An eight ton digger was needed to move and place the base stones in this new wall in Springs Road, Whatitiri, Whangarei. It is an area rich in stone walling history but there is still room for some new ones! Jim Osborne and Ian are building this new road and entrance feature. The stone here is heavy basalt with a lot of very rounded stones. However it is easily cut and some of this rock has been burnt which is evident when it splits and reveals changes in the structure of the stone.
This new wall will butt up onto The Rockhoppers Garden wall. This garden is open to the public and has a small café serving morning and afternoon teas. It is full of interesting, different plants and features making best use of the stony landscape, the abundance of water and the subtropical climate.
The historic walls here were built on the Wilson family farm during the depression the in the 1930s, mainly by Dalmatians. The farm was subdivided in the 1990s into lifestyle blocks.
Stone Wall Country 