History of Waitoetoe Park
as told by Bill Regnault of Buick Crescent
 Previously this area was an unfenced patch of bush on a dairy farm. In 1975 the bush was very open with no undergrowth of trees, although there was a strong layer of tradescantia or Wandering Willy and a lot of Jerusalem Cherry plus some invading elders. The native trees included totara, kowhai, a couple of kahikatea, which later died in a drought, some large hoheria, one matai, one magnificent kanuka and a few coprosma areolata. The land between this bush and the river was high with hemlock, fennel and rough grass.
A neighbourhood group got together and decided that the bush was worth salvaging and that something could be made of the open land. In 1976 a working bee attacked the tradescantia and cleared a small corner.  The late John Bolton, Council Director of Parks and Reserves, agreed to doing some clearance of the open space and a bulldozer levelled it by pushing a low hillock from the centre to fill a depression that ran along the bottom edge of the bush. This was not exactly what we wanted but it was a start. The concept agreed upon was that any planting connected with the bush would be native, while further out deciduous trees would be used to match the riverside willows. Mr Bolton provided some deciduous trees and these were planted by the locals leaving some open space for picnic groups playing rounders or suchlike. (This concept was lost when Council sponsored a Girl Guide planting of large poplar cultivars along the southern edge a few years later).
 From 1976 to 1980 more weeding was done but seemed to be a losing battle. However, planting of natives began using seedlings from various sources, largely as a result of fishing and tramping trips. Common stuff like karamu (Coprosma robusta) and mahoe came to be regarded as precious. A succession of nursery plots was established to grow seedlings on. John Bolton gave me permission to source seedlings from Esplanade bush. The compost bins there were a wonderful source of karaka and all of the first generation karaka in the Waitoetoe Bush came from there. My son brought some throw-out manuka after a DOC planting he had been involved with, these too seemed like a precious accession. About 2000, in total, were planted but in the early times probably only 50% survived. One neighbour put a drum in the bush and ran a hose to it so water could be bucketed to the trees.
 From 1980 to 1982 the Manawatu Walkways Promotion Society of which I was a committtee member, became interested in the area (or in a route through the area) as part of the river walk. Two Society members, Pauline Keys and Kitty Siefert became strong advocates to the Council with the result that the walkway came through the area and on to Maxwell's Line. Council employed two workers to form and maintain the walkway. These men were keen and effective and as time went on extended their efforts outwards from the path and into the bush. Locals had more or less beaten the Jerusalem cherry but were making no real progress with the tradescantia. (The plantings were simply in little areas and if not watched carefully, were easily smothered).
Early in the period from 1982 to 1990 Council had Periodic  Detention workers in to physically remove the tradescantia from the bush. This was followed up by the two walkway maintenance men using a highly effective spray on the regrowth. From that time on, tradescantia ceased to be a major problem, although it is still present.
Also, sometime in this period was the first Manawatu Tree Trust planting with a lot of locals turning out to assist. This was along the bottom edge of the bush and if one stands well out on the open park, one can, with a little difficulty, discern two canopy levels, the old and the new. A major flood swept over the planting shortly after if was established but did no permanent harm and again between the locals and the Council workers, the debris was cleared. A longer term result of the flood was from weeds and other things brought down by the river and which took root. These included Cotoneaster, more tradescantia and even rose prunings!
 More large plantings followed, one I think by the Tree Trust and a couple by Council, further along towards Paniere Park. Locals assisted with the Tree Trust plantings while for the other the Council delivered the trees and a large turnout of locals did all of the planting.
In 1993 at a PNCC Management Plan meeting, a name for the Park was mooted. "Waitoi" claimed to be the name given by the Slack family to the farm that covered the area. Nothing more happened about a name but in Council circles and probably for convenience, the name Buick Park began to be used.
Sometime also in this period, Roger and Gwen Morris bought a property bounding the bush and became indefatigable workers in weeding and restoration work in the bush. In this respect, one should also mention Don and Heather Scott and towards the other end of the park, Brian Pritchard.
Towards the end of the Park is a notable Northern Rata and efforts were made to have it registered on the Notable Tree list. However rather than that, the bush and all of the remnants that have been enhanced by more plantings, have been given a wholly protected status.
The rest of the 90's was a 'steady as she goes' period but with ongoing weeding. Street cherries started to appear in large numbers thanks to the birds bringing seed from the nearby streets, ivy seedlings are appearing everywhere and some years bring a spate of Clematis vitalba, or Old Man's Beard. Occasional elder seedling crop up despite most of the trees having been taken out. It needs continual "search and destroy' efforts to combat these.
Efforts to get the park officially named continued but only when I made an Annual Plan submission did it get action. Research of the City Archives showed that the Slack farm was "Waitoitoi", meaning toetoe near water, and this name was put forward (with others) when the process of naming got under way. The naming committee chose "Waitoetoe", this being the correct spelling of what has been known as "toitoi". The name was confirmed in 2002.
The next factor in the current period has been the interest taken by the Awapuni Ward Committee and the major working bees involving that Committee, Council and locals. These have been aimed at weeding and several skips have been very quickly filled.
Bill Regnault, 23 August 2003
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