Nestled
between the Pacific Ocean and the Bay of Islands sits 850-acres that
has changed little since the Maori and missionaries occupied the land
over two hundred years ago. Mitigating conflicts, between developing
the land and preserving its fragile ecological and archeological sites,
became the basis for the master plan, as shown here in Phase I. The
developer’s program called for a lodge, a marina and jetty, a
limited number of private house sites, and the continuation of the existing
sheep farm. Traces of the previous cultures were identified and preserved
for interpretation and the native bush, wetlands and estuaries were
enhanced and expanded. Shelterbelts, symbolic of the surrounding agricultural
landscape, were introduced to screen the future house sites from primary
viewsheds.