A new life for an old pond

Update from member Attila, who has been working over the last six months to renovate the pond area. The intention is to have less open water and more marshy verge - increased cover for frogs and other pond life.

Reconstruction of the pond is well underway following the conceptual design. Given its excellent location and existing attributes, we preserved the old liner for a leaky wetland while creating a new inner pond that will be easier to maintain.

After a massive clean-up of weeds and mud, the PVC liner was patched in over 100 places and covered with a layer of soft sand and sack-cloth to protect it from further damage. The Mahogany Ship sculpture was relocated and safely seated at the head of the pond near the quarry, in what will be the future dune-field section.

A huge volume of rocks and boulders has been uncovered, most of which are waste rock from a bluestone quarry, and they vary in size and shape. To make things more challenging, the ground is also very hard and rocky, with bits of old liner buried deep in the rubble fill. This has proven to be an ideal haven for weeds, including Kikuyu, Couch Grass, and Pampas Lily, which formed a dense root mass that contributed to the demise of the previous pond. The new design will control invasive weeds using hard edges, vertical barriers, mortar seals, and dense native ground covers. The future structure will use existing quarry materials to minimise waste and highlight this heritage resource. This has required extensive planning and trial-and-error fitting together boulders like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

A formal footwall and pond edge have been constructed using the best stone, with steps added at each end of the wetland. A Frog Fortress was built under the bridge by piling up flat rocks to serve as a vital haven from hungry herons and lizards. The main structural elements are gradually taking shape in an organic process that allows for adjustments to difficult ground conditions, resulting in a more robust and fit-for-purpose outcome. Aquatic plants and ground covers are being cultivated in preparation for planting and construction of the main pond will start soon.