website I provided.
The trees have been pruned on several streets; feel free to have a look. So far and still no solution.
Wouldn’t be home without em.
I don’t care if nothing grows. Manu never said anything about how pretty or ugly they are. She said they are wasting money and unkept..and the only pro of these trees is that they are pretty in Autumn. Oh, and good for making furniture but they have to be cut down for that
You forget they provide a wind break from those biting southerly’s and shade during those blistering summers. Not to mention protection from the hoons racing up and down the street.
Why would we have to plant more trees. Any other ideas?
Could you imagine our town streets without trees? It would look like the aftermath of a holocaust !
I agree they are pretty. Was it 36 in Te Hei alone. Do we really need that many.. Just trying to think out side the box.
You can’t waste money on nature.
Definitely. Which is why some people would opt for native NZ trees then an introduced species
It would be more of a waste of money to remove what’s there and replace it then to just leave it. There’s no real reason to remove it. Acorns don’t kill. As for the roots uplifting etc it’ll happen with most trees.
And if fruit trees were planted there are plenty pd workers in Turangi to pick up the fruit and prune the trees. They would gain some horticulture knowledge at the same time
Better idea get over it every year this comes up are we becoming a bunch of whingers worrying about things that really dont matter a town with no trees is no birds no shelter we live top story and there is real beauty looking over our town on any given season
We should be more concerned with the crime and drug issue in this town
I love the trees .. they are what I remember about growing up in turangi
I love them, that’s Turangi’s natural beauty in Autumn, usually grab rubbish bags of leaves just for my compost in Taihape
Great for the gardens, no place like home
I was talking to an Aunty this morning who rakes her leafs everyday on Te Rangitautahanga. Her pile has been sitting there for 3wks. She was saying a council guy stopped outside her whare and said to her ” Why don’t you put that behind your house” ….
I don’t believe the trees had anything to do with Council and, as of yet, still nobody has given me a solution or a plan that works for everyone. Lots of for and againsts but nothing of substance.
Really who decided it was a “good idea” to plant these menaces in the first place. I bet they weren’t counting on the destruction they have caused…..
Nope but it wasn’t Council who planted them.
It wasn’t my aunty….
And “menaces” is only one opinion many other people love them
Not just mine my aunty who is a kuia!!! all of 65!!!!!!
Yep and there are plenty of others that do like them. Read back through the thread.
You don’t chop the tree down because the council don’t do their job.
I want to chop the tree down inside my yard!!! Nothing to do with the council. I feel for my aunty!!!
Makes me wonder how many other elders get spoken to like that….
Need some squirrels
Lol
Let’s prune them. It’s been an environmental nightmare for 20 years!! Come on Councillors we put you there for reason.
Well put, I for one find them beautiful in summer……but DAMN annoying in winter. Get rid of them!
..growing up in Turangi.. my favourite time of year is autum, loved the tree lined streets of home. there are measures you can take ie: put leaf guards in your gutters, get out once a week with your rake…, take a deep breath… and look around at what you have … some places in the world cant even grow grass….let alone a whole street of oak trees.. ..just saying. T.
My aunty is out there EVERYDAY raking her yard… Its what keeps her alive she jokingly tells me. What I didn’t find funny was the response she got from the council guy….