The Climbing Dutchman

The Climbing Dutchman is run by Jor Boogaart, an ISA board certified Master Arborist known to clients as "Jay". His affinity for climbing trees began at the age of three in his native Holland, and after relocating to Australia and settling on the Mornington Peninsula he built a solid reputation for superior tree work. With more than 25 years of experience behind him, he set the business up out of Somerville, VIC, and it has grown into what he calls a family legacy rather than just a business.

In 2023 Russell Fray joined the team, a homegrown, certified arborist who came on board with extensive experience managing operations. Together they run a professional crew of climbing arborists who are fully insured, fully licensed and accredited. The team is known for taking on jobs where access is tight, bringing in crane-fed chippers and an all-terrain 4WD workhorse to reach trees that would otherwise be difficult to get near.

Their work covers tree removal, tree pruning, tree lopping and tree felling, along with stump removal and stump grinding. They also take on land clearing, hazard mitigation, cobra bracing for trees that need extra support, hedging, possum guarding and general tree maintenance, with storm damage work and detailed tree assessments rounding out the services on offer.

The team is set up to handle emergency call-outs across the Mornington Peninsula around the clock, so storm-damaged, split or dangerous trees can be dealt with at any hour rather than left to become a bigger risk. One thing that sets the crew apart is their care for wildlife: Jor will halt work partway up a tree to safeguard koalas or nesting birds before carrying on, which suits the Peninsula's leafy properties.

Based in Somerville, VIC, the team works across the Mornington Peninsula and the Frankston area, including Frankston, Frankston South, Frankston North, Mount Eliza, Mount Martha, Langwarrin, Langwarrin South, Hastings, Tyabb, Pearcedale, Moorooduc, Tuerong, Cranbourne South, Red Hill, Red Hill South, Merricks, Point Leo, Shoreham and Balnarring. Residents across these suburbs can call for a free estimate before any work starts.