Planting a gum tree
in the Catlins

Harley Cullen, aged 4, is keen on trees. 

She and little sister Brooke know these seedlings will be big trees one day on the family farm.

For the moment though, it’s Brian Denston’s job to actually put them into the ground. He’s worked out that he has planted at least 200,000 trees on the tougher parts of the Cullen farm at Owaka over the past 35 years. So he’s looking forward to the day when the Cullen girls can do the digging instead.

Meantime, their father Simon, can concentrate on farming sheep and beef animals on the flatter and fertile parts of the farm where they do best.