The is the first activity to appear on the site. The plans are still with the council at the moment and I've been completing a further information request form.
All went well with the felling and we should have a fair amount of firewood to last for a winter or two..or three.. after the wood has dried out. The trees have been 'ringed-out' (cut into thick slices), and soon to be split by a splitter on the back of a tractor into a more useful size.
Apparently as pines age and get taller the sap content reduces in height such that near the top of a tall pine the wood can be quite dry. This can be a serious risk, because when a strong North-westerly hits Hanmer Springs the gusts can be enough to break off large branches or even tree-tops. There is no warning as wood is brittle, and often there is little sound - until a 2 tonne trunk falls through the roof that is.
