Matt White

Founder of Southern Waterscapes Ltd

Not many water feature specialists can say their career started with elephants. Before founding Southern Waterscapes, I spent four years as a keeper at Auckland Zoo - a job that taught me more about creating thriving natural environments than any landscaping course ever could. Watching how animals respond to space, water and habitat shaped how I think about every build I do today.

From the zoo I moved into a plant nursery, spending two years surrounded by the kind of growth and greenery that makes a Canterbury garden come alive. By the time I picked up a digger for the first time in 2019, I had something most landscapers don't - a deep understanding of both the living and the built environment, and a genuine passion for making spaces where nature can do what it does best.

Water features were never a detour for me - they were always the destination. I've been building ponds in my own gardens since I was a kid, starting small and rebuilding over the years, learning what works and what doesn't. That hands-on obsession never left. When I discovered Aquascape online I followed their story closely for years before the opportunity came to use their system professionally. The moment it did, I committed fully - and I haven't looked back.

Southern Waterscapes exists because I believe Canterbury homes deserve water features built by someone who genuinely cares about the result. Not just a contractor ticking boxes, but someone who grew up with mud on their hands and wildlife in their heart, and who understands that a well-built water feature isn't just a garden addition — it's a living ecosystem that will improve every year it's left to mature.