A few days with grandkids.

After our Golden Bay experience we were on our way back to Kaikoura to meet up with Rod who was going to drop James and Grace off for a few days.  The Takaka hill was still covered in ice even though we had left it until mid day to travel.I had the ute in 4 wheel drive a lot of the time and still had a couple of 4 wheel drifts with the weight of the rig on behind.  But we made it over safely and arrived in Kaikoura about six hours after our departure from Pohara. We stayed up at the farm that night then in the morning we moved down to the coast and set up at Omihi camp.
  Rod arrived with the kids who were excited and enjoying the school holidays.  They had all been busy moving into the new house and job at Oxford.  It was good that the shift coincided with the holidays as it had given them all a chance to get settled.  Catherine and the kids are still going to be at Oamaru until the end of school year and just come to Oxford in the weekends.  Jocelyn and I are coming to terms with the fact we are going to be starting work very soon as well.  I guess we will cope but it's been awhile now especially for me since we have had any sort of gainful employment.  We are really enjoying being lazy buggers.
  Anyway we got the kids settled into the rig and Rod headed for home.  The next morning was fine and very frosty with a low tide so it wasn't long before James and I were out clambering around the rocks.  It was really cold so neither of us had mentioned getting out the snorkelling gear.  We  just had our sneakers on poking around in the rocks looking for Paua.  It was James who first slipped and filled up his sneaker with freezing water and it wasn't long and he had filled up the other one as well.  So after that he was in there up to his knees lifting rocks and getting splashed with the incoming swells.  We found a patch of Paua and it wasn't long and we had 5 keepers in the bag.  I was still nice and dry and giving James all the encouragement to keep looking with his freezing legs in that extremely cold water.  We moved along a bit to a large rock pool with deep water surrounding a large rock.  James was up on the rock looking down the sides in the kelp when he slipped and in he went up to his chest.  There was a lot of gasping and high pitched squeals and his eyes were as wide as saucers with a very expressive look of shock on his face.  I would like to say I showed concern and expressed immeasurable  sympathy for his plight but alas I failed miserably.  After I had recovered from my laughter and wiped the tears from my face I asked him while he was there if he could check under the rock and see if he could see any Paua under  there.  He suggested I wasn't the loving grandfather he thought I was and wanted to go and get changed back at the rig.  I thought this showed a bit of a lack of commitment but we had enough for a feed so away we went.


My hard working helpers

James had a hot shower and warmed up then a bit of breakfast went down well and we made plans to head into town and do the Kaikoura coastal walk.  This walk starts around past the wharf by the seal colony and follows the cliffs around to South Bay.  It is a very picturesque walk as you are up quite high looking out over the sea and there is a large expanse of reef below with nice clear water exposing the channels and larger rocks.  The seal colonies are surprisingly large with many hundreds of them stretched out on the rocks and beaches. As you get further around even more large colonies appear and you have to wonder how many tonnes of fish are eaten every day by this huge hoard of hungry mouths.  And these are just a few of them as when you travel the coast in your car they are all over the rocks where ever you go.  On the way back James spotted 2 whales as they came up for air. We found it was easy to follow their progress by the spray they blew from their blowholes but then they dived and were gone.  They looked like humpbacks from where we were.   When we got back to the carpark Grace found lots of baby seals were coming out right onto the carpark and they were quite happy to come right up to you.They certainly look very cute with their large wet eyes and strange out of water gait as they flop and waddle up to you.

Next morning at low tide James got a bit braver and put on his wetsuit.  He still wasn't keen to go for a proper snorkel but he waded out and backed into the waves and looked under the rocks.  He started to pull a few Paua out and threw them to me to measure.  I got my feet wet and managed to find a couple of keepers and after about an hour we had our limit of 12 Paua.   Gracie came down and helped us to shuck clean and beat the Paua.  Then we headed up for a warm up and a feed in the rig.  The rest of the day was spent around camp and going for a walk up the beach.
  The following morning we decided we were going to harden up and get the gear on and get wet.  Low tide was about 10 am so it meant the sun had time to warm things up a bit before we had to gear up.   There was still a bit of a swell running  which makes it a bit more difficult to hold your position when diving down to look for paua.  Once we got the gear on and got in the old hunter gatherer gene just kicks in and it was enjoyable getting down under even though the water was freezing.  The suit does a good job of keeping you warm though James wasn't as thick as mine so he felt it a bit more.  It wasn't long and we had our limit of ordinary Paua and we also had 6 yellow foot as well.  So back to the rig and a hot shower to warm up.
After lunch we packed everything up and headed for Oxford.   We spent a couple of days there then we were off again and heading inland and south to Twizel with the idea of catching salmon and trout in the hydro canals.  We got to the NZMCA spot by the salmon farm not far from the town of twizel and found only one other camper van parked there.  Unfortunately the snow started to come down in little squalls that were drifting through and it was pretty bloody cold.  The hills around were covered in a heavy coating of snow and when the sky cleared it was very picturesque.  Jocelyn pretty much stayed inside the whole time we were in the area but I was out and about fishing without much luck and I also went for a drive up to Mt Cook and went for a good walk up to the hooker glacier.  That took about 3 hours and it was such a clear fine day the scenery was spectacular.

We then moved the rig down to the shores of lake Benmore at the Ohau C canal outlet and set up at the council camp there.  Last time we were there a lot of campers and caravans were set up and a lot of them had gardens and paths leading to the door.  But this time the camp was totally empty.  Maybe these south Islanders don't like the cold.  Or maybe we are just stupid...Anyway I got the kayak out and tied a fly onto my trout line and straight away was into a nice trout.I ended up with 2 and dropped another one then the next morning went out again and got 3 nice ones and released them all.   The frosts were  brutal but the days were magnificent. Out in the kayak paddling along, the lake was like glass and all the mountains around were covered in snow, it was pretty spectacular,although when I
got back in after getting a bit wet it was a while before my feet would warm up.

We packed up and decided we would head for Tekapo and stay a night there at the motor camp but when we got there we were told it was $20.00 each per night and if you wanted a shower it was another $2.00 each.  This was the most expensive camp we had come across especially for winter rates so we decided  to keep moving and ended up back at Oxford ready to start work.

Golden Bay

I went out for another fish at Elaine bay and had some success but I found the rules regarding the cod fishery a bit of a strain.   I caught one nice cod not long after I reached a promising headland.It was out a fair way and it had a nice bit of current flowing around it.   I measured the cod and it was about 32cms so it was into the bin for dinner.  I then caught a few small ones and returned them safely to the water and then I caught 2 very large ones and I thought yes they will have a couple of good size fillets on them but hang on a minute.   Thats right I measured them and they were both over 35cms by quite a margin so I had to very reluctantly put them back over the side.  Then next I caught another small one that sadly had swallowed the hook right down and I ended up killing that fish just getting the hook out.  But again I had to return it to the water anyway.  So I am finding If I could have just caught my two good size cod for dinner and went home I wouldn't have to keep fishing just to catch a feed.   I hear they may be going to review these rules but time will tell.

 We found Elaine bay to be a beautiful spot but I have heard since that the wind can become really fierce at the head where the camp is.   Apparently a camper van was blown over onto it's side a few weeks ago while parked in the same spot we were.
  Next stop Nelson.   We decided to stay at Tahunanui camp ground as there is a special discount for NZMCA members in self contained vehicles of $10.00 per night for up to 3 nights.  This camp is huge with a lot of permanents living there and there are facilities spread right through the camp but in winter they lock the doors on most of them so I guess it saves them a lot on servicing costs.  We called in and saw Jocelyns Auntie Barbara while in Nelson.  She has had a tough time lately with another hip replacement having to be done on both sides as the first time round she received some new hips that were meant to be the new bees knees  of modern medicine but in a short while they found they were breaking down and shedding bits and pieces through her body.   So they had to be replaced again but found they kept dislocating so she had to go in again and now she has lost a lot of feeling and can't carry her weight without collapsing so it's been a bit of a long road for her.  Still she believes she is over the worst of it and with her positive attitude to life she is her usual cheery self.
We had a bit of a wander around the area but I got a bit bored here.   The wind was ferocious and we didn't really make up our minds to go and do anything so I was pretty happy when we packed up and moved on.
  So over the hill to Takaka we went.  It's quite a climb up and over the Takaka hill but the ute hauled it up there no trouble.  We arrived in Takaka mid afternoon and had a coffee in the cafe at the pub.  The young lady that served us was great.  When she brought the coffees out she noticed we had a pamphlet with a map of the area on it and unbidden she said can I write on this for you.  She sat down and talked about all the attractions in the area and marked them on the map for us and told us all the ones we had to check out.  She was very pleasant and obviously proud of the area she lived in.  Especially Totaranui which she said all the locals holidayed there in the summer.

So after the coffee we headed off to Pohara along the coast a bit and we set up at the Pohara Boat club.  It's a very nice setting with a man made breakwater harbouring the local fishing boats and boat ramp for the locals to put their boats in.  For a small donation we can stay here for 2 nights and have the use of the showers and washing machine and dryer.   There is a dairy farm along the road where you can drive in and there is a raw milk dispenser.   So I took my 2 litre container, put $5.00 in the machine and 2 litres of fresh milk straight from the cow for my morning wheetbix.  Great.  Brings back happy memories of our dairy farming days.
While  there we took a drive to pupu springs and at the end of that road you can do a walk that takes  you up to a hand built water race that flows around the side of the hill then diverts down to a turbine that generates power.  I found it a very fascinating walk seeing what these guys built with pick and  shovel and wheelbarrow.   It probably took about 2 hours to do the circuit and while we went around an older women we met was on her third circuit round doing it at a jog.  There is quite a bit of uphill as well so she was doing pretty well.
 I took a walk to Tata beach that evening and found some mussels so I picked about 40 and took them home for dinner.   Steamed them open then rolled in flour and chucked in the pan.   Joc's favourite way of eating mussels.   I took the flounder spear along to Wainui inlet that night after dark and wandered around the estuary with the torch but didn't see any flounder.  It looked like an ideal place for them so maybe they are just not around much this time of year.

Next morning we headed over to Totaranui.  The road in here is gravel and very windy and tight  and I found on some of the corners I was using virtually the whole road to get the rig around.  Luckily this time of year there is not much traffic so I just took it slow with the lights on and had no trouble.
  Totaranui is a truly stunning place.  It has a vary large DOC camp that is beautifully layed out and well managed.   The current manager has been here for 17 years and lives on site.  Apparently through the summer  months the camp is packed out with around a thousand campers per night and the golden bay track runs through the camp as well so overseas tourists stay overnight as well.  Water taxis pick up and drop off tourists from the beach a number of times through the day as well.  With day visitors and picnickers  driving in and out.
  The beach itself is that beautiful golden sand  in a long curve with a headland at either end.  At the western end there is an estuary that totally dries out on the ebb tide and you can walk across to connect up with the coastal track and a track that takes you for a shorter walk on a loop out around the headland.  When we first went for a walk down to the end of the beach there was fresh deer sign tracked right across the main beach and on into the estuary.

Deer tracks on the beach

 It seems the wildlife around the camp have little fear of the human race as they are so used to people sharing their natural environment.  There are large numbers of wood pidgeons, fantails. paradise ducks, pukekos, wekas, bellbirds, and tuis, and none of them seem to bother to even move out of your way as you walk past.

  We found a nice site with all day sun and got set up.  The first day the wind was coming off the water so it was a bit rough to get the kayak out but the next day I was in the water and heading out to the headland in the distance.  It wasn't long and I had a nice cod on board and the rules here were anything over 30cms was fine with a limit of three.  I played around for a while but couldn't seem to find any more cod of a decent size then I noticed some birds working out from the point so I headed over there.  When I got closer I could see Kahawai splashing around on the surface so I flicked out my softbait and let it sink.  It wasn't long and I felt a fish pick up the lure and I was into a good size Kahawai. These fish put up such a strong fight and it is a real battle to get them in.  I landed that one then headed off after the school again and flicked out the lure.  Almost straight away I was hooked up again.  After another good battle I had that one on board and then it was out with the paddle and back to the beach.
Fresh fish for tea is always nice.    The next day we got the walking boots on and headed off for the coastal track that takes you around to another inlet.  Awaroa is another small settlement with a large estuary that dries out at low tide.   Unfortunately we reached there and it was only half tide so we couldn't cross.So we got the gas out and had a cup of soup and scoffed an apple then turned around and headed back.   On the way back we had another boil up and enjoyed a cup of tea at Goat Bay.  It is  really enjoyable walking these tracks as you follow the coast so you get the views out over the coast and also get to walk through some really attractive native bush with a bit of up and down stuff to get the heart rate up a bit.
  Next day was a bit drizzly so we mucked about camp and I had a bit of a wander around the scrub and rough ground around camp and I found where a lot of the deer were hanging out.  Then later in the afternoon it cleared a bit so I got into the kayak and paddled out for a fish.   Seeing as I wasn't doing too well in close I headed out a bit wider and drifted around with a soft bait out.  It wasn't long and I got a hit and had it nearly to the boat and it fell off.  I was pretty sure from the take and the way it fought I had just lost a gurnard.  So out with another cast and a short time later I hooked up again.  And sure enough I landed a good size gurnard.  I had a few more casts but no luck.  Time was short as Hugh and Pam the camp managers were calling in for drinks.   They wanted to check out the 5th wheeler and were impressed with the room we had inside.

 Next morning we took off for another walk this time at the estuary end of the beach.  This walk takes you up and around the headland.   The bellbirds were in abundance and the fantails flitting around our legs.  There's a lot of large kanukas in this area with some of the larger natives and some nice beech groves along the track.  We got back for a late lunch then Hugh called around and told us to meet him up at the workshop where he took us down to the creek to feed the eels.  I was very surprised when Joc climbed down into the creek and all the eels moved up to us and she was feeding and stroking them.    They were quite happy to be handled and dragged around.  Hugh was telling us that all the eels in the park are protected and there are large fines for anyone who mistreats them.

  Hugh and Pam invited us up to watch the All Blacks play Samoa and we had dinner as well.  Was a very enjoyable evening.
  Thursday I went for another walk around the rocks to Goat Bay to find some mussels but by the time I found them I was a bit late on the tide.Never mind I'll be there an hour earlier tomorrow.
 Got out on the kayak again and managed a couple of good size gurnard.  Lucky  Joc's one stayed on this time so she can have fish for tea too.HaHa.
  Very hard frosts here at the moment but lovely days.We find we are starting the days a bit later with that intense early morning cold.  Well we are heading on today.  We have found Totaranui to be a real gem and we have really loved our stay here.  Heading back to Pohara for a night for a long shower and to do a bit of washing then back to Kaikoura to meet James and Gracie for a few days.

Back South.Marlborough sounds.

We made it back to Kaikoura to pick up the rig about midnight after leaving Tauranga at 8.15am.  Was good to be back and moving our gear back into our travelling home.   The next day was cold with snow down very low on the hills.   We spent the day catching up on chores to the rig and getting it set up how we like it.   There was a grey sky with light flakes of snow falling and we couldn't get the heater going in the rig.   Joc was not a happy camper.  There was no humour in her life at this time at all and later in the day when I finally got it going the change was immediate and she was back enjoying life as if nothing had happened.

  The next day we headed up the coast and stopped about halfway to Blenheim.  The plan was to try for some paua but the swell was much too big and the water very dirty.  So the next day we headed into the Marlborough Sounds.   We took the Kenepuru Sounds road and headed into Portage. There is a DOC camp there at Cowshed Bay so we moved in there and set up right by the water.  It's a very wiggly windy road on the way in so by the time we got there we were ready for a wind down and a coffee.  It's all very picturesque with bush coming right down to the waters edge and different arms and headlands going in and out of the bays.   The water is very clear so I got the kayaks off the roof pretty quick and I headed out for a fish.    I had heard the fishing was in dire straights down hear as the cod fishery had been all but wiped out.   Fishing for cod is closed for about 3 months of the year and when it is open you can only take 2 cod.   It doesn't stop there as the size restriction is you may only take cod over 30cms and under 35cms.    Anyway it wasn't an issue in Kenepuru as the only fish I could catch were spotties.   I even went out with the flounder spear at night but didn't see any at all.

  Joc and I did a bit of walking around the roads and up over into the Torea bay on the other side.   While we were walking the road we spotted a section for sale and got nosy so we wandered up into the bush section for a look.   I'm not sure why anyone would want such a wet scrubby section but there was some very fresh deer marks leading up and down the tracks.   Might be worth a look around here one day.  There is not a lot of people around here in the winter.  The shop in Portage looks like it closed a number of years ago.  There is a resort there now but the place is nearly deserted.  Apparently it is really humming in the summer and all the camps are packed out.  One night there were 2 different vehicles in our camp,both german couples but other wise we have got the place to ourselves.

  We spent 3 nights at cowshed bay then packed up and went to Havelock to fill up the gas bottles and get a few supplies.  It seems strange as a few businesses here were closed for the winter as well with signs in the windows saying they will reopen in September.
  After stocking up we hit the road and did a quick stop at Pelorus and checked out the river and walked around to the swing bridge over the Rai river.   Its a very pretty spot there but we weren't tempted to stay as although it's a DOC camp you still have to pay whether you have a DOC pass or not.  So being such tight buggers we carried on to the Rai Valley then headed into the Pelorus Sounds where we wiggled and wound our way into Elaine bay about 40kms in.  After getting set up we dived into the kayaks and went for a paddle.  I even managed to catch a cod but you guessed it. It wasn't between 30 and 35cms so back it went.  Got back just on dark and cooked up lovely venison burgers for dinner.

At last granddaughter Luca is here.

On 7th of June 2015 Luca Sophie Steward was born to our daughter Heidi and her husband Paul.   We felt we had been waiting forever but she was only two weeks past her due date.  Maybe I'm biased but already she is a stunner with a full head of dark hair and such a cute wee face.  At this stage she seems very placid with a very relaxed manner and hardly a cry to be heard.
  We find we are almost due to head south again and we have barely had time to get to know her.  I guess we will have her whole life to do that and we will make the most of that.  We are also finding we are struggling to see everyone we want to as time is moving too fast for us.
 Jocelyns sister Jenny came over for a short visit from Aussie and we had a great family gathering at Joel and Julies place at Papamoa.  So everyone got to see Heidi while she was large with the baby then the next day she gave birth. Unfortunately Jenny couldn't see the baby before she left to head back to Aussie.
  We have really enjoyed our time living with Heidi and Paul and Hayse while up here. They are enjoying having their own house now and Paul is getting right into the DIY around the section.   Hayse is always a willing helper.  That boy really has a lot of energy.
  So over the next week we will catch up with a few more friends and family then we will be on the road south again.

Duck shooting.Family time.

Duckshooting is always an exciting time for our family.  And that is what it mainly is to us.  Family time.  We have shot in the south island now for quite a few years.  Our main team is Rod, James, Dane, and Myself.  But we also used to hunt with Ken, Lance, and Monique would also do
opening morning with us.

There are so many of us in our family that hunt and it is really a way of life to us.  I have no idea why I am a hunter but there is no denying it.  There is a special feeling to be able to supply so much game or seafood to friends and family and whatever happens you are capable of supplementing the larder with great food.

Thursday I headed to CHCH to pick up Dane from the airport and we spent the afternoon and the next day getting equipment ready.  We headed to Hilton which is a bit inland from Temuka on the Friday before opening.   Opening morning is always on Brian and Ingrids farm.  Quite a few years ago Rod used to work for them and he and Catherine are still good friends with them.  We sleep on the lounge floor and the sofas and are always high on anticipation for the action that is to start early the next morning.

Daybreak found us settling into our maimai. This year the team also included Gracie with her camo gear and facepaint on.  We had set all our decoys out the night before so we just had to turn on the three electronic ones and wait for the first mallards to drop in for a look. This didn't take long and soon we had a steady stream of ducks dropping in.  There was quite a bit of gunfire around the area as the south island is always more involved with shooting than the north.  Gracie enjoyed it but found the quiet times a bit boring.  But she was kept quite busy keeping our cartridge belts loaded to the max.There is nothing worse than running out of ammo.

 In the early afternoon it went a bit quiet so we called it quits.  Gracie counted the ducks and we had 61 so we were very pleased with that.  We packed up and headed back to Oamaru.
 Next morning we were up early and heading for flag swamp down towards Dunedin.   We had the layout blinds and a huge number of decoys and gear.  We arrived about an hour before light as we had to ferry our gear out to our hunting spot on our backs and then get it set up.  We had done really well at this spot the year before with a lot of parries coming in but we found initially it was a  bit slow this time.  Although early on a mob of canada geese came through and we managed to get six of those.

After a while we realised there were a lot of ducks landing up in a lucerne paddock up on a hill about 400 metres away.  So we decided Dane and James would head up there with their blinds and a few silhouettes and set up.  After that Rod and I just became spectators as Dane and James had mob after mob dropping in and they had a great time.  At the end of the day we ended up with close to 70 ducks and the 6 geese.mix of parries and mallards.

Next day was processing day. Rod was busy and James was at school so Dane and I set too and breasted all the birds.  It turned out a great success as we ended up with 51 kgs of lovely salamis made by campbell butchery at Oamaru.

 Over the next few days we had a few short hunts and collected some more ducks and then we went for a wallaby hunt up the Hakataramea Valley. It was a really good walk and tough going in places and I was lucky enough to come across a group of pigs.  They came up out of a gully and the first few I saw were  quite small so I let them pass by. Then a bigger one came up but it was facing bum on so I let it go and then another larger one came up and I shot that one. There was still about 5 other smaller ones hiding in the tussock about 5 metres away.So that was a bit of a bonus to have a bit of wild pork for the freezer.

The wallabies  were quite plentiful and proved as elusive as ever but we did quite well by the end of the day and hopefully our success makes the farmer happy to have a few less mouths eating his grass.
  Saturday we took Dane back to the airport and said goodbye again then we carried on to kaikoura with another load of gear for Rod.  We stayed the night then headed straight back to Oamaru.  I did another trip 2 days later towing the jet boat and a heap  of gear leaving at 4.30 am and arriving back at Oamaru at about 5pm.  The next few days we spent helping at the farm and house.We ended up a helping with the dry cow therapy at the cowshed which brought back a few memories from days gone by. Then we packed up and said our goodbyes as we were heading north to be there when our daughter Heidi has her baby.  The plan was to spend a couple of days on the beach at Kaikoura and get a few paua to take north with us.

We had a lovely time at the beach and were successful with the Paua then we took the 5th wheeler up to the farm and parked it up until we get back in a month.  The crossing of the straight was good and we are now at Papamoa waiting in anticipation of saying hello to our new grandchild.

Queenstown sojourn.

We took the road south down through Alexandra then on to Queenstown.  I don't generally like staying in the towns so we headed out onto the Glenorchy rd.  It wasn't long and we came to a DOC camp called the 12 Mile.  We set up there on a roomy site and unhitched the rig.  Staying in the DOC camps is good for us as we have purchased a yearly pass through the NZMCA, so there is no further charges to stay at any of their camps.  The camp is right on the shore of lake Whakatipu.

The ducks are a bit cheeky at Glenorchy

Over the next three days we had a good look around the area.  The mountains are right in your face and very picturesque and almost rise right off the shore of the lake.  The town itself is very tourist orientated and seems to be a real party town with lots of young people around from countries all around the world.  There are a lot of bars and restaurants as well as the casino to entertain the night owls.But us old farts still struggle to stay up after 10pm.  Prices seemed to be rather inflated as well even for everyday groceries and wine etc.
I spent a couple of evenings in the kayak trolling a fly but only managed to catch 2 trout one of which we had for dinner.

We are still a bit budget conscious so we find we are not partaking too much of the touristy attractions like boat trips and adrenaline companies but we don't think we are missing out at all. there is still so much for us to see and do.

After three days at the 12 mile camp we thought we would get going again and head a bit further south before we had to go back to Oamaru for duck shooting.We ended up driving right through to Te Anau.  We ended up staying at a park over property which is a property usually owned by a member of the NZMCA who has a bit of room for motorhomes etc. You usually leave a donation of about $3 per person per night.

Next morning we headed to milford for a look and we decided we had to do the boat cruise on the famous Milford Sound. It takes around 2  1/2 hours to get to Milford from Te Anau but it really is a visual experience.   It is a scenic wonderland with the mountains climbing up either side of the road  with rushing torrents tumbling down gorges and then you get to the Homer Tunnel and drive right through the middle of a mountain.  A tunnel built with pick and shovel by men that were so much tougher than any of this generation.

The boat trip was great and we picked an awesome day weather wise with hardly a cloud in the sky.  We could see right to the top of the mountains.  The commentary on board was well presented and very informative.  Lunch was served as we boarded then we were straight into the presentation of the history of the fjord and the geology of the mountains.  It really was a great day and both Jocelyn and I were really impressed with our trip to Milford.

We spent 2 days in Te Anau .I was quite keen to have a look at the Manapouri Dam but all tours had been cancelled until november for new turbine installation.  We had a good bike around the town and around the boat harbour and also went for a bit of a look and a walk at the start of the Keplar track.  We met a doc ranger and had a good yak about the trapping program in place to keep the rat population down.Wherever we went on any of the formed hiking tracks there was always traps everywhere.

After Te Anau we headed to Mavora lakes Which is back towards Mossburn. You take a left and there is about 30kms of metal road that takes you into beech forest then you come out at the lakes.  Wow.  What a beautiful place.This is another DOC administered area and there is camp sites sprinkled through quite a large area.  We picked a spot right on the edge of the South Mavora lake.  Open tussock areas on the side we are camped then the mountains rise up from the lake on the other side.

  For the first day and a half the weather was nice but a trifle windy.Then it really turned to custard.  Shame really as I think I would like to get to know this place a bit better.  I struggled to catch a trout here so I will have to come back and put in a more concerted effort.  On the day before we left I braved the wind and climbed up onto the tops opposite our camp.  From way up there I got to see the whole place layed out before me and could see lots of potential for some good nymph or dry fly fishing.  It looks like this place is well utilised in the summer  but the numbers tail off into the autumn.  Next day the weather really packed it in so we packed up in the rain and started north again. We thought we would stop in Cromwell but once we emptied the tanks and filled the water we decided to carry on and maybe stop at lake Benmore around Twizel but I seemed to be in a driving mood and I really find this rig so easy to tow I just kept driving and we eventually found ourselves back at Rod and Catherines.  So now the mind goes firmly onto the coming duckshooting season.  Rod and James are both getting keen and we have Dane coming down from Auckland and Grace has informed us she is not missing out either as she wants to be there at daybreak opening morning.  As usual it is a real family affair.  Can't wait.

Mick's Arrival

!4th April and we have just arrived at Poolburn Reservoir, and Jocelyn is officially well out of her comfort zone.  We are in a total whiteout with thick snow all around us.
But before we get into that i had better update you on what we have been doing the last couple of weeks.
We left Kaikoura and headed through the inland road towards Culverdon but we passed a nice looking reserve at a place called Balmoral.  So we went in for a look and decided to stay for the night.  A small river flowed past beside us and I had a quick fish with no luck. Next morning we had just decided to stay another night when the phone rang and Monique spilled out a tale of woe and tears.  James had come off his bike on the way home from milking up the road and was in hospital getting  stitches  in 3 of his fingers and had  some serious swelling in his ankle.  Apparently it was chaos at home and every one was stressed so we packed up and headed for Oamaru.
about 5 1/2 hrs later we rolled up at Rods and everything was pretty settled again but James was a bit knocked around but would be ok in a few days.
 !st of April and I was off to chch to pick up Mick.He was coming down to do a bit of hunting as the roar was about to start. Next day Rod was busy on the farm so Mick and I headed for the hydro lakes to do a bit of fishing.  We took the kayaks and ended up at Aviemore.  It was glassy calm and the sun was beating down and when we launched the kayaks we saw the water was crystal clear.  As it turned out I was to have all the luck on this day simply because I had a fast sinking line to take my fly deep.  I ended up catching about 7 trout but kept the 3 nicest ones and released the rest.Catherine and Monique really like to eat trout so they would be happy with that.

Next Day we were off to a hunting block.Rods mate Tom had organised access as the farmer was a client of the accountancy firm he worked for.  We headed to Palmerston than turned towards Naseby onto the Pigroot rd  .So called apparently because there used to be so many pigs around the area that the road verges were all rooted up.
  We moved into the shearers quarters and boy they were a bit rough.  The previous occupant obviously never believed in house work.  We eventually headed for the high country and before we had got out of the utes we had spotted a number of deer up in the tussock basins. As there were seven of us we split into 2 groups and Rod ,James,Mick and  I headed for a group of deer up and over a high spur.  Mick ended up shooting the young stag and Rod got a good yearling.  After we had dressed out the deer and loaded up the meat we carried on a bit further to where we had sent James to have a look.He had spotted a good stag climbing up and over the main ridge although he said it only had one antler but it was a good one.There were also a number of hinds went with him.  A bit further around we saw 5 deer down towards the creek.Mick pulled off a really good shot and dropped a 4 point stag.  We then watched a spiker heading up through the tussock but we figured we had enough for the day so we turned down hill towards the ute.

The other guys got back quite late as they covered a fair bit of ground.They managed to shoot a ten pointer but missed out on a larger stag  .They also saw a number of other deer.   Rod went with the other guys the next day and did a big climb up onto the main range after stags they could hear roaring  .Mick ,James and I had a very enjoyable hunt up what was called Boundary Creek watershed.  We climbed our way right up into the head basin Where we spotted three deer and two very large pigs.  James  was keen on taking out the pigs which incidentally were just over the boundary on the neighbours block.Unfortunately he never came up with many volunteers to carry huge pigs all the way back to the truck from way back there so they were left to carry on their business unmolested.  On the way back out James spotted another 5 deer which were easily stalkable  but again were just over on the neighbours side.

We made it back to the ute about 5.30 feeling pretty well done in but feeling good about a neat days hunting.

We made contact with the other guys and found out that Simon had popped out something in his knee and was having a lot of difficulty getting down off the hill  .We spent the next couple of hours trying to get the ute closer to their exit point off the spur they were on so he wouldn’t have too far to walk.  They had shot another stag and seen a good number of other animals as well.

Next morning we packed up and headed back to Rods.Hung up all the meat and sorted out the gear.

Our next foray was off to Makihikihi to a farm up against the hills.There is a deer farm next door and also a trophy hunting block around the top boundary.  The fences don’t appear to be that great as we have seen deer going under them  .We took Gracie along with us for the first evening hunt as Rod had to head back to the farm that night.  We set up our tent then headed up the farm for a look before dark.  Gracie bouncing along beside us as keen as mustard.I took Gracie with me and Rod,Mick and James climbed a bit higher.  There is a lot of sign on all the tracks on this block so you need to keep reasonably alert.   As I moved through one gully I turned to check on Grace coming through a muddy stretch then I turned back just in time to see the back end of a deer ghosting into the trees only 15 metres away.  We decided to climb up a steep bit and get a look into the next gully.  At the top we found a nice comfy tussock to sit on and Gracie decided she was hungry.So she proceeded to down 4 easter eggs one after the other.  From our lofty perch we could look over into the neighbouring block and we started to spot animals.  Down below there was a nice fallow buck with a hind not far away.  Then up towards the top of the ridge we spied a very dark coated buck with wide palmated antlers along with 5 hinds.  After a while 3 wallabys came bounding out of the scrub and proceeded to chase each other across the paddock.  It can be amazing what you will see if you just  stop and sit for a while.

As it was starting to get closer to dark I decided I better get Gracie a little closer to the ute as I didn’t want to be walking her out in the dark.  We sat for a while longer on another spot on the way out and listened to the stags roaring down on the deer farm next door.What a stirring sound it is.

Back at the tent it was now dark so we got to cooking a bit of dinner  .Savaloys are one of Gracies favourites so down the hatch they went as Rod and the rest of the team arrived.  Rod and Grace left after dinner and it seemed something was definitly missing after Gracie left.She is such a joy to be around. James went out with Tom and co for a spotlight and he shot a nice young fallow buck. There was some amazing strong winds in the night and at one point we all had to get up and put our fly back over the tent as the wind had blown it right off.

After a good breakfast we headed up the hill again.  Their was some debate as to where the actual boundaries were as we spotted a good red stag in no mans land.  There were also a few fallow hinds around.  James and I decided we would  get down in the bush for a stalk and we would meet up with Mick on the way out  .Once we got down out of the scrub belt it was surprisingly open and we could see a reasonable distance.We had been going for about an hour when we both heard then saw a deer running through the scrub about 60 or 70 metres above us.  I cranked one into the breach of the 7mm and spotted the first deer moving through a gap.  It was a fallow then I saw a movement out to the right and realised there was another deer following after the first.  There was a narrow gap in the scrub and i concentrated on that gap  .As the deer ran through the gap I squeezed off a snap shot.Straight away the deer came tumbling down the hill through the scrub. It was a sharp chance and sometimes they pay off.  It turned out it was a very good conditioned red hind so we had some excellent meat to take home with us.  Back at camp we had a quick feed then packed up the tent and headed back to Rods.

That night Dave and Donna Logan from Omokoroa called in for the night.They were travelling in a camper  van.They had been down to Stewart Island for a look and they very generously bought out their hard won paua for us to share.  They also cooked it for us with a new recipe.They cooked them with onions and added cream then left them to simmer and reduce .They were enjoyed by all and the cream sauce was just lovely.

Mick hadn’t tasted paua until this trip so now he had had them panfried with garlic and butter and now in the cream sauce.He reckoned they definitly passed the taste test.

It was great to catch up with Dave and Donna.Next morning they headed off to Oamaru to check out the Steampunk exhibit and then they were off to Mt Cook.

Next on the list of activities was a wallaby hunt up the Hakataramea Valley.  You head up through Kurow which incidentally is Richie Mckaw country, then turn right over the New Waitaki river road bridge.

I had contacted one of my old box holders whose parents had a block up there.She mentioned that I could have access so i gave them a ring.  Her parents were very accommodating and we were made to feel welcome.

We found our way up the back of the farm using an old map that the owner had provided and we tried to work out the boundaries then we went hunting.  Straight away we started to flush wallabies.  We had two dogs with us and we had shotguns and a couple of heavier calibres for the long range ones.  Anyone who thinks wallaby shooting is easy when they take off through the high tussock is wrong.  You only catch glimpses of them as they head off at a terrific speed.  After an hour of hunting we were still unable to claim even one wallaby to the tally.  Its pretty hard going in the high tussock as it is also liberally sprinkled with matagouri and spaniard grass both of which Mick reckons he wished he’d never been introduced to.  We came up over a ridge to get a look into the next basin and straight away we saw wallabies over on the other face.As I was around a bit further I could look up the gully and I saw a very nice fallow buck take off through the matagouri.  The owner had said we could shoot a spiker if we saw one but to leave the rest so the buck was safe from us. We started to knock over a few wallabies and through the afternoon covered a bit of hard ground but it was very enjoyable and great exercise.By the time we got back to the truck the old legs were starting to feel they had done a good day.  We dropped the map back to the owner and discussed the boundaries again and it sounded like we had spent most of the day in the neighbours block.  Fortunately he wasn’t too concerned about it as he reckoned thats where they all came from to eat his grass.

The next day we decided we would head out onto the Waitaki River in the jet boat for a couple of hours and see if we could put a dent in the trout population.  The river was running quite high and Rod negotiated the braids and managed to drop us off at a couple of likely looking spots.  Mick and I were flycasting and James and Rod were using lures.  Straight away Mick got a couple of strikes but didn’t hook up.We changed to a different spot and Mick caught a nice rainbow.   Then a bit further down he got another one.  

I suggested to Rod he try one of my softbalts as elsewhere I had some success with them.  Straight away he caught two nice fish,a rainbow and a brown.James also caught one.  At last I hooked up and had a good fight with a nice rainbow then at the last minute dropped it close to the bank.  It was good to feel a fish on in that fast current.  Then Mick hooked a really nice brown that headed for the fast current  

.He managed to get some control but before he could get it to the bank it too dropped the hook  .That was a really nice fish he said.

Back to the ramp we were all very happy with the results.

Next day about 11am we had to head for chch to drop Mick off.  He had enjoyed his trip and got to know a bit about south island hunting and fishing.Gracie made him a love letter to take home with him so Mick was happy.

We decided to carry on to Kaikoura after dropping Mick off as Rod needed his trailer back at Oamaru.James came with us as he was keen to get in a paua dive.  We ended up staying two days and on the second day James and I headed for the coast.  I found a spot that looked ok then we geared up and jumped in.  Straight away we found a really good crevice loaded with paua so it didn’t take long and we had our limit.  The water was a lot clearer than the last time i dived at Kaikoura so it made the task so much easier.  Next time we decided we would take the spear guns and see if we could get some butterfish as well.

Next day we hit the road back to Oamaru.

The following day we had a very important task to undertake.We loaded up the ute and headed north to Hilton up by Temuka and we spent the day rebuilding our maimai  .Gracie was the foreman and James the gopher.We pulled apart and rebuilt the front of the maimai and then we chopped out willows and dragged them up out of the river.   At the finish we stood around and admired a work of art.  The ducks don’t stand a chance.

We have spent a bit of time lately at Rod and Catherines and they make us feel so welcome.  It is an absolute joy to have such quality time with  Grace and James and when Monique came  up too for uni holidays.  Before I headed south I called into Rotorua to see Joe (my dad).  He gave me all his fly tying gear and I said to him I think James might want to have a crack at fly tying.  Well he has taken to it like a duck to water and every spare minute he is tying up a new masterpiece.  And Gracie is just Gracie.To know her is to love her.She is always a bundle of joy laughing and kidding with lots of hugs and kisses.

So even though we may only leave for a week or a month it is always tough saying goodbye.  But the following day we were on the road again.

This time we were heading for Poolburn Reservoir.

To get to Poolburn we headed south and turned off at Palmerston and onto the pigroot road that we had been on to go hunting only ten days ago.  But this time the road was quite different.  Once we gained a bit of altitude we got into some very heavy snow.  the tussock covered hills that we had come through the other day were now totally white and even the foothills had a lot of snow on them.  Pool burn was after Ranfurly but before Omakau.  The road becomes a dirt track and again as we gained altitude the ground became covered in snow.  I think by this stage Jocelyn was going into shock.  Anyone that knows Jocelyn will know that she is allergic to the cold.  We wound our way up to the top and the reservoir emerged out of the sleet.  It was all a bit gloomy so I didn’t muck around just drove down to the first campsite and got set up.  The weather had actually cleared a bit so although it was still freezing the outlook was quite stunning.

What an amazing place this is.  If you didn’t know better you would think you were on another planet. You find yourself even when it is freezing going out for another look around.  The terrain is quite bleak with  very little cover on it but there is all these strange rock formations of all sizes as far as you can see.  In the reservoir itself the rocks form islands of all shapes and sizes.  

Over the next three days we had a good look around and we found it such a fascinating place.  And on top of that there is brown trout and lots of koura living in the lake.

The morning after we arrived a lot of the snow had gone but there was a gale force wind and boy was it cold.  It was a bit of a mission to get Joc to poke her nose out the door but in the afternoon we went for a bit of a drive in the ute.  There is a dam at one end of the lake and the runoff feeds into a small steam at the base.  The reservoir itself covers a large area with islands and arms feeding off in all directions.It is very picturesque.  Although the level of the water is obviously way down on where it normally is which I guess is a reflection of the drought this area has just been through.  Back at the rig Joc dived back inside and turned the heater up and got out her hottie.  That was her done for the day.  

I put some more clothes on and went for a fish.  I found it quite hard casting in such a strong wind but I persevered and managed to catch a trout of a reasonable size although it wasn’t in the best of condition.  But the best thing was I caught it on one of the flys James had made for me.  It was a green Wooley Bugger with a gold bead. I new James would be very happy to hear a fish had fallen to one of his creations

James had given me his koura pot to try out so each night I set it out from camp.The first night I only got one but the next night I had three very large ones in it.  I cooked them up and had them on a sandwich for lunch and they were excellent.

The next day dawned fine without a cloud in the sky.  But oh my what a good frost. The ute had a 1/4 inch of ice on the screen.  After breakfast and the ice had melted we got the kayaks down and went for a paddle.It is a great place for kayaks with all the rock formations and different arms to check out.  After lunch we hopped on the bikes and went for a look around in the other direction to where we had been the previous day.  That evening I hopped back in my kayak to go for a fish.I had only gone about 20 metres and I hooked up and landed a nice brown trout.

I decided to put him back thinking I had just got started and would catch another one.  You guessed it no such luck.  But it turned out to be a highlight of pool burn  .The lake went glassy calm and around the edge the rock buttresses were perfectly mirrored and when the sun went down the streaks of red in the sky  were mirrored  across the lake in front of me.Awesome.

Next day we packed up and headed south again.