NIQ, formerly known as Nielsen IQ is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company.  They work with businesses in gathering and analysing data to improve understanding of consumer behaviour.  Today six professionals from the Auckland office kicked off our spring maintenance work by tackling some unusual and challenging maintenance tasks.

The group arrived first thing in the morning and included Akansha, Ethan, Lyndel, Phil, Ruta and Travis.

Some of the NIQ team were new so Mahrukh gave a talk about the history and philosophy of the project and an update on developments and future plans.

Thomas then gave a safety briefing and described the work planned for the day.

We broke into two teams.  One team worked on repairing a bench in the bush that had some rotten boards and the other team worked to fix a small boardwalk that that buckled.  Both tasks were challenging because they involved coming up with innovative solutions as well as some heavy lifting.

Bench Repair

A bench we had installed about ten years ago had started to show signs of wear after being in the bush for so long.  The issue was complicated by the fact that the bench seat has a curved bottom which enabled dampness to accumulate.  Over the years the trees in the area had grown up to create a dense canopy so the bench never got sunlight and a chance to dry out.  As a result, some of the bottom boards were starting to rot.

The team felt that it would be possible to replace the rotting boards with new timber.  When the bench was installed, it was bolted down with brackets that were concreted into the ground.  The first step therefore was to free the bench so we could take it down to the nursery for further work.

Then came the challenging task of carrying the bench up to the road so we could drive it down to the nursery.

The team took some time to determine the best way to remove the damaged boards safely and then went to work.

Once the old boards were removed, they planned the best way to install replacement boards.  As a first step they decided to reinforce the side supporting boards.

They also determined that one of the legs had been damaged and in order to keep the bench stable they added a leg extension.

They then measured and cut the replacement seat boards.

The new boards were test fitted.

And tested for comfort!

The boards were then screwed into place.

Thanks to the team’s creativity and hard work, the bench is now as good as new.  We will give it a chance to thoroughly dry out and then give it a coat of protective stain before returning it to the field.

Gate Boardwalk Repair

The second team tackled an equally challenging job.  There is a gate at the bottom of the main access road into the reserve, Huarahi Kowhai, that is usually kept locked.  To allow for visitor walking access and bypass the closed gate without having to climb over it, we have built a small boardwalk over the drain along the side of the road. 

Heavy rains last year overwhelmed the drains and severely damaged the road.  Erosion under the boardwalk undermined the frame resulting in the boardwalk settling in the middle and blocking the drain.

The uneven boardwalk surface would be inconvenient for visitors to walk on and more rain could further damage both the road and the boardwalk.   We requested the team to have a look at the situation and see what could be done to fix the problem.

They decided that they needed to have a look at the framework so the first step was the challenge of lifting up the boardwalk and turning it over.

A quick look at the damage led them to decide to fully remove the boardwalk so they could access the bottom.

The team decided that reinforcing the existing frame with new timber would fix the issue and provide the needed support. 

Because of the angled corners that would have to be cut, we decided it best to move the boardwalk up to the nursery where we could use power saws.

Once we got the boardwalk to the nursery, the team determined the size and number of reinforcing boards they would need and cut them to size.

The new boards were then screwed and nailed into place.

Once the frame had been reinforced and repaired, they turned the boardwalk over to fix the top boards that had been damaged.

They gave it a good clean in order to find any spots where the wire mesh needed to be repaired.

They the inspected the damaged boards to determine the best way to repair them.

They removed the damaged boards and reinstalled new ones.

Everything was then screwed back into place.

And the damaged wire mesh was replaced.

Additional timber braces were added underneath to secure the new top boards.

The last challenge was reinstalling the boardwalk. 

They first ensured that the drain was clear and that the foundation for the boardwalk was level.

A few adjustments were needed to get everything secure and level.

And they installed stakes to keep the boardwalk in place and level.

The team showed a lot of energy and creativity in fixing the boardwalk and came up with some major improvements.  Thanks!

Both teams finished up about the same time and we cleaned up and had a relaxing lunch.

Today was a fun and very productive day and we really enjoyed working with everyone and also enjoyed many interesting conversations.

A big thank you to Phil for organising the day and for continuing to champion CUE Haven.

And many many thanks to everyone for working so hard.  We so appreciate your hard work. You accomplished a lot and have made a major contribution to CUE Haven.

 We very much look forward to seeing all of you again soon for another volunteer day and to explore more of your community native reserve.

Thank You!! Thank You!!