I still pinch myself every time I am lucky enough to visit Leon Kinvig Hut - what a fantastic outcome to have this hut relocated and restored. With the new tracks completed by the amazing BCT team lead by Dave Eaton, there is again good access from both the east (so long as you can cross the river just upstream from the hut) and the west (off Shorts Track). The hut book shows that there has been plenty of visitors in recent times. DOC have completed construction of the new helicopter landing pad. This got the nod of approval when the team landed there recently for the pre winter service of the river trap line. There is ample firewood in the wood shed - enough to last many years! Camp sites are ok around the hut too if it gets crowded. I am at the risk of repeating myself, but I will say it again - I don't think I can thank everyone enough for persevering with this project - BCT, DOC and all the volunteers who made it possible - cheers to you all, Janet.

After a slow start to the season the planned trap checks struck better weather and all scheduled monthly servicing of the Te Potae trap lines was completed November through to March and then May.
As well as the usual trap checks/rebaiting a lot of maintenance was completed this season. There was more track cutting done in December - thanks Dave Eaton and Chris Maher. In January there was an extended trap maintenance trip with more time to complete tasks. A new trap line was set out from Maropea Forks towards the tops - thanks Blair and Lucy. In the Ikawetea Stream single set DOC 200's, languishing in piles and presumably waiting for a helo ride out, were carried to locations from where the newer double traps had been washed away (or hopefully to less flood prone locations). Some mechanisms were replaced. Mechanisms were also replaced as needed on the Ikawetea Ridge line, Waiokotore Line and Black Hill Line where Dave Eaton and Christine did some more track cutting and marking.
In March a group of deerstalkers from Taihape NZDA spread out a new trap line on the track between Wakelings Hut and Maropea Forks Hut, completing a long planned extension - thanks everyone Thanks to all the volunteers who give up their weekends so enthusiastically to help with this big job - this year there was a good turnout from old and some new trappers. If you think you could help out with project please be in touch - there are sometimes places available for new volunteers.
Thanks also to our local DOC office in particular ranger Aimee Stubs who coordinates the team of volunteers, liaises with the helicopter and sorts out the gear. This year DOC also provided the erayz lure. Most of the flying is paid for with funding from Horizons through a grant from their Kanorau Koiora Taketake fund to the Ruahine Whio Protection Trust so a big thank you to Horizons.

If you would like to receive a copy of this survey and don't get it with the newsletter please email me and I can send it through. It is too big to include here ............-here are some excerpts.

After a wonderful settled start to the breeding season, with plenty of ducklings seen before xmas, the STORM WITH NO NAME hit the Ruahine range hard in Mid February. This was followed by 2 flood events in April, - Cyclone Vaianu around the 11 April with another a week later. The February flood washed a lot a gravel back into the river beds, filling the pools and making the channel very uniform, with more slips adding to the changes. In May the Pohangina and Oroua remained well washed, with little or no algae. A look under random rocks revealed very few invertebrates. The pools were starting to return to normal but interestingly what many of you will know as the "deep pool" between Tunupo Fly Camp and the Oroua Camp site was still only knee deep in early May when we passed through on the Whio Survey.

It has been a busy summer. In the Oroua we have kept up the regular monthly checks using 180 eggs donated by Zeagolds with erayz to more remote traps. . We welcomed trappers from the earlier days - Cecelia and Sam returned with some friends in January. Craig Steed came with a mate and did a mid summer rebait of the DOC 200's sidle track and river traps. Your ongoing support is really appreciated and I look forward to seeing you back another time. Parawai tramping club with leader Tony Quayle did the traps to Iron Gate in rather unpleasant condition in April - I have included some of Tony's trip report further on. Kate and Helen have continued to come out trapping despite Kate having completed the service part of her Duke Of Ed Gold award. Thanks to all the regulars without who this wouldn't all happen - Ernie, Graham, Richard, Malcolm, Neil, Duncan, Paul D, Callum - and to anyone I have missed, my apologies.

In February there were introductory trips to induct new trappers into the team. Thanks to those who came - John Neal, Fletcher, Steve Bailey, Klara and Chris Hall. Some of that group have been back for more already.

The students came as a big group on their first trip of the season in April. The group included some keen and more experienced trappers and I hope to see more of them again throughout the year.

Thanks to Helen Jonas and her dog Ash who came from Wairoa to do this survey. The Oroua was last surveyed with a dog in around 2017 so some time ago. This spring we knew of 4 pairs with ducklings so we were hopeful of a good count. Conditions have been more challenging than ideal in the river this summer. The date for this survey was earlier but the flooding changed that and we moved to early May. We surveyed from around 2km above Triangle Hut - (1 whio sex unknown) down to Iron Gates Gorge. While some sign was seen only 1 other whio was found. A disappointing result.                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Here are a couple of excerpts from Helens report as she sums up.

"I suspect the flooding that has occurred in the last couple of months has affected the food (invertebrates) on the main river and pushed the birds up sides streams. Ash and I did check up most of the side streams – only a short distance, until they tightened up, the wind was normally favourable – wafting down towards us, Ash didn’t pick anything up.
Another thing I noticed, is that normally in a healthy river system there are lots of whio poo, but also Ash would indicate on locations, and then move on. These would be sites that birds had been in recently but were no longer. On this river there were very few whio poo seen, and no indications from Ash. I think we just hit the river at the wrong time, to close to flood events that had cleared out the food resource".

On the plus side we took full advantage of having a helicopter to fly in the survey team. A team of 4 were dropped off on the tops above Iron Gate Hut - Malcolm and Graham serviced the traps to Tunupo and walked out while Ernie and Neil worked their way down to Iron Gate Hut, replacing aging trap mechanisms as needed. All river traps were serviced as the teams worked down the river - a very satisfying pre winter trip.

The Longview Line on the eastern side of the Pohangina River has historically caught a large number of stoats - it is just at the right altitude. Robin Fields has been checking the line regularly over the season - thanks for all the hard work on that challenging line.

The Pohangina River A24 line was serviced in December and again in May. Teams mostly flew in and out, which saves a lot of time and energy and is particularly appreciated in May when it is very cold and the days are short. Chris Tuffley has been diligent tramping in to service the upper river line around Top Gorge Hut.. On a recent trip there was a female whio near the hut. A lone male whio seems to have taken up residence near Leon Kinvig Hut - he is seen regularly. It's funny how there seems to be "hut ducks". The Ngamoko Hut ducks raised a nice family this season - seen in December - see pic.

While at the huts in December we helped out with FMC's "Love Our Huts" campaign, "loving" Leon Kinvig and Mid Pohangina Huts. We find the A24 traps are generally working well - evidence of kills is common. See pic below - one of the older traps still killing. Some in the network are now well over 10 years old, still holding their gas and firing well on test fire. They are ideal in a remote location such as the Pohangina River.

Thanks again to all who help out - the Pohangina is a lovely river when it is behaving but flooding is an ongoing issue - the same comments as per the Oroua survey probably apply there as well.

There is good news on the access to Happy Daze Hut!!!!
I have cut with permission from their Manaaki Ruahine facebook page - which is great and full of trip reports and data - here is part of one recent post. Check out their FB for more info.

A BLOODY GAMECHANGER Feb 10 2026 The new access into the valley from Paget Road is an absolute bonus for our work. It means we can access our trapping network easier. It means that we will also be able to expand the network. It'll be easier to install new traps and service them. A new line in to Mākāretu Hut is on the cards, and new lines from the hut up to the Ruahine Whio Protector's Longview Line is being thought about. On Sunday we tested the new route for the first time. Karen drove a team of us up to Kashmir Road. She and Fraser serviced the first few SA2s and the 6 AT220s we've put around Awatere Hut, while Fiona, Anthony and newby Damon headed south down the river to service our box traps and the rest of our SA2 possum traps. The plan was for the river team to do the line, then head straight out to Paget Road. It was a time trial. Both teams gave themselves five-and-a-half hours to get their work done before getting to the rendezvous point. Karen and Fraser, the Autotrap team, arrived at Paget Road about half an hour earlier than the others - which isn't too bad. We were all back at Paget about half an hour sooner than we would normally arrive back at Kashmir Road. This meant we could get our pies at the Dannevirke BP early! Yes! ...............go to https://www.facebook.com/manaakiruahine/

North Eastern Ruahine Traplines -Geoff Whittle   
                                                                                                          Photos Mark Wilcox

Lisa and I have been trapping in this area for fourteen years. Originally all our lines were accessible from the top of No Mans Road. But over time more lines have developed and we’ve “inherited” lines further south in the upper Makororo, Piopio tops, Aranga Hut zone. It’s definitely become a challenge for us to service the lines adequately on our own. The good news is that our community of willing trappers has grown and this year we’ve had a record number of trap servicing trips.
Despite a difficult start with seemingly endless spring gales the key Apias line has been serviced six times. The typical trip is a circuit from No Mans --- down the Apias Stream to Ikawetea Forks Hut, then up a ridge to Tauwharepokuru. There is a beautiful 2 kilometre flat section about half way up that is dominated by red beech and has a rich bird life. We camped there --- as we often do --- in early May. I never trust myself when I think I hear kiwi, but this time it was obvious. At least three timesduring the night we heard a male kiwi pinging out as clear as a bell. It’s moments like that that make all the effort worthwhile!

Most other lines were serviced about six times too. Even the line across the open tops past Piopio was serviced three times. This line can be a challenge to include in a typical trip.
We had a record stoat catch, as well as plenty of weasels. The line along the Main Range from No Man to Parks Peak Hut caught the most. We made extra trips to keep the traps fresh along this line. In recent years stoat catches along the Apias have been rare, but we did get quite a few there this year. The good news is that stoat numbers had declined a lot by Autumn, so here’s hoping that we got on top of them.
A huge shout out to the willing crew who made all this possible. To Raine and Jeff Williams, Sarah and Mark Wilcox, Andy Jenkins, Sarah Fisher, the father and daughter team of Darren and Heather Morris, Elly Grover, Kev O’Donnell and Mauri Oho team members Jayeden Clark, Bruno King, and Erana Motu. Ngā mihi tino nui rawa atu ki a rātou katoa

In April, several members of the wider Ruahine trapping community attended this worthwhile event at the Makirikiri Marae in Dannevirke. Malcolm Thomas and Janet attended for the Oroua and Pohangina, Anthony Behrens for the Mareretu Valley Restoration Project, Lisa Whittle for Mauri Oho plus representatives from organisations such as DOC, Good Nature, Autotraps and Southern Ruahine kiwi. It was like a mini trapping expo with lots of gear on display. After we were all welcomed to the marae school groups came through and checked us out. There was also interactive activities outside and inside with Anthony Behrens keeping the kids enterained setting off DOC 200 traps.

Most Awesome Sighting  since the last newsletter

Ruahine Birding News   -  Chris Tuffley

During the May Te Pōtae trap check I had five toutouwai / NI robin come and check me out on Ikawetea Ridge: a pair at one trap, a single eight traps later, and then a second pair another nine traps after that. In six years Atlasing and eBirding the Ruahine I've often heard robins - but only in the right places. They seem to just be in isolated pockets, unlike whiteheads, riflemen, grey warblers, tomtits and fantails, which are widespread throughout the range. And in that time I've only seen them twice before - so seeing not just one but five all in the same day was very exciting. Callum also saw one on the way from Iron Bark to Colenso, and Aimee thinks she saw one between Wakelings and Maropea Forks. The next day on our way to Ruahine Corner we saw three kārearea / NZ falcons on the Makirikiri plateau: one perched on a rock near point 1206, as we reached the plateau, and then two perched on the trig near Makirikiri highpoint.

On a trip to Top Gorge for the midyear service of the upper section of the Pohangina River trapline I heard four mātātā /fernbirds on the way up the hill to Longview, catching glimpses of two of them; and on the walk back out I heard at least 15, along the Longview tops and on the way back down to Kashmir Road. The Kashmir Road / Longview Hut area is great habitat for fernbirds, with lots of subalpine scrub. I've heard fernbirds here many times, tramping or trapping in the area several times a year; over my last few trips it's really felt like I'm hearing more and more of them.

You can watch a short video of whio preening
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/657729471 and to listen to a couple of fernbirds calling back and forth to each other on the Longview track here: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/658394013

Parawai Tramping Club trip to Iron Gate Hut  - Tony Quayle

When I walked this trap line with an RWP team exactly seven months ago, project coordinator Janet Wilson suggested I bring some Parawai trampers back to see what this trapping lark is all about. After all, we always enjoy our occasional encounters with whio and would like to see more of them.
Our team of five met up with Janet and her husband Graham, at their Oroua base Saturday morning, leaving a frightfully wet Kapiti in our wake. The wet would catch up with us later.
Our work began at Heritage Lodge: opening, clearing, resetting and closing each of the sixty seven traps along the Iron Gate track. Between us we were carrying four dozen size 8 eggs - too large for Janet’s usual rigid plastic egg boxes, so packed instead in standard retail cartons: extra care required. Once a pleasant, benched sidle track, the walk to Iron Gate has become a somewhat challenging journey. Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 destabilised the hillsides between Cumberfield and Tunupo streams, triggering a series of slips that are becoming increasingly impassable with each successive storm. Officially, the track is closed, but DOC has cut a bypass around the largest slip. More on that later.

Janet had marked a detour around the first slips, a five star detour compared with what lay ahead. Roughly halfway between the carpark and Iron Gate Hut there’s a nice spot where the track comes down to the river. This is where, four years ago, we met an energetic solo tramper named Inny (Yeun An) who was instantly recruited to the Parawais. It’s also the spot where Janet pointed us at the DOC bypass before racing the clock back to an appointment at their base. The bypass starts out steep, as climbs out of rivers usually do, but unlike most tracks the gradient doesn’t ease off. It gets steeper. And steeper. Until it feels close to vertical. There are some exposed roots to hang onto, and handy stumps left behind where saplings have been cut off: hopefully they don’t get pulled out of the ground by trampers clutching for support. For good measure, there’s an awkwardly placed windfall to cope with at the very top, before the bypass descends in a much more respectable fashion to meet the original track.Light rain set in for the final stage of our mission, making the roomy and comfortable Iron Gate Hut all the more welcome.

As forecast, it rained hard overnight, flooding the river and ruling out any possibility of taking the low level route around the base of the biggest slip, so we unanimously agreed that the twice-as-long tops route over Tunupo was our best option for getting out. June, Mark, Owen and Petr were, as always, great companions and, as it turned out, eager trappers. Thanks too to Janet and Graham for their support and hospitality. I’m not in any hurry to traverse that DOC bypass again though.

Note - this is an edited version of Tony's report to Parawai Tramping Club. If you would like to read the whole refer to the Parawai Tramping Club newsletter. Tony is currently writing a book on the Ruahine Range so good to have him along to see what modern day pest control and volunteering is all about.

Te Potae Traplines - Janet W

The weather seems to be against us this season - despite the best efforts of Aimee (DOC) the weather was just too bad for the October check to go ahead. And just as it has been settling down in November, as I write this, the trip planned for this weekend has been called off . Decisions are made by the helicopter pilots and they know best. Maybe next weekend..................
There have been some lovely whio duckling sightings reported in the Colenso (Mangetera) and Maropea Forks areas with 10 ducklings in one clutch and 5 in another. Who ever heard of 10 duckings! With so many ducklings also seen in the Apias it looks to be a good breeding season which is very positive. Thanks to Geoffrey Berntsen for sending in this photo.

After a very wet and cold end to winter the river has finally dropped enough to make travel easy. Riley Gudopp recently went for a tramp up the river looking for whio and on the section downstream from Iron Gate Hut to the Oroua Camp site near Alice Nash Lodge, he saw 18 Whio - 2 pairs with 5 ducklings, a pair with a single, and a lone male (where there was a pair the week before). Hopefully his mate is now sitting on eggs. This has to be a record for the Oroua, in recent times anyway. Whio have been reported at Triangle Hut - we are still looking forward to a spring trip in to there. The main river was rebaited over the last 2 weekends by social trappers and PNTMC members Ernie Cook, Neil Benton, Blair Peterson and myself - thanks also to the members of the NZDA (Manawatu) who helped on the November rebait.

Callum Taylor, Graham Peters and myself have been servicing a couple of short lines of "Ruahine Kiwi" lines on farmland and along Cone Creek - we were very pleased to see sign of whio in the very beautiful stream. We have used this as an opportunity to up skill and refresh some new and returning volunteers .

Pohangina River + Longview LIne

The Longview Line on the eastern side of the Pohangina River has historically caught a large number of stoats - it is just at the right altitude. We have a new volunteer helping with regular rebaits - thank you Robin Fields for offering to help and for the work so far - its not easy up there on that particularly long and windy track.

Chris Tuffley recently serviced the A24 traps in the Top Gorge area - thanks Chris - he took some lovely photos and has shared them with us all - see below. He reported one whio in the river and more fern birds than he has heard before on the track up from Kashmir Rd to Longview Hut .

Just today a Tararua tramping club member reported some whio in the Pohangina - a family with 5 ducklings on Ngamoko/Duck Pond Stream and 3 juveniles hanging out together between Mid Pohangina and Ngamoko. There is a pair at Leon Kinvig Hut. We are yet to do the spring service of the rest of A24 line down the Pohangina and hope to get there in December.

Makeretu Valley Restoration Project

There just may be, finally, some good news on the access to Happy Daze Hut - we don't want to speak too soon but DOC may be nearly there with opening the new poled route
I have cut with permission from their Manaaki Ruahine facebook page - which is great and full of trip reports and data - here is one story from a recent trip. Check our their FB for more info. Great to whio up above Awatere Hut - he will need to find a mate and some more water come summer.

Springtastic!
Well...kind of.
Karen, Fiona and Anthony went into "The Valley" yesterday to clear traps and to introduce Ruahine Kiwi's Robert Gibb to the area.
Robert (see photo) is the new Ruahine Kiwi Project Lead and is also a former Manaaki Whenua - Landcare data scientist. We like kiwi. We also like scientists...and data. We figured it would be a good day.
The day was calm and cool. The Mākāretu Stream was fresh and running high. While Fiona and Anthony headed off downstream, Karen took Robert through our new Autotrap network and plan.

Numbers are really low on the Autotraps at the moment, which meant it was time to move them. Our plan is to move the traps up and down the river as they clear out rats, mice and possums. We know that we'll never get all of the animals we're targeting, but it's pretty clear by the numbers we tracking that we're making some sort of dent in populations.
Karen, our AT220 expert, planned to instal a fifth trap into our programme, but when she stuck it to a tree and turned it on the bloody thing threw up an error. Much swearing, and unsuccessful cleaning of sensors ensued, before it got put back in her pack for a ride back to Dannevirke.
Other Autotraps were topped up, recharged and moved. The plan is working...we can see numbers declining...it's just that sometimes things don't always work out.
As for Anthony and Fiona's trip downstream? Let's just say that there are a lot of hungry rats in the forest at the moment. From
30 kill stations they removed 24 rats. Three of the box traps had double kills.
All up we cleared:
24 rats. 10 possums, 11USA

"Wild Ruahine" Calendars


Thanks to everyone who has purchased a calendar for 2026 - we are sold out

Thanks to All our Supporters - and to everyone who volunteers their time for these projects.

A massive thank you to those who volunteered for Te Potae this season! We look forward to having you along next year!

The Te Potae Project is expanding to the Sth to Wakelings Hut - this will give more protection to the Whio in the upper Maropea and Wakelings catchments. Another 10 traps will be deployed on the track to the North East from Maropea Forks Hut, heading towards the main range. Another volunteer will be added to the team to service these extra traps. This will bring added safety too as there will now be 2 volunteers overnighting at Maropea Forks Hut. Traps have also been moving along the Mokai Patea Range - thanks to Tama and his team. More from Aimee.......

Trap lines have all been serviced and quite a few mechanisms replaced - the original network of DOC 200's was set out in 2008 and quite a few are failing now.
The Social Trappers group is proving successful, recently servicing all the river traps in the Oroua and Pohangina before winter set in. Thanks to all the volunteers who regularly help out - our reward has been seeing so many whio in the Oroua this season. I'll let the pictures tell the story.....

The Pohangina River A24 line was serviced in late May during a beautiful patch of autumn weather. Most traps were working well - we had a fresh rat kill at Ngamoko Hut just to reassure us the traps are working. Thanks to funding from the Allan Rosoman trust, the team were able to fly in and out, making the most of the conditions to do a tour of the huts. Leon Kinvig, recently restored on the new site was the first nights lodging.
On the same weekend Chris Tuffley and Lorraine Cook serviced the traps in the Top Gorge Hut area. Only a few pairs were seen but as it was so cold I think perhaps they have moved up to the warmer side streams - are they known to do this?

The team:  Max (whio dog) Andrew Glaser (DOC) Ash (whio dog) Helen James (DOC)  Janet Wilson (RWPT)  Liusa Whittle (Mauri Oho)  Aimee Stubbs (DOC)

Kiwi Survey - Janet W
Surveying, using acoustic recorders, is part of the conditions for releasing kiwi back in to the northern Ruahine. This year, thanks to some nice liaising between DOC and the air force, some of the regular Te Potae volunteers, Scratch Jansen and some of the Mauri Oho crew were lucky enough to be deployed by the NH90 helo to install the recorders. It was a one day exercise, with pick up late afternoon. Those on board were then treated to an hours flying home right down the Ruahine Range, with some pilot training along the way.

It was an early start from Ohakea and it took a while to get everyone in to the field, as we waited for the cloud to lift at Ruahine Corner and on the Ohutu Ridge.. Thanks to all concerned it was a great day out. Now we are waiting for the weather to allow the retrieval of the recorders....

DOC Snail Survey - Aimee Stubbs
Aerial 1080 deployed throughout the years is part of the National Pest Control Programme, and aims to decrease the abundance of rodents (rats and mice), mustelids (weasels, stoats and ferrets) and possums within the treatment area to protect a wide range of native species including whio, and the giant land snail Powelliphanta marchanti.
In 2018 DOC carried out a small study comparing snail predation inside and outside the treatment area which revealed a clear difference between the non-treatment (lots of possum-killed snails) and the 1080-treated (no possum killed snails) plots. It also highlighted a high level of pig predation around Ruahine Corner.
In May 2025 DOC led two trips to repeat this study. While analysis has not yet been done on the predated shells, we do have some preliminary data on live snails. 12 (including 1 egg) lives snails were found in the Mokai Patea (non-treatment) plots, and 45 were found in the Ruahine Corner (treatment) plots. A huge thank you to all the volunteers who helped make these trips run smoothly and efficiently!

Manaaki Ruahine Makeretu Valley Restoration Project - All quiet here. Maybe no news is good news!

Mistletoe on Totara Spur last spring - hopefully we will see more with possum numbers low

Spreading the Word - Ruahine Whio Protection Trust

In late August, a hardy Backcountry Trust crew of six headed into to Leon Kinvig Hut in the frigid cold of Winter. We'd gotten word from Kahu Heli that their Black Hawk (affectionately named "Rose") was finally available with a rare winter weather window in the Ruahine to match........


We heard the Black Hawk well before we saw it. As it came in to land, about 100m away from us, the downdraft sprayed water from the river all over us. The noise and the wind was incredible. The prep to sling the hut at the old site was done while the crew at the new site received loads for the work we were going to do over the next 4 days. When the hut was ready to lift, we moved some crew from the old site to the new site and anxiously waited for the hut to arrive at its new home.

Phillip Hansen left before the photo was taken.  Thanks to Chris Tuffley and Dave Eaton for the photos.

As part of the Mauri Oho trips discussed above all traps in the Upper Makaroro area were serviced. This includes the line along the Main Range between Aranga and Parks Peak Hut. The whio news from this area is also good. As well as the usual pair at Upper Makaroro Hut there was a lone male and another pair in the two kilometre section upstream from the hut. Things take time. When the tramping club serviced these lines, they consistently reported a lone male at the hut and it was great been seen news when he finally got a mate. More recently that whio have upstream of the hut. Whio sign was also found in the stream just below Sentry Box Hut. It’s now over a year that we have had consistent evidence of whio occupying a site no more than 200 metres from farmland.
We are super excited that the No Mans Rd has finally been repaired. Thank you Scratch (Paul Jansen) for your awesome support in getting that funded. We can now begin our trips into the Apias area from the tops. It added a day to a typical trip having to start from Masters Shelter. It takes three trips for us to cover all of our traps. One trip follows the Apias all the way to Ikawatea Forks Hut and then ascends the ridge back toward No Mans. A second follows the Main Range to Aranga and then descends to Mistake Biv along an A24 line. It then ascends to the Main Range at Ohawai (about 2k south of No Mans Rd) via an A24 line. The third trip follows the Main Range to a high point at PioPio about 2k past Aranga Hut and then follows a ridge to Rockslide Biv. Then it’s a walk upstream to find the exit to Slaughter Ridge and back to No Mans. We plan to do all trips at least once before Christmas and at least two more times before winter.
We are keen and open to anyone joining us or to do one of the trips themselves - we’d be delighted! The travel is consistently interesting and the Apias is a great river for whio sighting. Our plan is to create a group email, somewhat as Te Potae traps are checked.
When there’s a weather window, we’ll do our best to coordinate folk who are keen. Please contact Lisa whittllisa@gmail.com / or 021 022 75042. Next trip, up No Mans Rd to do the full length of Apias is Mon 4 – Wed 6 Nov.

Northern Ruahine National Predator Control Programme Update - now well overdue, still planned as soon as conditions allow..............
An aerial predator control programme targeting rats, stoats and possums over 37,000 hectares of the Northern Ruahine Forest Park is due to start anytime between now and mid December 2023. This operation was also undertaken in both 2017 and 2019.
The operation will provide protection from predation for some of our precious species found in the park including whio, kiwi, kaka, kakariki, giant powelliphanta land snails and long-tailed bats. It is especially important that this operation goes ahead to protect the local whio population this breeding season as they have already taken a hit this year from Cyclone Gabrielle.
A pre-operational tracking tunnel monitor for rats was undertaken by the DOC Biodiversity Monitoring Team in August 2023 and resulted in a rat tracking tunnel index of 33% TTI. A post operational tracking tunnel index will be undertaken two weeks after the operation to confirm if we have achieved the operational target of <2% TTI for rats.
(Note - TTI = Tracking Tunnel Index - Ed.)

He's also been experimenting with all sorts of crafty critter killing creations.
He's been a little surprised at how few possums and rats he's managed to dispatch, but...you be the judge.
Just before he packed up and moved out he'd taken out 200 possums, 60 rats, 9 stoats and 5 or 6 hogs. We reckon that's pretty bloody good for a three month tally and 100 traps. (Update: Fiona, Anthony and a couple of TA hikers went in to check the line a few days after Ron left. They cleared another 6 rats, 2 mice and a stoat which increases Ron's tally nicely. Ron also did a rebait on the RWP Longview line from Rocky Knob/Awatere and removed 19 mustelids. Ron spent a few weeks in the same place a couple of years back. "Have you noticed any changes?" We asked him. "I'm no scientist...but I reckon there's more birds around the hut," he replied.  When we picked him up yesterday, Karen asked him what he was craving after 12 weeks of beans 'n' rice. "Hmmmm. Eggs. Oh...and bacon."

Lucky our fav Cafe Norsewood was just round the corner eh?
Thanks heaps Ron...you're a bloody legend!

Over Waitangi weekend (is it that long ago!), Anthony, Fiona, Tina, Holly...oh...and Steve, went into Awatere Hut and worked some Backcountry Trust Magic on the place.
I've always thought that it was a pretty tidy hut, but once we started blowing the slime off it, it soon became apparent that it was looooong overdue for some BCT-TLC.
The winds were pretty high when we choppered in, but the flights were only about 45 seconds long, so it was bearable. (Actually it was kind of exciting!)
The chopper had to drop...I mean land...the gear on the river bed, so while Steve and Fiona got their tools out and started work, Tina and I lugged...and lugged...and lugged nearly a tonne of cement, wood and equipment up to the hut.
I'm not complaining...but I did fall asleep straight after tea that night.
Steve cleared the growth from around the hut, while Fiona started on the toilet. Her job was to flash between the bog structure and the not-so-long drop.
Over the next few days we dodged rain, thunderstorms and blowflies. We had a massive thunder storm over us on Saturday night. We'd had similar weather when we did Dianes Hut the previous February, but this time we had the luxury of sleeping in the hut.
Steve reroofed and reflashed the hut. The rest of us (including Holly who got blown off the Longview Track on Saturday's storm) scrubbed it down, prepped and painted it. Fiona and Steve put the woodshed together with new framing and the old roofing from the hut. Tina, Holly and I cleaned the woodshed tin down in what was a pretty arduous task. We're not sure it's a good use of our time, but it looks kind of cool. Fiona and Steve expanded the skylight (and hopefully rat-proofed it). There was a whole lot more that went on, but I'm just knackered thinking about it all!
Tina, as usual, put her cheffing skills to good use. We reckon the secret to a good BCT team is the cook and Tina is our proof. I'm not a fan of the hard graft, but I"M IN TO TINA'S MEALS! Venison stew. Nachos. Pulled Pork buns. Thai chicken curry. Cheese and crackers. Plenty of smoko breaks with biccies and cake kept us all going.
Joe, the chopper pilot arrived dead on 11am om Waitangi Day - exactly when he said be would. While all of the rubbish and gear was ready for him, Steve was still up on the roof putting the finishing touches on it when Joe made his last trip in. Perfect timing? Bloody tense timing I reckon. But we did it!
Nearly. The plan is to put some double glazed windows into the hut shortly - at present it only has louvres - but we'll get onto that later. As usual I get a bit nervous doing these jobs. I like my office and my computer...but shit, working in a good team in the backcountry is a blast.
Comfort zones are meant to be broken eh?

In early March a joint effort between DOC and PN Tramping and Mountaineering Club renovated Mid Pohangina Hut - new roof, fire, water tank and paint. Thanks to BCT for arranging the supply of Coloursteel from Steel and Tube and to Dulux for the paint, to DOC for project managing and funding, and to PNTMC for funding and volunteer labour - builder Chris Rayner, painters Kirsten Olsen and Janet W.
Mid Poh, Awatere and the other local river huts are well used and much appreciated by volunteers servicing trap lines. Ed. note - Plans are in place to relocate Leon Kinvig Hut to a new safe site asap.

The full report from this survey was to be included in this newsletter but it is just too many pages so I have included a little and will email out the report with this newsletter. The Whio numbers were well up on last year in the Apias and Ikawatea Streams with a smaller increase in the Mangatera and Remutupo streams. Very encouraging to see. Thanks to DOC, the handlers and their dogs and to the volunteers who were lucky enough to be part of the team.

In March I did a tramping trip starting at the Comet roadend and finishng at Shorts Track in the South of the range. My route was roughly the one taken by Elly Arnst and her friend Katie. There is a subtle difference. It took Elly and Katie 39 hours https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm9kXHTIbFA. It took me nine days. Oh well. My excuse is that the first three days were basically a trapping trip. The normal route South from Shutes Hut is via the tops towards No Mans, but I’d always wanted to walk the track that goes from Shutes Hut to Ruahine Hut crossing the Koau Stream near its confluence with the Ngaruroro River. There are Mauri Oho traps between Koau Stream and Ruahine Hut. It would be great to get the traps all the way to Shutes, and then from Shutes to the No Mans tops. I discovered that the track from Shutes to Koau Stream is not exactly in pristine condition. At one stage I saw an orange triangle about 40m away on the other side of a sea of ongaonga. The direct route was clearly problematic, but my decision to bushbash another route was definitely a mistake. It would be great to see some maintenance on this track. It’s an interesting route and definitely a good location for a trapline.

Lisa and Geoff Whittle have recently set up a WhatsApp group for Eastern Ruahine trappers. The plan is to create a place where we can keep an informal record of which traplines have been checked and also provide a place where people can notify intended trapping trips. It won’t be anything like as detailed as Trap.NZ.
The area we are thinking of is roughly the Eastern Ruahine Range North of Kashmir Road end. This area includes the following Trap.NZ projects: Nomans, Upper and Lower Makaroro, Maurioho. We’re deliberately excluding the Western and Southern areas as we feel that those traplines are already really well organised.

If you are interested in joining, send Lisa a text or WhatsApp message at 021 022 75042‬ and she can sign you up.

An aerial predator control programme targeting rats, stoats and possums over 37,000 hectares of the Northern Ruahine Forest Park is due to start anytime between now and mid December 2023. This operation was also undertaken in both 2017 and 2019.
The operation will provide protection from predation for some of our precious species found in the park including whio, kiwi, kaka, kakariki, giant powelliphanta land snails and long-tailed bats. It is especially important that this operation goes ahead to protect the local whio population this breeding season as they have already taken a hit this year from Cyclone Gabrielle.
A pre-operational tracking tunnel monitor for rats was undertaken by the DOC Biodiversity Monitoring Team in August 2023 and resulted in a rat tracking tunnel index of 33% TTI. A post operational tracking tunnel index will be undertaken two weeks after the operation to confirm if we have achieved the operational target of <2% TTI for rats.
(Note - TTI = Tracking Tunnel Index - Ed.)
An aerial predator control programme targeting rats, stoats and possums over 37,000 hectares of the Northern Ruahine Forest Park is due to start anytime between now and mid December 2023. This operation was also undertaken in both 2017 and 2019.
The operation will provide protection from predation for some of our precious species found in the park including whio, kiwi, kaka, kakariki, giant powelliphanta land snails and long-tailed bats. It is especially important that this operation goes ahead to protect the local whio population this breeding season as they have already taken a hit this year from Cyclone Gabrielle.
A pre-operational tracking tunnel monitor for rats was undertaken by the DOC Biodiversity Monitoring Team in August 2023 and resulted in a rat tracking tunnel index of 33% TTI. A post operational tracking tunnel index will be undertaken two weeks after the operation to confirm if we have achieved the operational target of <2% TTI for rats.
(Note - TTI = Tracking Tunnel Index - Ed.)

"The big news is that we have a Whio pair with six ducklings on the Rangitikei River. I have never seen ducklings on the Rangitikei River in my almost 40 years of rafting. We have been viewing them for a couple of weeks now. No ducklings have been lost in that time. Very exciting stuff! A line of A24 traps protects this particular section of the river. The mahi is paying off!"

A good number of early season sightings reported from all over the Ruahines but so far these are the only ducklings. Still early days.....

 Reported to Janet Wilson - Pohangina River 2 pairs above Top Gorge, Oroua 3 (or 5) in the lower river near Alice Nash Lodge. Pair up at Iron Gate Hut.

Lisa Whittle - reported sign at Sentry Box and lone whio in other smaller eastern streams near the farmland and a pair at Upper Makororo Hut.

Te Potae team - 7 pairs on the Ikawatea Stream, pair at the Unknown Campsite, not many ducks around on the flood damaged rivers.
Please report your whio sightings so they can be entered in Whio Manager.

There was excellent turnout for the annual hui/gathering of those with a passion for the Ruahine Whio. This year we met at the very hospitable and comfortable Mākirikiri Marae in Dannevirke where we were very well looked after and catered for. Thanks to Arapera Paewai and her team for ensuring everyone felt very welcome. Thanks also to every one who came along and special thanks to those who did presentations.
As the meeting convenor, I thought it was remarkable how engaged everyone was, even when we went in to Saturday evening and continued through Sunday morning. Good to have a mix of new and more regular faces attending..
The record of the meeting are available by emailing jwilson@inspire.net.nz. They will be circulated to attendees shortly. There was a lot of interesting information shared which is included so worth a read.

It won't come as a surprise to anyone that whio numbers were well down from last year's survey - Cyclone Gabrielle had done extraordinary damage to many of the rivers and whio food was in short supply. Here is some of the report and a few of the pics supplied. I can email the full report if anyone who would like a copy

Te Potae O Awarua - early season trap check 14/15 October 2023 - here is Chris Tuffley's post he wrote on facebook and some of his lovely pics - well worth a read.

How did that roll around so quickly? It seems like only yesterday I was splashing down Ikawetea Stre am with Anthony on the last Te Pōtae trap check of the 2022-23 season. But that was May, and now here we are in October, and there I was last weekend, making my way down Ikawetea Stream again on the first trap check of the 2023-24 season, with Lucy from the Palmy DoC office rec team this time.

Looking at the forecast last week I'd been sure the trip would be cancelled - I thought it looked too wet and windy for flying! But Owen from Midwest Helicopters clearly has an inside line on the weather: we got the message on Friday saying he'd given the trip the go ahead, and by golly if the weather didn't turn out pretty alright! Sunny much of the time, the rain didn't amount to much, and the wind did pick up on Sunday but not enough that the helicopter couldn't come in and get us - although we did all wonder! and it was a little bumpy on the way out. Good to get that first check of the season in as scheduled! Last season the first check didn't go until December - and then only after being rescheduled a couple of times.
It's always hard to be completely sure just how many whio you met on a day travelling down the stream. Is this a new pair, or the same one we saw some traps back??? They're territorial birds, so you tend to meet them in ones and twos - or with ducklings in tow if it's later in the season and you're lucky. But trying to account for repeat encounters I think we met as many as seven pairs of whio as we wound our way down the beautiful green tunnel that is the Ikawetea Stream, clearing and rebaiting traps as we went. Seven pairs! Awesome stuff. But - sobering statistic time - DoC estimates the total whio population at less than 3000, which puts those 14 whio at about half a percent of the total population. That's one 200th of all the whio in the world, all in one day, all in an ~8km stretch of just one stream. We'd better look after them, Aotearoa.

Some whio don't want a bar of you - as soon as they see you they're out of there. We met some of those: one pair just drifted away downstream ahead of us every time we rounded a bend and came in sight again. But some whio just aren't that fussed by you, and we met some of them too. One in particular just sat there preening while we watched from only four or five metres away, crouching feet in the water against the rock wall on the other side of the stream. We watched our fill until - traps to check, a hut to get to, before dark if possible - we reluctantly started moving again. Only then did it take its leave - but we met it again a short while later, with its partner this time.

Other close encounters for the weekend include titipounamu / riflemen, a riroriro / grey warbler, a couple of pōpokotea / whitehead, a kārearea / NZ falcon flying by overhead, a mātātā / fernbird ticking away in the bushes out of sight, a water spider, a pūriri moth and a bank covered in glow worms. All in all an excellent haul of nature encounters!

Catches - 8 stoats, 3 weasels, 328 rats, 3 mice, 2 cats and 6 other = 347 kills (some data still to come)

Sentry Box, Upper Makororo Hut, Piopio Tops, Aranga, Sentry Box, 17-19 Oct
I caught the train from Wellington to Palmy. I like train travel. It’s hypnotic and with the pouring rain and soft light I almost fell asleep. Lisa picked me up and we drove to Ongaonga in more pouring rain. After a night at Mauri Oho base listening to rain on the roof I was beginning to be nervous. We had chosen this trip partly because it didn’t involve river travel, but there is one river crossing just before Upper Makororo Hut. Was that crossing going to be an issue?
At least in the morning it was only drizzle, so after chatting about the weather with the Mauri Oho crew we headed off. The Waipawa river was dirty and swollen. Further in, the Poporangi was high, but clear. More promising. Sentry Box Spur has its charms. My last visit involved a descent in the pouring rain with Lisa, Chris Tuffley and Paul (Scratch) Jansen. Chris had spikes and strolled down, but my descent was essentially a bumslide. To my surprise, this time the traction was quite good
It’s curious what the mind does when wandering along a track. Who knows why, but on the way up the hill I found myself thinking about the weight of A24 gas bottles and lure. There are DOC 200 traps all along our route. There are also a significant number of Goodnature A24 traps so we had gas bottles and lure for all of these in our packs. But all good. We duly arrived at the Makororo Stream to find it to be its usual babbling self. So much for my river anxieties. Lisa heard a pair of whio in the morning, but I must have been asleep.


Travel up Totara Spur is pleasant despite the climb. Frequent rests for trap checking help. I love the tops in this area. The breeze was fresh when we left the bush, but atypically, it moderated as the day went on and it was an awesome walk to Aranga in glorious sunshine. Aranga is a great place to camp. The hut itself is better than it used to be, but it would be a struggle for me to spend the night in it. Lisa and I cut our outdoor teeth in Tasmania where there are few huts and we developed a fondness for camping which we both have to this day.
Next day it was a stroll to the road end and the Tikokino Pub for lunch. Quite a few rats in the traps at lower altitudes and a handfull of stoats as well as a few weasels. We don’t catch much in the traps between Piopio and Aranga, but when we do, it’s usually a stoat, so I feel it’s a valuable line.
A highlight of the trip was seeing fresh whio sign at the stream next to Sentry Box Hut. This is very close to farmland. It seems that there are whio in most of the streams that run from the range to the farmland in this area. It’s also encouraging to hear from Chris Tuffley that he encountered seven pairs in his trip down the Ikawetea. Lisa and I haven’t been down the Apias since we did the whio survey in May with Max Smart and Falco the whio dog. At the time the water was murky and the bottom just loose gravel. Whio were hanging on to their territories in the Apias, but their droppings were full of berries, not invertebrates. We only found three pairs on the Ikawetea. Given that we had the dog with us, that’s probably all there were. I wonder if Apias whio have been relocating to more promising territory until things return to normal. In any case I’m really looking forward to getting to the Apias to see what the story is.

The Royal NZ Air Force was instrumental in the biggest lift of traps to the Ruahine Range ever accomplished by DOC. On 7th September 23, an NH90 helicopter and its crew transported 560 pest traps, weighing more than four tonnes in total, into the Ruahine.
Helicopter load master Corporal Evan McKenzie said the hardest part of the job was getting the bags of traps into the aircraft. “They weighed up to 125kg each, and we used the hoist to get them into the aircraft, but there still needed to be a bit of manhandling from the crew to get them in and out of the helicopter.” Paul ‘Scratch’ Jansen said the NH90 delivery was the “single biggest lift of traps into the back country”.
Fadges of 20 were dropped at three sites Nomans-Taruarau, Ruahine Corner and Mokai Patea ridge. Mauri Oho and Ruahine Kiwi (Jobs for Nature crews), DOC and volunteers from the Whio Protectors plan to deploy the traps where they are needed.

Oroua, Rangi Deamdmans Loop and Pohangina Valley Trap Lines - Janet W

The southern Ruahine trap lines have had basic maintenance over the winter , with regular volunteers Malcolm Thomas, Duncan Foord, Kate and Helen Procter, Graham Peters, Janet and the Massey Uni Bird Rescue Club
doing around 180 traps per month in the Oroua Valley. The track to Iron Gate Hut is badly damaged and trips in to here have been limited. Quite a lot of snow fell over the winter so the higher traps have not been visited much. Nor have the river traps. We are ramping up the trapping effort now and as soon as the rivers are low and snow free we will be in to both the Oroua and Pohangina.
Malcolm, Michelle Benton, Ernie Cook and Janet took the opportunity to do some maintenance on the line above Iron Gate hut, replacing several aging
mechanisms. The traps near the top were well buried in snow so they were left for another day.
Leon Kinvig Hut is still teetering on the river bank. The plan is to lift it with a big helicoper on to new piles in a safer location. It sounds like this needs to
be done with some urgency as the helo is heading to Australia for the bush fire season. Fingers crossed this all goes ahead by the end of November.
If you would like to help with the river taps lines please get in touch - I am always keen to hear from capable tampers and hunters who would like to lend a hand once or twice a year - we might even fly in to the Pohangina. Mostly A24 traps.
Here are some statistics as presented at the hui-looks like mustilid numbers might be slowly on the rise again.

• Since July 2008 1152 mustelids ( 837 stoats and 315 weasels)and 4320 rats have been recorded as removed from traps in the Oroua Valley(how many birds has this saved?)
  
  
• Total recorded catch count of over 1850 mustelids and 4580 rats (all DOC 200 Traps including the Longview LIne)
  
• Approx 160 volunteer days in the field on Oroua traps lines alone – up nearly 40 days due to large groups from the Massey University Wildlife Club.
  

Northern Ruahine National Predator Control Programme Update
An aerial predator control programme targeting rats, stoats and possums over 37,000 hectares of the Northern Ruahine Forest Park is due to start anytime between now and mid December 2023. This operation was also undertaken in both 2017 and 2019.
The operation will provide protection from predation for some of our precious species found in the park including whio, kiwi, kaka, kakariki, giant powelliphanta land snails and long-tailed bats. It is especially important that this operation goes ahead to protect the local whio population this breeding season as they have already taken a hit this year from Cyclone Gabrielle.
A pre-operational tracking tunnel monitor for rats was undertaken by the DOC Biodiversity Monitoring Team in August 2023 and resulted in a rat tracking tunnel index of 33% TTI. A post operational tracking tunnel index will be undertaken two weeks after the operation to confirm if we have achieved the operational target of <2% TTI for rats.

Due to popular demand, the RWP Trust has produced another calendar.  The photos were taken and donated by volunteers with the calendar printed locally.  The cost is the same as last year at $20 plus any postage.  They are available at Turners Sports in Feilding or by contacting Janet Wilson jwilson@inspire.net.nz

Manaaki Ruahine News            Anthony Behrens

THAT MAKES 1000 KILLS

Tally
43 possums
55 USA (unidentified small animals)
Manaaki Ruahine's grand total after just
over 2 years:-
1004 pedators
398 USA
267 possums
143 rats
93 mice
53 hedgehogs, 36stoats, 10 weasels, 2 cats, 1 ferret, 1 hand (not really a kill but we're
tracking animal 'hands" in the app so we'll take it).

Thanks Kaz and Eagle Technology, your work on our app has been a real bonus!

Ikawatea Ridge

T-Shirts for Sale https://unco.nz/ruahine-whio-protectors-tees/

                        Ruahine Whio Protectors Collective Annual Hui -                                                                        River Valley Lodge 20-21 August 2022

There was an excellent turnout for the annual RWP Collective's hui held in August at the lovely River Valley Lodge, right beside the Rangitikei River. For the first time we extended the invitation to those involved with Kiwi Conservation in the Ruahines. Groups represented included Aorangi O Awarua Trust, volunteer led trapping projects, Save the Kiwi, Cape Sanctuary, DOC, Good Nature and two Jobs for Nature projects. Thanks to everyone who attended and made the meeting successful - it was great to see some new faces and feel the passion for the Whio and Kiwi. Special thanks to the team at River Valley for making us so welcome and for the fabulous food, accommodation and the new meeting room.. Thanks also to the volunteers who came at their own expense and to DOC for providing a subsidy that offset some of the volunteers meal expenses.

Breed For Release Proposal - Community discussion/consultation

Luke Easton (DOC Whio Recovery Group NI rep) and Peter Russell (Captive Breeding Coordinator) spoke at the hui about a proposal to include Ruahine Whio in the Breed4Release programme. This is a well established programme that has seen many whio bred and raised in captivity and then released to the wild rivers. The whio on Mt Taranaki have been reintroduced using this programme. You may have visited the "hardening" facility at the Tongariro Trout centre, where young birds are given access to rapids to get them used to "real life".
If you are interested in or have questions about this idea, have a read of Lukes's document below and please get in touch with me, Janet Wilson jwilson@inspire.net.nz. Pass this info on to other members of your organizations.
Please reply by 4th November.

Oroua/Pohangina Blue Duck Protection Project - Janet Wilson

As we make a start on the summer trapping programme I would like to acknowledge and thank everyone who has helped out throughout the winter in the Oroua Valley. We use 180 eggs per month (donated by Zeagolds/supplied to me by our very helpful local DOC ranger Abi Whiteman). The Massey University Student Wildlife and Conservation Club (pictured below) have turned out regularly with a group size of up to 15! Well done to Markian Plawiuk who has been organizing the group this year. They finished off the year with an overnight trip to Iron Gate Hut at Labour weekend.

Regular volunteers Helen and Kate Proctor have moved to on helping with the Tunupo Line and Kate (pictured here with Janet last summer) were happy to reach the snow in July. They also helped out my taking new volunteer Mikaela with them on the September trip, freeing me up to take a Conservation Week walk down to the river.
Thanks to regular volunteers Duncan Foord and Malcolm and Dianne Thomas, Joe Faisandier and Ernie Cook and of course, Graham Peters.
Weather permitting we hope to get in to do the more remote traps and the rivers - there have already been some false starts .......hopefully the weather will settle down soon.

The other team found another "Ermine" - a white stoat. This makes a total of ~ 4 found over the years.

Steve Bielski is the lead on the Rangi Loop line - he sometimes appreciates a hand to go around the 108 traps so if you need a good excuse for a lovely day tramp with an extra purpose please get in touch with Steve .
Catch numbers have been low this year - the graph below shows catch numbers since the  Rangi loop line was established.  this also reflects the general catch numbers in the southern Ruahines.

Pohangina River - Janet Wilson

Since the last newsletter in April we have serviced this line once in May - a team of 4 (Jean Garman, Yvette Cottam, Malcolm Thomas, Janet W) flew in to Leon Kinvig Hut, worked upstream and then carried on down river to Ngamoko Hut. The Top Gorge area was serviced by Chris Tuffley and the lower part in the Mid Pohangina area by members of PNTMC, combining this with a annual check and clean of their club huts
The next rebait is due as soon as river levels allow
The best news for the Pohangina River volunteers is that Leon Kinvig hut had a new woodburner installed to replace the useless smoky old open fire.  What a difference this makes to the hut.  I tramped in in June just to try it out.  Thanks to the Back Country Trust team who completed the job in a very short weather window and to DOC for supporting this job.
If you are experienced in river travel and would like to help with the harder trap lines like the Pohangina please get in touch with Janet.

Te Potae O Awarua

Sadly the first planned trip of the season could not go due to low cloud preventing the team from flying in. We are looking forward to November.

Ruahine Whio Protection Trust  Chair's Report 10 August 2022

This Chair's report marks the 8th Annual Meeting of the Ruahine Whio Protection Trust. It covers the year to 31 March 2022.
Trustees
Once again I would like to thank our trustees Colin Leigh, Sue Moore, Ian Rasmussen for all the work they have put in over the year. We have 4 trustees which is our minimum number. As I said last year I feel it would be beneficial to enlist another 1 or 2 interested people as trustees to spread the work and add a degree of resilience.
Secretary
Over the past year I have been both of Secretary and Chair. While this means that I am well connected with all that goes on, it would be healthy for the Trust to find an interested and engaged Secretary, willing to share the work load.
Meetings
The trust has met semi regularly throughout the year. Thanks to Colin for hosting many of these meetings.
In September 2021 we convened another annual meeting of the Ruahine Whio Protectors Collective, beside the Rangitikei River at River Valley Lodge, Taihape The meeting was delayed by a month with Covid restrictions and the turnout was slightly smaller than in the past. However, it was still a very worthwhile gathering. Thanks to Brian Megaw and family for making us so welcome.
Website
Graham Peters continues to manage the RWP website and keeps adding new information and newsletters. Thanks to Anthony Behrens for his technical support.
Facebook
Nancy Braithwaite still looks after the Ruahine Whio Protectors Facebook page. At last count there were 831 followers up from 548 last year, an increase of 283.
Grant Applications
I am disappointed to have to note that this year there has been no further rounds of the DOC Community Conservation Fund. We are doing our best to extend the resources we have as far a possible and hope that there will be another round sometime soon. Unless some other funding source can be found, the future maintenance of the Te Potae trap lines relies on further funding from this fund. This year we have made 1 funding applications.
Horizons Regional Council
Horizons Regional Council announced a new contestable biodiversity fund - the Horizons Regional Council Kanorau Koiora Taketake - Indigenous Biodiversity Community Grant. I am pleased to say that our application to this fund was successful and we were granted $12000.00 per year for 3 years. This is a great outcome and provides some certainty to our funding. This replaces the grant we have had from Horizons for a number of years. Thanks to Horizons for continuing to support the volunteer work, particularly the Te Potae trap lines that are in the Ruahine Forest Park.
Application of funds
This year we have funded:
 All flights to service the Te Potae O Awarua trap lines on PCL.
 The purchase of Erayz ,gas, auto lure pumps, egg boxes etc.
Donations
We have received donations this year totalling $2180.00, a significant increase on previous years. Larger donations are noted below. A number of smaller donations were associated with calendar sales.
R. Keedwell $700.00 J Calleson $100.00
UNCO T-shirts - $150.00 B Philpott $150.00
L & G Whittle $140.00 ENM - $500.00
S Knowles $300.00
Fundraising
Following on for the success of our 2021 calendar, we went ahead and produced a calendar for 2022. Without the support and design skills of Anthony Behrens who donates his time to this project, this would not be possible and we are very grateful for his support. Many thanks go to the photographers who donated the photos and everyone who bought one We produced 300 calendars, sold them all and raised approx $4000.00. It is a great way to raise the profile of the Ruahines.
At last year's RWPT hui, Anthony also introduced a Ruahine Whio Protectors range of t-shirts, to be sold through his online t-shirt business Unco. While sales have not been huge, mostly discounted to those who get out in the field, $150 has been donated from sales. Thanks again for the support.
Publicity/Awareness Raising
 Newsletters -only 1 Ruahine Whio News was produced on behalf of the Collective (November 2021). It has been harder to keep up the momentum for such things during the strange "Covid" times.
 Janet took a walk to the Oroua trap lines for Whio Awarenss month in September 2021. This was well supported by members of the Massey University Wildlife Club, who have since returned as volunteers.
As I seem to say most years, running a trust is not always easy. Funding applications can be frustratingly time consuming and drawn out . We should be very pleased about the success of our grant applications, the projects they fund and the raised awareness of the Ruahine Whio that results from our work.
I would also like to thank everyone else who has helped out during the year and to acknowledge the many hours of field work put in by many of us involved with Ruahine Whio Protection.

Janet Wilson
Chair Ruahine Whio Protection Trust

Ruahine Kiwi update – 18 October 2022 -            Ian Rasmussen

Good progress is being made out in the field with trap deployment nearing completion. With the weather improving, the more remote spots (Centre Creek, Takapari, Cattle Creek and Apiti Saddle) will be filled in.
On the 17th of September, the local Manawatu 4wd Club transported 80 traps up Takapari Road.
The Airforce are booked in for the 27th of October and the plan is to fly up 120 traps along the Ngamoko alpine area that includes the high points - Tunupo, Toka, Whaingapuna.
Ryman Healthcare and their Menzshed setup at Julia Wallace Rest Home are continuing to build traps. Around 610 traps built to date. Thank you!
An ANZ Grant has allowed us to purchase 20 Timms traps, 21 AT220 traps, 100 A24 traps and six cameras for monitoring.
A local company “The EGG Project” are donating eggs and are using their social media to help raise the Ruahine Kiwi project’s profile.
As the trap numbers build the number of mustelids being caught is tracking along a similar path. It will be interesting to see how large the spike is over December and to see the trend year-on-year

North eastern Ruahine traplines - Lisa Whittle

We're gearing up for our summer trapline checks in from Nomans and down the Apias. So far it's been too wet to get in and service the traps.
Upper Makaroro trapline (previously checked by WTMC, av of 8-10 trips annually) - We mentioned at RWP hui we'd like to hear from folk who are interested in doing a trapline check - the basic check is doable in a weekend - in via Sentry Box spur, Parks Peak, Upper Makaroro hut and Totara spur and return. Fit trampers can do a longer check via PioPio tarn, heading north to Aranga and back along Golden Crown.
Bait is supplied and Lisa Whittle will coordinate interested parties keen to service the traps monthly. Starting from Labour weekend going forward, let me know your preferred month and I will schedule you in. Whittllisa@gmail.com / 021 022 75042
Mauri Oho crew service two lines leading into the range - up from Masters shelter, up from Sentry box hut and a new line up from Yeomans to Park Peak. The crew service the Upper Makaroro trapline from time to time.
Some recent whio sightings by Jobs For Nature crews include -
- Waipawa river, lone male, Trap 10, down from Sunrise toward Waipawa forks.
- Kaumatua stream, lone male, by Ruahine station/ Sentry Box reserve.
- Mangatewainui river, whio pair, coming down off Apiti track.
- Poporangi stream, possible whio above Duff's Rd Bridge.

Another Idea for Xmas Presents
https://unco.nz/ruahine-whio-protectors-tees/