Field trips
Wednesday 13th November
Note:
- Field Trips and symposium dinner are included in the full registration fee.
- Some Field Trips incur a small fee to cover entry fees.
- Each Field Trip has a maximum number – book early to save disappointment.
- All Field Trips will include a packed lunch, afternoon tea and water.
- All tours will end up at Hobbiton for a guided tour of the Hobbiton Set and symposium dinner in the Green Dragon Inn, then returning to Rotorua at the end of the night.
*The organising committee has the right to cancel/change the field trips due to unforeseen circumstances.
Tour 1 – Plant & Food Research, Trevelyans Packhouse and Papamoa Beach *
Commence the afternoon with a bus trip around Lake Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty countryside to Te Puke enjoying a packed lunch along the way.
Our first stop will be to the Plant & Food Research (PFR) site in Te Puke which was established in 1972. More than 25 different fruit crops were examined - avocado, citrus, macadamia, casimiroa, figs, olives, pecans and of course kiwifruit. As the 1970s progressed, in line with the rapid expansion of the local kiwifruit industry, kiwifruit became the main focus of research. Some of the first ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit vines on the orchard, planted in 1972, are still producing a commercial crop. Today the main focus continues to support the kiwifruit industry, where 80% of the commercial crop is grown across the Bay of Plenty, as well as some support for the avocado industry. Around forty permanent PFR staff are based here, with Scientists and Research Technicians specialising in entomology, plant pathology, plant physiology, climate change mitigation and adaptation systems, production systems, data and orchard management. A number of green and gold cultivars, notably the Zespri commercially released SunGold variety was bred at Te Puke. The recently established Kiwifruit Breeding Centre, jointly owned by both PFR and Zespri Limited is also headquartered here and shares the facilities alongside KBC staff working on orchard, in labs, glasshouses and the nursery.
Our second stop will be Trevelyan's Kiwifruit & Avocado Packhouse . Trevelyan’s which is a family-owned kiwifruit and avocado packhouse and cool-storage company based in Te Puke. Commercially operated for circa forty years, they are the largest single-site kiwifruit and avocado packhouse in New Zealand. Sitting on approximately 30 hectares, they have four export packhouses, a local market packhouse, forty plus coolstores, and more under development. We hope avocados will be being packed at this time, and high pressure washing for disinfestation and market access will be in operation.
Currently, they provide packing and cool storage for Red, Gold, Green, and organic kiwifruit, packing more than 18 million trays of kiwifruit, and 500,000 trays of avocados, annually. Trevelyan growers depend on the team to responsibly manage their orchards, offer support and guidance, pick their fruit promptly, package their fruit expertly, provide cool storage and technical assistance, and coordinate the logistics of the supply chain nationally and globally. Trevelyan’s is structured around a clear framework that supports how they operate, and it is built on three key pillars; Work Smart, Tread Lightly, and Respect Our People. Their reputation is one of excellent performance and progressive behaviour, and they are proud of the people who contribute to the success of their business.
We can’t leave the district without a stop to experience a beautiful east coast New Zealand beach – Papamoa Beach is a 14 km stretch of white sandy coastline renowned for great swimming and surfing. The beach gets very busy in the summer by the locals are found surfing all year around. Keep an eye out for dolphins and orca that are often seen cruising the wave.
From here we will travel to our venue for the rest of the evening Hobbiton Movie Set starting with a tour of the world famous movie set followed by our symposiumdinner at the Green Dragon Inn.
Tour 2 – Scion Research, Plentyflora and Okoroire Hot Springs Hotel *
Commencing the afternoon with a packed lunch, we will travel a short distance to Scion. Scion is a global leader not only of forestry and wood-based research but also in fibre-based and plastic-based packaging, entomology, plant pathology and so much more. In their efforts to reach zero-carbon commitments and other sustainability initiatives, Scion is working towards transitioning to a circular bioeconomy to meet New Zealand’s current and future needs and ensure New Zealand’s export products meet these global standards.
This tour will showcase Scion’s biomaterial and packaging capability including:
manufacturing facilities: conversion of biomass to bioplastics; moulded fibre thermoformer for fibre trays (pilot scale)
testing facilities: material and box testing, food contact compliance
enhanced performance: printing /coating for barrier and sensors, Smart packaging
end-of-life options: recyclability, compostability
Their expertise in entomology and plant pathology ensures biomass supply is optimised – these research facilities will also be included in the tour. Scion is one of New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes (CRIs).
We will then visit PlentyFlora. Established in 2002, PlentyFlora is the only Bay of Plenty based commercial gerbera grower. Owners Craig Wilson and Denise Byrne took over the business in 2022 and look forward to continuing to supply high quality gerbera to their loyal customers. They sell to both trade customers and the public. At PlentyFlora the experienced team work hard to ensure that gerberas are always high quality. More information can be: PlentyFlora Gerberas - YouTube
We head off through the New Zealand countryside to the historic Okoroire Hot Springs Hotel which has the distinction of being one of New Zealand’s most historic hotels still in existence. Opened in 1989, tourists and travellers would arrive by train or coach from Auckland before continuing on to Rotorua and Taupo. We have time so that you can either partake in a refreshment at the hotel or take a walk through the forest to view the Hot Springs - Okoroire Hot Springs.
From here we will travel to our venue for the rest of the evening Hobbiton Movie Set starting with a tour of the world famous movie set followed by our symposium dinner at the Green Dragon Inn.
Tour 3 - Apata Packhouse and RoboticPlus *
On boarding the bus, we will travel through the stunning New Zealand countryside to the Bay of Plenty where we visit Apata packhouse who specialise in packing both kiwifruit and avocados. This packhouse has been recently automated to include automated box filers and tray fillers plus robotic stacking. We hope avocados will be being packed at this time, and high pressure washing for disinfestation and market access will be in operation.
We then head to Robotics Plus, who design and build technologies that give you the power to adapt. Technologies that adapt to your environment and help you adapt as needs change, with the smarts not only to do the job but to keep doing it better. During this visit, you will be taken through an overview of Robotics Plus and technologies where there will be time for questions and then a tour of our production facility.
From here we will travel to our venue for the rest of the evening Hobbiton Movie Set starting with a tour of the world famous movie set followed by our symposium dinner at the Green Dragon Inn.
Tour 4 - Mamaku Blueberries, Okoroire Hot Springs Hotel and Wilcox Brothers *
This tour incurs a small charge for entry into Mamaku Blueberries NZD$30 per head (approx. USD$17.80).
Commencing the afternoon with a packed lunch, we will travel to Mamaku Blueberries, a family-owned business which produces award-winning fruit wines for local and international markets. This tour shares the story behind MAMAKU BLUE’s development and their efforts to save the planet, being spray free, recycling, reusing and restoring natures gifts. The tour includes a full commentary, packhouse and wine making area, history of blueberry farming methods, lots of photo opportunities and tastings of Blueberry wine, liqueurs, juice and speciality product.
We head off through the New Zealand countryside to the historic Okoroire Hot Springs Hotel which has the distinction of being one of New Zealand’s most historic hotels still in existence. Opened in 1989, tourists and travellers would arrive by train or coach from Auckland before continuing on to Rotorua and Taupo. We have time so that you can either partake in a refreshment at the hotel or take a walk through the forest to view the Hot Springs - Okoroire Hot Springs.
We continue our day with a visit to A S Wilcox & Sons, established in 1954 they are an integral part of New Zealand’s agricultural industry growing and marketing potatoes, and carrots mostly locally. They have been an innovator in the New Zealand vegetable landscape and are a key player in the export of onions – premium products internationally being the highest value vegetable export.
From here we will travel to our venue for the rest of the evening Hobbiton Movie Set starting with a tour of the world famous movie set followed by our symposiumdinner at the Green Dragon Inn.
Tour 5 - Pathology Tour – Orchard and Seeka HQ *
Commencing the afternoon with a bus trip through the Bay of Plenty countryside enjoying a packed lunch along the way to an orchard with plantings of kiwifruit, kiwiberry and avocados. The drive starts in Rotorua, follows along the edge of Lake Rotorua, then heads towards the coast leaving the built-up area to pass through native forest. Rising to about 400m there is then a gradual descent through cattle and dairy farms to the major kiwifruit growing area of New Zealand. This consists of a volcanic plateau dissected by rivers resulting in a series of gullies and rises around which kiwifruit orchards are sited. The orchardist we are visiting grows both kiwifruit and avocados.
Our second stop is Seeka HQ Seeka | Produce Packhouse & Coolstore Facilities where we will be welcomed by a Seeka postharvest packhouse manager who will explain their multi-packhouse operation, including a tour of the facilities. We will learn about the New Zealand kiwifruit industry from a member of the technical support team from Zespri zespri.com who are responsible for exporting and marketing New Zealand kiwifruit around the world. A number of rotten fruits will have been selected to examine, and local experts will give an overview of avocado, kiwifruit, blueberry and apple postharvest rots. Afternoon Tea will be provided.
From here we will travel to our venue for the rest of the evening Hobbiton Movie Set starting with a tour of the world famous movie set followed by our symposium dinner at the Green Dragon Inn.
