A tale of two groves
Peter Crelinsten’s passion for olive horticulture and olive oil began in 1992 on the Maltese island of Gozo, where he lived part-time, and it expanded while he lived there fulltime from 2003–2010.
“After reading Carol Drinkwater’s book The Olive Route I was irretrievably infected with the olive bug, and I started planting our first olive trees on the island in 1992,” says Peter. Since returning to New Zealand in 2011, the now retired medical doctor has continued exploring his passion for olives near Kerikeri.
“The trees we planted then are now thriving in a fascinating symbiotic relationship with the surrounding soil microbiome.”
A BIG FUTURE FOR NZ OLIVES
Peter is convinced that there is a big future for olive production in New Zealand, and believes that quality, not quantity, will drive any export market.
“We can never compete on quantity as we are simply centuries behind France, Spain and Italy. I have around 175 trees
