Warrenheip Reserve - 2025 Club Fundraiser

What. A. Day!

Huge thanks to everyone who volunteered time and energy for the Club fundraiser last weekend. It was a real success and a brilliant example of our club community putting their hands up, pitching in, and proactively supporting the club that exists to support them.

We counted 48 people out at Warrenheip on the day, including a great bunch of hard-working kids, plus several others who helped with organising but couldn’t make Saturday. We had volunteers from right across the club — Rugby, Netball, Hockey, Junior Sport — with a special shout-out to Squash, who arrived in fantastic numbers, and to our newest code, Senior Hockey, who haven’t even hit the turf yet but still had a crew on the tools.

There was plenty of banter, great team spirit, a fair bit of sweat… and we finished the job in under three hours. The Warrenheip crew were so appreciative they were already talking about preparing a couple more (smaller and easier!) tracks for us to re-metal in the new year.

Our thanks to David and Juliette Wallace for backing the club with the opportunity and the generous donation. Warrenheip is a stunning property, and it was special to hear stories of the kiwi kindergarten successes and the ongoing efforts behind the pest-free environment. There was plenty of chat as the LRSC crew emerged from the bush about coming back with whānau to understand more about the great work happening there.

Significant funds were raised. We’re now working through a list of priority facility projects to ensure we get some high-quality outcomes from everyone’s efforts. We’ll update you in the coming weeks on how the funds will be committed.

More photos from the day are available here.

The Warrenheip Opportunity

Our Club has a fantastic opportunity to raise important funds to support a range of much-needed facility upgrades that will benefit all members.

David and Julliette Wallace have offered us a club-wide working bee to re-metal the walking tracks within the Warrenheip Pest-Free Reserve on their property at Karapiro — and we would love your support!

However this is more than just a working bee — it’s a chance for the whole family to explore a remarkable natural New Zealand bush environment, including kiwi and other native wildlife, while helping our Club achieve something truly special.

The Details

• What we’ll do: Re-metal sections of several walking tracks inside the fully fenced, 16-hectare pest-free reserve. The work involves filling wheelbarrows or buckets with gravel, transporting it along the tracks, and spreading it with rakes.
• Why it matters: The reserve supports a kiwi kindergarten and a range of native ecosystems, making this work both important and rewarding.
• Teams: We’ll work in teams of 6–10 people for maximum efficiency.
• Terrain: Varies from straightforward to more undulating.
• Guidance: Warrenheip operational staff will be on-site to supervise and guide us.

On the Day

• Date: 29-November
• Time: 8.45am for a 9.00am pre-start briefing
• Address: 142 Fergusson Gully Rd, Karapiro [1.4km down Fergusson Gully Rd on the Left]. There will be a sign at the entrance.
• Duration: We're grateful for all working bee committment but 2-3 hours would be ideal. Earlier in the day the better. We won't go beyond 3pm.   

Equipment Required:

• Shovels - still require a few more - at least 1 per 3 people
• Wheel-Barrows - 3-4 more needed
• Buckets / Sacks - No more required - thanks everyone!
• Rakes - still require a few more - at least 1 per 3 people

Come Prepared With ...

• Sturdy footwear with grip. The tracks are wet and slippery in places.
• Sun Block / Hat - although it's much cooler in the bush.
• Music - the kiwi won't mind - they'll be sleeping.

Bring The Family Out!

• Families welcome: This is a fantastic opportunity for children to tour the reserve and learn about native wildlife.
• Safety & procedures: Due to the pest-free status and the species present, there will be entry and exit procedures to follow.
• Refreshments will be available throughout and we’ll ramp up a BBQ as the day progresses. We'll also enjoy some social time at the end of the day.
• Club involvement: We hope to see members from across sports — Netball, Rugby, Squash, and Junior Sport — all working together and enjoying the day!

If you haven't already, please sign up to help today!

Even 2 hours of your time makes a difference. [Click here to provide your contact details] so we can plan teams and equipment efficiently and communicate with you directly as the day approaches.

We would really appreciate all the help we can get and this is a fantastic opportunity for the club leading into 2026.

For any questions or additional information, please contact:

Dave Peters      021-2749113

Jason Rouse     027 8317699

Steve Kidd         021-412133

Thank you in advance for your support — we look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday 29 November for a fun and rewarding day!

Maps:

What Will Funds Raised Be Used For?

A variety of facility related projects are being considered at this point including - 

1. long overdue deferred maintenance requirements, 
2. upgrades to provide a better club experience for our members and guests, and
3. new facilities to meet the changing needs and interests of our membership and the wider community. 

We will not be able to acheive everything intially so the current list of potential projects will be prioritised based on a range of criteria such as; impact on members (wide reach), cost, timing and achievability. We will update members as this progresses but it's exciting what could be achieved!