AKL Heritage Festival: Strawberry-land

Author and historian Matt Elliott guides a walk around the North Shore suburb of Birkdale, once renowned for producing New Zealand's best strawberries.

With stories of local landmarks and the labour-intensive horticulture that was the feature of the area, Matt will bring to life the old strawberry and fruit days; from planting, picking and carting produce to market to the 'root disease' problems of the 1930s and the decline of Birkdale's farming landscape with the opening of the Harbour Bridge.

Matt will also discuss the life of the innovative grower James Levesque, who was born in St Heliers in the Channel Islands before moving to New Zealand in the late 1800s.

Walk is approx 75 mins and includes one steep hill! Ages 10+