40 Old Wharf Rd Motueka 7120 , Motueka, Tasman

Sanctuary Ponds Reserve

Tasman Reserves

Sanctuary Ponds Reserve in Old Wharf Road, Motueka is a great example of community groups and Council working together. The 2.3-hectare reserve was created in 1993 when Edwin Benseman sold his farm to Council. Mr Benseman had already developed the portion of the land that had become the Sanctuary Ponds Reserve before the sale. It was swamp land originally but he carried out all the excavation work to drain it and create the lakes, making it a haven for bird life.
Sanctuary Ponds Reserve is a great place to relax and picnic.  It's a favourite spot for Wedding photos and the annual Teddy Bears Picnic is held there. A wide variety of bird life is attracted to the wetland style environment.

Plantings

The Ponds have lovely plantings of Maples, azaleas, rhododendrons, lavender, tulips and agapanthas. The thousands of bulbs that have been planted create an amazing display every spring.

History

Soroptimists International, Motueka and Districts Club, made a submission to Council to create an English style park around the pond. The project was to tie in with the Soroptimists International Jubilee that was being celebrated in 1995. Council readily accepted the suggestion and the offer of help that went with it.  The result was the Soroptimists and members of Keep Motueka Beautiful were involved in the initial planting and the Soroptimists involvement has continued.Soroptimists of Motueka have been extremely generous in donating their time to the plantings and maintenance at Sanctuary Ponds and they contribute between 200 - 300 work hours a year with formal and informal working bees. They also supply some of the trees, plants and shrubs through their fundraising efforts.The hard work by the Soroptimists Club has also been officially recognised, as they were joint winners of the Community and Individual section in the Tasman District Council Environmental Awards in 2001.

Features

  • Walking
  • Picnic Areas
  • Pergola

Location

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