Back in the big smoke

So much for saying I'd be able to post more regular blogs. With some great Spring weather, I've been a busy bee outside AND have used my chainsaw - both under supervision and all on my own! At last count I still have all my fingers and toes but realise I have heaps to learn. Thanks, Noel, for your patient tutoring.

I spent a couple of lovely sunny days in Invercargill earlier this month and, at long last, have activated my DOC credit card and had some training with the guys in the Invercargill office. They are based on the 7th floor with this incredible view...

My shopping list was a mile long and I buzzed round after work to buy as many of them as I could. If I had a magic wand, I'd definitely move E. Hayes and Sons (Hammer Hardware) to the island. So much choice in all the essential items of nails, fencing staples and steel-toe boots. Just as well the shops offer a freight service to the island otherwise I would have looked like Santa Claus dragging a big sack.

Invercargill has some lovely old buildings - here's the town hall...

Close up of the decorative plaster work

One of my home projects was to modify the woodshed - it's a great Outpost Building woodshed with 3 large bays but I found that I was putting wet wood in front of the wood that was already stacked and dry. I've put a partition wall up and that's worked well. Today I've hung up a salmon net in the roof space and thrown all the kindling up. So far, so good - I have a lot more kindling than I thought so will be set for the next 10 years :)

Newly-added partition boards

30 mins after starting this morning - most of the kindling is under
the blue tarpaulin

Salmon-netting hammock - will it work??

The finished job. Room now to stack my newly-chainsawed firewood
in underneath the netting.

Another project I've ticked off is getting all my rat traps out and installing a Goodnature A12 Possum trap. I've doubled up my rat traps with one of the pair having chocolate bait and the other blue icing sugar mix. So far the chocolate is winning with no rats caught with the other bait. I haven't found any possums under the Goodnature trap - it's a new-fangled thing that has a wee compressed air gas cylinder that resets the trap 12 times before needing replacement. I'll keep you posted on any furry bodies!

Green rat traps at the base and the new
Goodnature possum trap above



Close-up of my new possum trap

I haven't spent a lot of time with my camera lately but had to stop and take photos of the fallen rata flowers on my Deep Bay rat lines - they looked so pretty on the forest floor...

A trip to Mason Bay - part 4

The last part of my Mason Bay adventure spotlights the Island Hill Homestead initially built by William Walker in 1884, five years after he took up the lease for the 2,500ha of Pastoral Run 419. Walker built his flock of sheep up to 1600 sheep before selling the farm in 1893 to Welles Orton Charlton, who subsequently sold up to Arthur Traill Junior in 1923. George and Stanford Leask, who were farming the Kilbride run, took over Island Hill from Arthur in 1942 and the last owner, Tim Te Aika, bought the lease in 1965 and ran 1,200 merino/romney sheep for 20 years before selling his stake to the Government in 1985. Since the final muster in 1986 the sheep paddocks have been left to revegetate naturally and the Homestead is now a base for DOC operations at Mason Bay and scientists. Down the track 200m stands the southernmost woolshed and sheep yards giving a glimpse of the hardship of farming in such isolation.

Mason Bay Homestead kitchen - the new gas stove has recently been
installed. The coal range needs to be lit for heating and hot water.

Mason Bay Homestead lounge/dining room

Mason Bay Homestead bathroom

My bedroom

Jen's bedroom

The woolshed was built in 1953 by Stanford Leask and, each summer, around 1500 sheep were hand shorn. Around 1966 electric clippers, first powered by tractor and later a generator, made the job easier although it was always a challenge to get the wool clip off to market.


Mason Bay Woolshed - Jen's looking at the sheep dip



No wire netting here - all done with rope

We walked back to Freshwater Landing with the wind at our backs. There's several hundred metres of long narrow boardwalk over the Chocolate Swamp, so called due to the colour of the water - I would definitely think twice about walking it in a severe crosswind. There are a couple of wider sections so you can pass trampers coming from the opposite direction but with heavy pack and tramping boots I'm very glad I didn't have to try them out!

Boardwalk over the Chocolate Swamp

Finally, a couple of bikes! The first is Mother Nature's version...

...and the second was a strange discovery we made about an hour's tramp from Freshwater Hut.

Not sure who added the recent hoodie jacket, the bike has been there
for quite a while!

A trip to Mason Bay - part 3

We had planned to have lunch on the beach but the fierce westerly gales and passing hail showers suggested that we find a more sheltered place. I love the wild nature of west coasts but was unprepared for the large quantities of rubbish that were all around. Apparently the currents move around Stewart Island in such a way that all floating debris, sooner or later, washes up on the west. There used to be an annual beach clean up but the cost of ferrying volunteers and fadges of rubbish got too expensive. We picked up some of the smaller stuff to bring out but it didn't make much of a difference.

Jen on a windswept Mason Bay (looking south)

Mason Bay looking north

Duck Creek - our turnoff up to the Mason Bay Hut

Before we continue up to the hut, I'll add a few photos of the plants/herbs we found growing in the sand dunes - let me know if you can identify them!

Native sedge, pīngao

Nothing but rock and a few grains of sand surround these tiny plants

A mini-mountain of ??

Close-up of last photo

Kiwi footprints and probe marks

We reckon this sand dune was going through a hair transplant (see below)

I wonder which is the windward side??

The DOC hut is about 1km walk from the beach, the first half through low-growing scrub and the last half through a wide grassy path as though you are wandering in someone's garden. Dracophyllum, manuka, harakeke and ferns line the path, cutting out the wind and making for a delightful walk.

Walk from beach to Mason Bay Hut

The Mason Bay DOC hut sleeps 20 (with 3 sleeping areas) and looks warm and comfortable. It costs $5 per person per night and isn't on a booking system. Last Christmas there were 37 staying there one night, what a squeeze! We recommend people to bring sleeping mats and/or tents to ensure a more comfortable stay.

Mason Bay Hut - kitchen/dining area

Mason Bay Hut - one of 3 sleeping areas

Mason Bay Hut - there are several wall panels with great info

Mason Bay Hut - view from the deck

A trip to Mason Bay - part 2

Jen and I had one full day at Mason Bay; nowhere near enough time to explore in-depth but long enough to know we need to return. The Homestead backs on to Big Sandhill, a 156m high sand dune with bush hugging its leeward flanks. The track through the bush gave precious shelter; once out in the open we were sandblasted with westerly gales making it difficult to stand up when we were on the windward side of the dunes. Sand swirled in tornado-like fashion along the flatter parts of the dunes and eyes were barely open as we struggled against the wind for the 2-3km stretch down to the sea. Magic!!

Looking north

Looking east

Looking west, beach just visible in background

There were magnificent sand sculptures...

...and loads and loads of kiwi probe marks (not that clear in my photos though). Some of the kiwi footprints showed the tenacity of my favourite bird - eg walking across 45° slopes with deep gouges as they dug their claws in to keep their balance. Despite searching the dunes and walking the tracks late at night/early morning, the kiwi stayed hidden from view; we heard heaps of calls though and came across fresh kiwi poo - will definitely have to go back.

The distance to the beach was deceptive, it took 75 mins from here to reach it

Hummocky dunes loosely bound by native sedge, pīngao

Marram-covered foredune - next on the weeds plan for eradication