Rangitikei River Lodge Development
River Run Lodge is set on 100 acres of fertile Rangitikei land,with terraces running down to the Rangitikei River, with its iconic cliffs. We bought the Rangitikei property in 2004 and set ourselves the major task of developing it from a blank canvas with no fences or dwellings and a few clumps of beautiful native trees.We started with the barn which has developed over the last four years into an amazing accommodation lodge over looking the Rangitikei River, where fisherman can stroll down to catch a trout.
TREE PLANTING
We have planted 4,000 trees lining the driveways with oaks, maples,liquid ambers,cherry trees and many more deciduous trees with their many colours to comlpiment the totaras kahikateas and other natives.
Our plantings started in 2005 having planted 50 Acer Campestre{Maples},50 Acer Pseudoplatanus{Sycomore}, 50 Cordyline Australis {Cabbage trees}, 50 Phormium Cookianum {native flax},50 Quercus Palustrius {pin Oaks},50 Quercus Petraea rubur {hybrid English oaks },50 Quercus robur {English oaks},50 Sophora goleyi {Rangitikei kowhai} and 10 Wisteria sinensis over fences and the pergolas on the lodge .Most of the plantings in 2005 were along driveways ,we probably lost 20% due to fencing not up to scratch and horses happily demolishing several hours of hard labour .we learnt our lesson so fencing became the next order of the day.
in 2006 We raplaced some trees from the previous year and set about planting along the new fencelines. Planting 200 Alnus cordata ]Italian alders],100 Alnus joruliensis [ alders], 50 Camellia sasanqua [making a hedge at the side of the house],100 Pittosporum tenuifolium [native hedge row]100 Populus kawa [for quick growing shelter.In the new orchard we planted 10 Sweet chestnut s,10 European hazelnuts 10 Bay trees ,10 Mazzard cherry trees.
Horses, a few sheep and cattle graze happily in the newly fenced paddocks at River Run Lodge.