Our Story
Ka mua, ka muri — walking backwards into the future.
The 2024 Bridge Hill fire tore through the Craigieburn Basin with devastating speed and force. It was a moment of loss. But it was also a spark — one that breathed life and hope into new ways of thinking and working, rekindled old ideas, and brought a community together to dream about an abundant future for the Basin and beyond.
We are the Craigieburn Basin Restoration Trust, and we are working to make that future a reality.
The Basin We Are Working Towards
Imagine flocks of kea and kākā swooping through the Basin, kākāriki, robins and fantails flitting through the forest, skinks and geckos scurrying across the alpine tussock lands, and towering trees making their way up the mountains. Regenerating bush everywhere. Life-giving, pristine water flowing from the mountains.
The night sky is stunning, the mountain backdrop and ancient limestone formations ever-present — and the silence is pierced by the calls of kiwi and ruru.
This is the Craigieburn Basin as it can be: majestic, iconic, and alive.
A Place of Deep Meaning
The Basin is a taonga. It carries the footprints of those who came before — Māori who knew it as a food basket and travel corridor, and early European settlers who were drawn by its drama and possibility. It is steeped in history, layered with story, and alive with wairua — that capacity to recognise the connections between ourselves, each other, and the living world around us.
It is a place that makes you feel excited and alive. A place of connection, restoration, and inspiration. Of adventure, learning, and grounding. A place where our young people are introduced to wild places, where food is grown, and where people travel from near and far to reconnect with nature.
The Work We are Doing
We are tackling hard problems. We are getting on top of wilding pines, learning how to restore native forest in an extreme environment, managing weeds and pests, and figuring out how people and nature can live well together.
Every day we learn from those who have come before us and those who are ahead of us. We draw inspiration from the mahi happening on Banks Peninsula and in the Southern Lakes Sanctuary, and we draw on the deep knowledge and skills within our own community.
We don't have all the answers — but we are asking the right questions, and we are learning fast.
West Coast Road, Craigieburn