Hinewai Reserve is a private

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

located on

Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula () is a rocky peninsula on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand that was formed by two now-extinct volcanoes. It has an area of approximately . It includes two large deep-water harbours — Lyttelton Harbour a ...

in the

Canterbury Region Canterbury () is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of , making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of The region in its current form was estab ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. It is owned and managed by the Maurice White Native Forest Trust.

Description

The reserve began as a 109-hectare block of farmland purchased in September 1987. It has since expanded to approximately , and is now covered with a mix of

gorse ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are na ...

and regenerating native bush. The land was originally forested before human settlement, but much of the native vegetation was cleared following European colonisation. The area is now undergoing rapid reforestation, with gorse acting as a nurse crop for regenerating native species. The reserve features over 20 public walking tracks, including sections of the Banks Peninsula Track.

Management

Botanist Hugh Wilson manages the reserve on behalf of the Trust. He also hand-writes and illustrates the quarterly newsletter ''Pīpipi'', which reports on the reserve’s progress and ecology.

Events

In July 2011, approximately one-third of the reserve was burned in a large fire, likely caused by a lightning strike. By 2017, native vegetation had regrown rapidly, aided by the role of gorse as a pioneer species. In December 2021, dramatic floods caused widespread landslips across the reserve, reshaping parts of the landscape. Further recovery and growth of gorse and native shrubs was reported in 2024 and 2025.

Gallery

References

External links

Hinewai Reserve website

Hinewai Reserve on Google Maps

''Fools and Dreamers: Regenerating a Native Forest''
– documentary film {{Authority control Banks Peninsula Protected areas of the Canterbury Region