An outing to the romantically-named Sherwood Forest, near Winton, with its soaring trees, bush walks and abundant birdlife, has been a popular pastime for Southlanders for decades. Reporter Allison Beckham this week spoke to owners Nan and Rod Sinclair, who took over from the couple who poured their energies into the important forest remnant.
''Gorgeous''.
That is how Nan Sinclair sums up her back yard.
And who can blame her?
Her back yard is a green wood of magnificent trees interspersed with large grassy clearings running alongside ponds and lagoons.
Two forest tracks allow walkers to explore.
The air is filled with the sound of tui, bellbirds, kereru, grey warblers and sparrows, plus the odd magpie.
Sometimes the Sinclairs have flocks of 30 to 40 kereru fly over their garden.
''It's pretty special isn't it,'' Mrs Sinclair says.
The Sherwood property was named by former owners Derek and Pat Turnbull after their then 6-year-old son Guy declared he had spotted Robin Hood behind a tree.
Its 28ha of farmland and about 35ha of fenced forest had been on the market for some time when Mrs Sinclair and her husband Rod bought it two years ago.
They had a lifestyle block not far away at Myross Bush and were looking for something larger and more interesting.
''We kept seeing the advertisements for Sherwood and I said we had to go and have a look and either do something about it or cross it off our list. As soon as we drove down the main [forest] track I knew I wanted it.''
Mrs Sinclair said Sherwood would not suit everyone.
It is not an economic farming unit, and the QEII National Trust convenants covering three forested areas mean they cannot be used.
''Living here has many benefits, but none of them are financial,'' she said.
The Sinclairs have three teenage children who go to school in Invercargill.
Mr Sinclair owns an IT company in Invercargill and commutes the 40km round trip.
Mrs Sinclair looks after the farm, raising hoggets, producing baleage, tending horses and doing her bit to keep weeds and pests out.
An ecological assessment plan carried out last year was the first step in creating a management plan, she said.
''It has given us a much clearer view of the threats facing the forest and the most important actions we can take to protect it.''
The report listed weed control, fencing, pest control and restoration planting as the top priorities - no surprise as they were the actions the Turnbulls were already undertaking with the help of volunteers.
Late last year the Sinclairs received a grant of $9481 from Environment Southland's environmental enhancement fund, matching it with a contribution of their own.
The money enabled them to employ a contractor to remove hawthorn shrubs proliferating at the edges of the forest areas, and to help with weed control inside the fences.
That involves ''cutting and pasting'' - cutting the stems off the sizeable weeds and pasting them with a diesel-based weedkiller, and painstakingly pulling out small weeds by hand.
A small grant from the QEII National Trust has helped pay for fence repairs, while the property is also visited by Tb eradication programme staff who trap possums, stoats and wild cats.
Mr Sinclair and son Rory are also keen hunters and keep the pest population down.
The Turnbulls hosted school groups and members of the public and encouraged people to help with weed control and forest restoration.
The Sinclairs are doing the same, although Mrs Sinclair said while a scout group camped regularly on a field, only two school groups had visited to date.
''People may know about the change of ownership, but perhaps they don't know who to contact.''
The family would welcome help and hoped to restart the Friends of Sherwood group, she said, but ''not because it is a Sinclair family benefit''.
''We're here because we love what we've got. Southland owes the Turnbulls a big thank you for what they did, and we want to keep that going.''
Sherwood Forest
• About 35ha of podocarp forest at Tussock Creek, near Winton, protected by QEII National Trust convenant since 1987.
• One of the largest remnants of the forest which once covered much of Southland. Contains many large matai and kahikatea trees as well as some totara and kowhai and threatened or regionally uncommon trees and shrubs such as coprosmas, Hector's tree daisy, fierce lancewood, white mistletoe and scrambling fuschia.
• Owned and developed by Derek and Pat Turnbull for more than 35 years. Mr Turnbull died in 2006 and Mrs Turnbull later retired to Invercargill. The property remained in the family until 2013.
