The Awakari Valley Experience a Self-Drive Adventure to the West Coast to See Wild Red Deer in Their Natural Habitat the Awakari Valley Experience

The Awakari Valley Experience A self-drive adventure to the West Coast to see wild red deer in their natural habitat The Awakari Valley Experience Johnny Currie’s property in the depths of the Awakari Valley near Westport, on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, is a natural wildlife paradise. The property hosts a large herd of wild red deer Johnny lives on the property in a bush hut similar that nonchalantly graze and often fight amongst to that his great-grandfather and great uncles used themselves for leadership rights, unconcerned and surveying the bush for its timber and minerals in the comfortable with human onlookers. 1900s. They started in the Charleston area extracting lignite coal for sale in Westport which led on to The property borders the north western flanks of logging and some gold prospecting. the Paparoa National Park at Charleston and the deer frolic on river flats and in the native forest on Johnny has dedicated the property as a reserve Johnny’s property all year round. for the wild deer which roam amongst the regenerating native bush and crystal clear mountain They can be observed in their natural habitat from streams, untroubled apart from interested and a hilltop lookout or viewed from the comfort of passive onlookers. Hunting has been prohibited Outwest Tours custom built 4WD vehicles, with their for thirty years. clear-glass canopies allowing stunning views of the deer close up. The attraction is unique in New Zealand. At times, up to fifty wild deer can be seen grazing on the river Johnny Currie and his family have a lifelong flats with visitors taking pictures at relatively close connection with the Awakari Valley, going back range from the purpose-built Unimog vehicles. more than a century. From his days as a youth in the 1940s hunting wild goats with a dog and Interrupted only by the sound of the native birds a pocket knife, to leading bush gangs in the 1960s, and flowing streams, Johnny’s Journey paints a logging the valuable native rimu trees for timber picture of yesteryear when wild animals roamed production at the local sawmills, Johnny’s heart unfettered and thrived in synch with nature. and soul lie in the Valley. Johnny’s Journey has a natural advantage unsurpassed anywhere in New Zealand. Johnny Currie The Deer The Awakari Valley Experience The Deer 5 The Deer The wild red deer of the Awakari Valley can trace their ancestry back to Europe in the 1920s. They are regarded as the largest deer species in New Zealand. They were imported for hunting by New Zealand acclimatisation societies from game parks in the United Kingdom with the red deer adapting easily to New Zealand conditions. There were more than 200 shipments of deer imported from Scotland and England almost a century ago. The New Zealand strain of red deer produce highly sought after large antlers. March and April is the traditional mating period where stags compete for the attention of the hinds resulting in some spectacular head-on clashes using their antlers as weapons. These clashes are often seen as part of Johnny’s Journey. Wild Red Deer in the Awakari Valley Johnny’s Journey The Awakari Valley Experience Johnny’s Journey 7 Johnny’s Journey The journey into the green depths of the Awakari Valley holds many surprises. Besides the opportunity to mingle with magnificent specimens of red deer, there’s also the chance to be immersed in the fifty-shades-of-green native forest, view an underground limestone cave where the exploring Maoris once made their base for hunting hundreds of years ago, feed the silky black eels in the beautiful clear streams and admire the pancake- like rock formations that are very similar to their famous namesakes forty kilometres down the coast. Feeding the eels And then there’s Johnny. Then it’s a stop at Johnny’s hut to sample his in- Johnny Currie lives in a bush hut on the property, depth knowledge of local bush lore and history. originally built more than fifty years ago. There is no Sometimes this can take a wee while, especially electricity or other modern aids, but a huge wood if fire-toast is on the menu. fire that provides heat and food, as well as the warmest welcome. Next, it is back into the Unimog for a drive amongst the deer to the Maori cave bordering the river. Visitors are encouraged to join Johnny fireside in Along the way, there are stops to see the panoramic sharing a piece of fire cooked toast, even toast their views of the luxuriant native forest stretching into own sandwiches on the embers of the fire just like the adjacent Paparoa National Park and also pause the early explorers to the West Coast did a century and take photos of the pancake rock formations. ago. At the Maori cave, visitors can see where the moa At the same time, Johnny tells visitors about the hunters set up camp for their food gathering and colourful history of the property and his almost ponder over the remaining signs of settlement from religious conversion from clear-felling bushman, to centuries ago. protector of the forest. With the savvy of a champion boxer who has outpointed the nuances of Mother There is also time to take more photos of the wild Nature and the Rain Gods over a lifetime, he paints deer on the way out and then perhaps indulge at a vivid picture of what bush life and living in a tin Jack’s German pizza cafe near the turnoff to the hut can be and calmly and assuredly deals with all Valley. Other attractions can be added to Johnny’s questions. Journey as required, as time allows. When you turn off the main highway onto the gravel The Johnny’s Journey Tour can be tailored to fit road that winds its way into the Awakari Valley, the visitors’ schedules. The best time for viewing the first lesson from Mickey Ryan is about the flora. He deer is around 10.00am so tours normally leave identifies the unique native trees and bushes on Westport at 8.00am with the duration of each show, including the ‘bushman’s friend’, the rangiora around four hours, approximately. plant who’s leaf can be used as writing paper as For self-drive travellers, there is the choice of being Mickey demonstrates, just like the old explorers did. collected and returned to Westport or met near Travelling up the valley through the regrowth native the Charleston turnoff to Awakari Valley to allow an forest, there is a stop on the ridgeline to view the easy departure for all points south along the Great deer on the river flats where they roam freely. Here, Coast Road. Mickey gives a description of the route through the flats where the deer can be viewed close up from the glassed-in Unimogs. Outwest Tours The Awakari Valley Experience Outwest Tours 9 Outwest Tours Outwest Tours is based in Westport and is owned and operated by Mickey and Doreen Ryan assisted by five staff. They have operated specialist visitor tours in the Buller region since 2001 using three, purpose built, all-weather 4WD vehicles. Their most popular tour in recent years has been the visit to the large opencast coal mine at Stockton. In conjunction with mine owner, Solid Energy, the tour shows visitors the operation in action with the huge, Unimogs modern earthmoving equipment as well as the restoration of the land after mining. The stunning coastal views from the Stockton Plateau are worth the trip alone. Outwest also runs tours to the historical Denniston Plateau and the breath-taking and rugged landscapes of the Mackley River Valley, as well as tailored tours for special interest groups. Their vehicles are certified to NZLTA five star levels. The strength of the Outwest team lies in their knowledge of local history, including natural history. Their West Coast charm comes across in their storytelling and the high vantage points of the Stockton Mine Tours seating in the vehicles ensures no view is missed. All vehicles are interconnected for the informative commentaries with each journey taking a minimum of six travellers and a maximum of 50. Toilet facilities are accessed on route and visitors are advised to bring refreshments such as sandwiches and sturdy footwear. From Christchurch to Westport The Awakari Valley Experience From Christchurch to Westport 11 nearly 2000 metres high. From here the highway From Christchurch winds down the beautiful, pristine, beech forested to Westport Maruia River Valley. A few kilometres down the valley is a DOC camping Westport, the starting point for Johnny’s area and a short walk leads to a bridge across the Journey is an easy four hour drive from “sluice box” a narrow gorge in the Maruia Valley. Christchurch via the scenic Lewis Pass This is also near the location of the Alpine Fault highway although it is recommended where the Pacific and Australian crustal tectonic time is also allowed for to savour some plates meet. of the sights along the way. The journey A further four km along SH 7 and Springs Junction to Westport provides many unique treats is reached where a café and service station are for visitors. located. At the road junction turn left and follow SH 7 to Reefton, a distance of 44 km which takes about 40 minutes. The road climbs up into the forested THE LEWIS PASS HIGHWAY STATE mountains of the Victoria Range with mountains HIGHWAY 7 up to 1700m high, until the Rahu Saddle (elevation The road north from Christchurch heads up the 676 m) is reached.

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