Pohangina River Report - January 2024
Fearing the worst nearly a year on from Cyclone Gabrielle, the team of 5 (Malcolm Thomas, Yvette Cottam, Duncan Foord, Blair Petersen and Janet W) volunteers that serviced the A24 trap lines in early January were absolutely delighted to find 3 clutches of young ducklings - a late breeding season, it was wonderful to be there to see them. The Pohangina had settled settled down with the river appearing much more normal in most places. Leon Kinvig Hut was still hanging on to its hold on the river bank and we camped nearby.
Fearing the worst nearly a year on from Cyclone Gabrielle, the team of 5 (Malcolm Thomas, Yvette Cottam, Duncan Foord, Blair Petersen and Janet W) volunteers that serviced the A24 trap lines in early January were absolutely delighted to find 3 clutches of young ducklings - a late breeding season, it was wonderful to be there to see them. The Pohangina had settled settled down with the river appearing much more normal in most places. Leon Kinvig Hut was still hanging on to its hold on the river bank and we camped nearby.
 The team walked in over Toka high Pt on the 1st January following some rain so the river was up a little when we arrived - discoloured but not full of silt. It dropped and cleared over the following days. Damaged and missing traps were replaced and the line is fully functioning again. Later in January a team of 2 (Michelle Benton and Janet W) serviced |   |
the Top Gorge area. While no whio were seen on that trip, a tramper reported a adult female and a large juvenille near the hut around the same time.The Pohangina River line starts from approx 1.5km above Top Gorge Hut and extends to Mid Pohangina hut so it is a sgnificant line with over 160 traps.
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Pohangina Tops - the Longview Line - 120 Double Set DOC 200's
Liz Nicholson and Dave Bashford have been regulars on this long trap line for a few years now. Liz shared these photos taken on a recent trip - good to see the perfect scenario of a double kill - a double trap working properly. Ron Sherk helped out with the traps recently as Liz and Dave have now cut back the number of traps they are checking. They are working on finding a new member of their family who is keen to help.
Oroua Valley and the Rangi/Deadmans Loop
Business as usual on these lines (except that the main track to Iron Gate Hut is still officially closed by the big slip) - DOC plan to reroute a section - hoping this will happen soon. A new pair have found a home in the territory where the male pair used to hang out - hopefully they have both found a mate. There have been sightings lower in the river towards the gorge which is good too - it's been a couple of years since ducks were regularly seen near there.
Kate Proctor and her mum have been regular volunteers for a few years now and Kate is now doing the trap checks as the "service" part of her Duke of Edinburgh award - excellent effort Kate Thanks to everyone who helps keep this long running project going.
Following a couple of quiet years between December and February there was a big increase in stoat and weasel numbers.
Kate Proctor and her mum have been regular volunteers for a few years now and Kate is now doing the trap checks as the "service" part of her Duke of Edinburgh award - excellent effort Kate Thanks to everyone who helps keep this long running project going.
Following a couple of quiet years between December and February there was a big increase in stoat and weasel numbers.
Manaaki Ruahine Trapping Update - Anthony Behrens A couple of recent facebook posts-
 Thanks for your huge effort Ron Sherk ! | Things have been a little quiet...on the Manaaki Ruahine Facebook page. But that's possibly cos we've been busy. One of the busiest Manaaki Ruahine crew members has been Ron Sherk. He's just come out of the bush after three months in and around Awatere Hut. He's installed 45 brand new SA2 Possum and Cat traps. He's replaced several single set traps with nice new double sets...and he's been killin things. |
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!
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!
AWATERE HUT RENO - A MANAAKI RUAHINE AND BCT COLLABORATION
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?
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?
And while on the subject of hut renovations:-
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.
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.
Te Potae Trapping Season
This season there have so far been 4 trap checks with one more planned for May. These have been largely funded by the Ruahine Whio Protection Trust with funding from the Horizons Regional Councils Kanorau Kaiora Taketake Indigenous Biodiversity Fund grant. DOC have helped with the cost of flying new traps to replace those lost in the flooding and to extend the line further up the Remutupo Stream. Thanks to Dan Tuohy at DOC and the volunteers (some of who are DOC staff members) who have put in the extra effort to carry these traps. Yvette Cottam did a big couple of days while on her own at Maropea Forks, replacing missing traps while servicing the trap line. Special thanks also to Dave Eaton for volunteering to do some track cutting and marking based at Ruahine Corner Hut. Stoat numbers were particularly high in February. A whio survey using dogs was done in March and the number of whio seen was up on last years survey, which was in May after the February cyclone. So that is encouraging - the rivers appear to be recovering with invertebrate reported in good numbers in the Mangetera.
In February 4 acoustic recorders were deployed to listen for bats. No short tailed bats were recorded but long tailed bats were heard in a couple of locations while 2 recorders failed after a couple of nights.
Funding this project in to the future remains uncertain - perhaps RWPT will have to double their efforts selling calendars to raise more funds!
In February 4 acoustic recorders were deployed to listen for bats. No short tailed bats were recorded but long tailed bats were heard in a couple of locations while 2 recorders failed after a couple of nights.
Funding this project in to the future remains uncertain - perhaps RWPT will have to double their efforts selling calendars to raise more funds!
Some of Chris Tuffley's Te Potae photos
Northern Ruahine Whio Survey March 2024
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.
Eastern Ruahine Trapping Report - Geoff and Lisa Whittle
Eastern Ruahine Trapping Report - Geoff and Lisa Whittle
Most of the traplines that Lisa and I are involved with are best accessed by car from the top of No Mans Road. Unfortunately a major washout about 500m from the farm boundary means that this is not currently possible. Access to traplines from the Eastern side these days begins with a solid climb from the farmland. In effect it adds a day to a typical trapping trip. It’s great to see that despite this, the traps were definitely not neglected over summer.
All up the DOC 200 traps were serviced at least twice and the A24 traps at least once. This is due to the dedicated mahi of the Mauri Oho team as well as volunteers. It takes commitment to do the lines in this area and it’s great to see the team growing. Huge thanks to Elly Arnst for her two trap servicing trips. Elly managed to include some serious hut bagging in one of her trips. Indeed, she now has all of the Ruahine huts under her belt, with the very last being Rockslide Biv. Great hut to finish on I say!
Half of the traps in the lower Makaroro line were lost in last year’s flood. These were replaced by Peter Meredith and the Mauri Oho team. This area is seriously flood affected. It’s now possible to travel all the way to Barlow Hut on a quad bike.
Huge thanks to Jeff and Raine Williams as well. They recently checked all the traps on the Apias and the ridge from Ikawetea Forks to No Mans. Also Jeff, Raine, Lisa and I spent two days based at Rockslide distributing traps to replace ones that had been lost in the flood. The original plan was to use the helicopter that dropped the fadges to take in Mauri Oho team members to do this mahi. The weather had the final say on this plan and the Mauri Oho team’s commitments to flood relief work meant that things were put on hold. So it was great that we had the opportunity to put the traps out. Jeff and Raine are based in the Coromandel. They have done many awesome things in their life, including sailing their yacht around the world. Now they are super dedicated trappers. Ngā mihi tino nui ki a rāua.
Lisa and I recently serviced the A24 line that runs upstream from Upper Makaroro Hut and then climbs a ridge to the tops near Aranga Hut. We saw a lone male and two pairs of whio in the 2 kilometre stretch along the river. Usually only a lone mail or a single pair is seen, so that’s good news. Many of you will know the bum sliding section that descends the last part of Sentry Box Spur. We were in fading light on the way down this section when we heard a female whio fly past. This was soon followed by a male and their calls accompanied us in the dark on and off for the rest of the descent. We had seen whio sign in Sentry Box Stream before, but it’s super exciting to know that there is a pair with a territory right near the farm boundary.
Most of the traplines that Lisa and I are involved with are best accessed by car from the top of No Mans Road. Unfortunately a major washout about 500m from the farm boundary means that this is not currently possible. Access to traplines from the Eastern side these days begins with a solid climb from the farmland. In effect it adds a day to a typical trapping trip. It’s great to see that despite this, the traps were definitely not neglected over summer.
All up the DOC 200 traps were serviced at least twice and the A24 traps at least once. This is due to the dedicated mahi of the Mauri Oho team as well as volunteers. It takes commitment to do the lines in this area and it’s great to see the team growing. Huge thanks to Elly Arnst for her two trap servicing trips. Elly managed to include some serious hut bagging in one of her trips. Indeed, she now has all of the Ruahine huts under her belt, with the very last being Rockslide Biv. Great hut to finish on I say!
Half of the traps in the lower Makaroro line were lost in last year’s flood. These were replaced by Peter Meredith and the Mauri Oho team. This area is seriously flood affected. It’s now possible to travel all the way to Barlow Hut on a quad bike.
Huge thanks to Jeff and Raine Williams as well. They recently checked all the traps on the Apias and the ridge from Ikawetea Forks to No Mans. Also Jeff, Raine, Lisa and I spent two days based at Rockslide distributing traps to replace ones that had been lost in the flood. The original plan was to use the helicopter that dropped the fadges to take in Mauri Oho team members to do this mahi. The weather had the final say on this plan and the Mauri Oho team’s commitments to flood relief work meant that things were put on hold. So it was great that we had the opportunity to put the traps out. Jeff and Raine are based in the Coromandel. They have done many awesome things in their life, including sailing their yacht around the world. Now they are super dedicated trappers. Ngā mihi tino nui ki a rāua.
Lisa and I recently serviced the A24 line that runs upstream from Upper Makaroro Hut and then climbs a ridge to the tops near Aranga Hut. We saw a lone male and two pairs of whio in the 2 kilometre stretch along the river. Usually only a lone mail or a single pair is seen, so that’s good news. Many of you will know the bum sliding section that descends the last part of Sentry Box Spur. We were in fading light on the way down this section when we heard a female whio fly past. This was soon followed by a male and their calls accompanied us in the dark on and off for the rest of the descent. We had seen whio sign in Sentry Box Stream before, but it’s super exciting to know that there is a pair with a territory right near the farm boundary.
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.
WhatsApp Group for Eastern Ruahine Trappers
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.
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.
Northern Ruahine National Predator Control Programme Update - delayed until end April 2024
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 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.)
Save this date!!!! RWP Collective's Hui 2024 will be held on the 10-11 August at River Valley Lodge, Taihape
https://unco.nz/ruahine-whio-protectors-tees/
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