Supporting the community of Queenstown and beyond.
We know how lucky we are to call New Zealand, and more especially Lake Hayes, home. It is a true privilege to live here and to be part of such a fantastic community.
Part of our purpose is to think of new ways to support the local Queenstown, and broader New Zealand, communities.
With an emphasis on our passion for nature and design we have two special projects - The Green Project that supports our unique environment, and The Art Project that supports the creative talent within New Zealand.
We also offer The Homestead as a community space to host charity events, garden tours etc. It's fun for local friends and groups to visit and enjoy The Homestead.
And we love to support our local charities and businesses - we are a partner of The Queenstown Trail Trust and our EXPERIENCE page lists many of our favourite local, and often family-run businesses so that all our guests can enjoy on holiday, what we get to enjoy year round!
Our Lake Hayes private estate features over 300 protected and listed heritage trees.
The Green Project
There is no doubt that we bought The Homestead and historic farm buildings for the unique location and iconic setting.
However, beyond the Lake and mountain views, we fell in love with the old trees - we knew that we could not re-create the giant Wellingtonia on the Avenue and the heritage orchard within The Homestead gardens in our lifetime. There are over 300 protected and listed heritage trees within The Homestead grounds.
And from the day we completed the purchase of The Homestead we have been planting more and more trees!
To date, we have planted more than 300 trees around The Homestead and The Cottages, adding to the existing exotics and natives, including kowhai, mountain beech and cordyline (cabbage palm). We are rewarded with spectacular blossom through Spring, a stunning display of colour through Autumn and the delightful bird song from tuis and korimako (bell birds) and chatter from piwakawaka (fantails) year round.
We are planting native plants and removing cracked willow to help re-establish native wetlands.
Removal of Invasive Cracked Willow
Our lower paddocks border Lake Hayes and were overgrown with invasive cracked willow.
We have been working in close consultation and under agreement with The Department of Conservation over the last five years, and have fully funded the removal of vast areas of invasive cracked willow at the edge of Lake Hayes.
The willow removal has recreated the original wetland and provided the raupo and other native plants the space to grow back along the water's edge.
In addition, we have personally planted over 3,000 natives plants to re-establish the native wetlands including carex, toi toi, cabbage trees, flax and tussocks.
It's such a pleasure to see the native birdlife return - Australasian crested grebes are nesting and successfully breeding; herons and kotare (kingfishers) are regularly spotted and even the extremely rare and shy marsh crake and royal spoonbill have been spotted for the first time in many years.
This area remains a work in progress and will continue to improve over time as we ensure that the willow does not return, and as we continue to plant more natives.
Our goal is to create a very special ecological wetland zone that guests and users of the Lake Hayes trail can enjoy.
All profits from The Homestead rentals are re-invested in The Green Project.
Guests and users of the Lake Hayes Trail can enjoy the ecological wetland developing on the property.