Calendar of Events

Here are some of the key events that the Rimutaka Forest Park Charitable Trust and key partners are planning for the balance of 2012:-

Upcoming Events...

Thursday, 18th October, 2012 - 7.30pm
The Lighthouse Theatre, Petone

RFPT Fundraising Movie Night - The Angels' Share
Admission $25 per person
Movie starts at 8.00pm

For details and tickets, please contact Rosemary Thompson on (04) 569 4764 - or email her at rosemary.thompson@xtra.co.nz

Recent Events:

Kiwi Aversion Training - July 2012

Get your dogs trained to avoid kiwi for free and go in the draw for a dream hunting trip to the Motu for you and a mate (including helicopter transport for you both and up to 4 dogs!)

Terms and conditions apply... Download Details here:
Kiwi Avoidance Training

Sunday July 15th, 2012

Catchpool Centre, Rimutaka Forest Park

The Rimutaka Forest Park Trust will be running another kiwi aversion training event on Sunday July 15.

The training for your dog is free, thanks to funding from the Wellington Community Trust.

Book NOW! For more information contact Melody McLaughlin, on (04) 564 6213.

If you have a dog and visit the Rimutaka Forest Park for hunting or recreation you need to get it avoidance trained.

This is an affordable way to help safeguard our kiwi and your dog. The certification we provide can be used to take your dog into any kiwi area around the country (may be subject to regional restrictions, talk to the local DOC office first).

The 2011 Stoat Trappers' Ball

The 2011 Stoat Trappers' Ball is to be held at 7.30pm, on Saturday, 29th October. The venue is once again the beautiful Wainuiomata Golf Club on the Coast Road.

It'll be more fun than having a ferret run up your trouser leg!

Tickets are available from:

DOC Visitor Centre
18 Manners Street, Wellington - Tel: (04) 384 7770

Hutt i-SITE Visitor Centre
25 Laings Road, Lower Hutt - Tel: (04) 560 4715

Upper Hutt i-SITE Visitor Centre
90 Main Rd, Upper Hutt - Tel: (04) 527 2141

Wainuiomata Book & Gift Shop
11 Queen St., Wainuiomata - Tel: (04) 564 5988

Don't miss this hilarious annual social event, which is also a fund-raiser for the Rimutaka Forest Park Trust.

Tickets are only $30 (Adults) and $20 for school-age children
(Under 5 free...)

There are fabulous prizes to be won and a number of highly desirable items to be auctioned. By way of example, last year we had fantastic donations of products and services from Interislander Ferries, Kathmandu, Wow Jewellery Design, Lighthouse Cinemas, Department of Conservation, Diocesan Car Fund, Trish Gibson, Wainuiomata Book & Gift Store and more!

More Upcoming Events...

Volunteer Days - Catchpool Restoration Project
Kiwi Releases - as chicks return to us from eggs hatched at Pukaha Mt Bruce, or captive-bred birds are released into the wild for the first time...
Annual General Meeting - October, 2011
End of Year BBQ - December, 2011. Our annual knees-up for trappers, kiwi handlers, trackers, volunteers and supporters

Recent Events

Sausage-sizzle fund-raiser

Sunday, 20th February, 2011 - Petone

Come and meet some volunteers from the Trust and enjoy a tasty sausage sandwich while you learn about some of our activities in the Rimutaka Forest Park.

The team will be cooking up a storm outside The Warehouse, in Petone, so come on down!

Kiwi Aversion Training

Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th March, 2011

Jim Pottinger will be down our way again to train your dog(s) to avoid kiwi. Up-to-date Kiwi Avoidance certification for your dogs is essential for many hunting permit areas throughout New Zealand. For further details and to book your dog in for training, please call Melody, on (04) 564 6213

Visitor Centre Catchpool Valley Entrance

Hunting dogs and pets being prepared for their kiwi aversion training session with Jim Pottinger at the Catchpool Education Centre.

Wainuiomata Water Walks

Sunday 7th of November and Sunday 12th December, 2010

Our Wainuiomata Water Catchment neighbours to the Rimutaka Forest Park run regular free walks through rarely-seen pristine native forest so you can learn more about where our top-grade Wellington water supply comes from AND enjoy first-hand the unsurpassed beauty of unspoiled New Zealand lowland native forests and the abundant wildlife it contains!

Book your place on a free guided Wainuiomata Water Walk here: (This link will take you to the Greater Wellington Regional Council's website for Wainuiomata Water Catchment Tours contact and booking purposes

Kiwi Avoidance Training

Catchpool Centre - Rimutaka Forest Park
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th November, 2010

Call Melody, on (04) 564 6213 to book your dog(s) in now!

The camp kitchen in the Catchpool Camping Ground

The cookhouse in the camping ground beside the Catchpool Stream is just one of several modern amenity blocks and facilities offered to campers

Click the image above to see details about our latest fundraising event in support of our Kiwi Project. Keep the evening of the 18th October free for this terrific event where you could win the naming rights for one of our new-born kiwi chicks!

The beautiful, clear-flowing Turere Stream approaches Jacob's Ladder and the Orongorongo River Valley at the end of the Orongorongo Track in the Rimutaka Forest Park. (Click for a larger image) Photo credit:- Peter Cooper

Q. What could possibly be more fun than having a ferret run up your trouser leg?

A. The Stoat Trappers' Ball, of course!

The poster for the 2011 Stoat Trappers' Ball

This year's Stoat Trappers' Ball will be on Saturday, 29th October, 2011.

See photos from previous Stoat Trappers' Balls here...

Download the Stoat Trappers' Ball FAQ

The Rimutaka Forest Park Trust float as it appeared in the last Christmas parade in Wainui

Our award-winning float is seen here during the 2006 Christmas Parade in Wainuiomata

Last Year's Events

RFPT Annual General Meeting - Tuesday, 12th October, 2010 - Wainuiomata Library - 7.30pm

Public notice is hereby given for our Annual General Meeting to be held at the Wainuiomata Library meeting rooms on Tuesday, 12th October, 2010, at 7.30pm.

The agenda and order of proceedings will be published shortly.

We are delighted to announce that Dr. Les Molloy will be our Guest Speaker. Les describes himself as a Natural Heritage Consultant. He has chosen to speak on:

“NZ’s Places of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’: - potential natural World Heritage sites”

Les Molloy has written several books on New Zealand’s geodiversity and biodiversity – and the need to protect our special wild places. He has also had a long involvement in the designation of UNESCO’s natural World Heritage sites, not only in New Zealand but also in Central & East Asia and the Pacific.

In 2007 Les was invited by the Department of Conservation to chair a group of scientific experts tasked with coming up with a ‘tentative list’ of sites in New Zealand which had the potential to eventually be listed as World Heritage sites (in addition to our three existing listed sites).

Les will give an illustrated presentation on this work.

Save the Kiwi Dog Walk.)

Sunday Dog Walk - Whitcher Grove, Wainuiomata
December 5th - (11am rain, hail or shine - forecast is brilliant!)

The Save The Kiwi Dog Walk starts from Whitcher Grove, Wainuiomata (first right off Moore's Valley Road) at 11am sharp.

Bring your dog! The walk aims to increase awareness of the close proximity of endangered kiwi to popular dog walking areas in our region.

To participate, please register on Craig Peryer's website at Thedogfixer.com

RFPT end of year BBQ

Catchpool Centre - Rimutaka Forest Park
Sunday 12th December, 2010 - from 4.pm

All members, volunteers, sponsors and supporters welcome! Bring your family and friends. This is always a most pleasant social event where you can catch up on all the latest news about our various projects and restoration efforts.