Latest news with #ChookTree
Otago Daily Times
06-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Chook Tree top of the pecking order
North Otago's Chook Tree has been crowned the winner of the Tree of the Year New Zealand competition. Photo: supplied The owners of North Otago's Chook Tree say it is "egg-cellent" to have been crowned the winner of a national competition. The tree in Waianakarua, north of Palmerston, was voted the winner of the Tree of the Year New Zealand competition by the public from among a pool of six finalists. "It sort of makes all that work and effort that we do every year rewarding," owner Johnny Rusbatch said. His wife Hayley said they were "honoured" to have been named the winner. "We keep saying it seems egg-cellent being named Tree of the Year." The 6.6m-tall chicken-shaped tree sculpture was created by local poultry farmers Norman and Evelyn Clarke after it was damaged in 1978 by a storm, its remnants resembling that of a giant hen. Mr Rusbatch said his parents bought the property and its distinctive macrocarpa tree — or "Big Chook", as he referred to it — from the Clarkes in 1991, which he since inherited about nine years ago. When they first bought it, his parents probably saw it as "a bit of a gimmick". "It was a great socialiser. "They'd bring friends down, and I know Dad had a lot of great mates that used to come down, and they'd have a few beers and trim the chook." Once he knew it was going to be a finalist in the competition, he had an arborist give the tree a few touch-ups — including a new beak and around its eyes. It usually had a trim once or twice a year, and in the past had been dressed up with lights during the rugby season. The Chook Tree also came with its very own "egg". "Everyone thinks it's a Moeraki boulder, but it's not. It's literally just a big, hollow plastered egg, really, he[Norm, a plasterer by trade] created that." When asked the fated question of which came first — the chicken or the egg — the pair agreed it was "technically the chicken". In a statement, the New Zealand Notable Trees Trust, which has run the annual competition since 2022, said the Chook Tree secured the win "by a comfortable margin". Trustee Brad Cadwallader said it garnered a total of 3000 votes, beating runner-up Canterbury's Rangiora Borough School Redwood with 1714 votes.
Otago Daily Times
04-07-2025
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
On tenter-chooks
PHOTO: SALLY RAE The Chook Tree will be getting its last trim today in time for the announcement of the Tree of the Year competition. One of six finalists, the macrocarpa tree from Waianakarua, north of Palmerston, took on its unusual form nearly 50 years ago after a storm in 1978 left behind an unusual silhouette. Local poultry farmers Norman and Evelyn Clarke saw potential in what remained and trimmed it to shape accordingly.
Otago Daily Times
06-06-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Chook Tree a finalist in national competition
The Chook Tree in Waianakarua in North Otago is a finalist in the Tree of the Year competition. Photo: ODT files Three trees from the North Island will go up against three from the South Island, including a tree from North Otago, in a national competition. The Chook Tree in Waianakarua, north of Palmerston, has been named as a finalist in the Tree of the Year competition. The competition was launched this week and the public was invited to vote for their favourite from a shortlist of six trees across the country. In a statement, the NZ Notable Trees Trust, which runs the competition, said the Tree of the Year was a celebration of the iconic trees that shaped the country's landscapes, memories and communities. The competition shared stories of trees that held cultural, historical, and personal significance — drawing inspiration from the long-running European Tree of the Year competition. Last month, New Zealanders were encouraged to nominate a single tree that held special meaning — not a whole species, but one tree with a unique story. The aim was to highlight the deep-rooted connections we share with these living treasures. NZ Notable Trees Trust trustee Brad Cadwallader said the heart of the competition lay in community engagement. "These trees are part of our shared story — they hold our memories, mark our histories and shape our landscapes." Voting has opened and will close at midnight on June 30. This year's winner will be announced on July 5. Last year the award was given to a northern rātā (Metrosideros robusta) nicknamed ''The Walking Tree''. The distinctive tree is near Karamea Cemetery on the West Coast. Tree finalists The Fairy Tree, Auckland Domain St Luke's Gum, Greytown Rangiora Borough School Redwood Te Herenga Ora, Burnside High School, Christchurch The Phantom Rātā, Lake Ōkataina The Chook Tree, Waianakarua, Otago — APL
