Waikato Branch NEWSLETTER August 2012 CONTENTS Another successful photo competition 2 News 3 - 5 Trip and Event Reports We received 135 6 - 7 Trips and Talks entries this year in coming up the photographic competition, with 7 Photo competition the prizes being results awarded at the AGM. 8-9 KCC trips reports Prizes were and trips coming up sponsored by Snapshot Cameras, Imageland, Noel Leemings and Trek n Travel. Congratulations to all the winners. Please let us know Jenny West, overall winner, with photo competition organiser Jenny West was if you now have an Colleen Brimblecombe email address and overall competition would prefer not to winner for her photo receive hard copy of series of Nikau. this newsletter (this Ian Patrick won saves us printing first and second in costs, and saves the Native Fauna trees and it will be in category with White colour) faced Storm Petrel Contributions for (right) and Kotuku. the newsletter are Other results on always welcome. page 7. Photos should be at least 300kb. Email to waikato.branch@ forestanddbird.org. nz For regional events calendar: www. envirocentre.org.nz Walter Scott Avatar moth at Reserve Denniston The new species of moth found on the threatened Denniston Plateau during our recent BioBlitz now has a Great news! As blockbuster name: Avatar. the Otorohanga Entomologist Brian Patrick and District Council Oparau 42.8ha Pirongia - Kawhia his son Hamish selected the name from over 100 entries Pekanui Stream has solved the generated from our moth naming competition. “It was by washout problem far the best one. It’s a novel name and the movie is about a Scott Rd on the main track k rac tt Rd mining company that threatens to devastate a human-like Sco ound T below Scott Road R species that’s living in harmony with nature. It’s just a really rack by blocking the Valder T good analogy,” said Brian. offending drain, Car par k it has been pos- Velvet Shank Wax Gills How you can help TO WALK THE ROUND TRACK IT WILL TAKE 2 HOURS • Join the Denniston Reserve supporter group and we’ll keep sible to make a Please notify any damage or hazards to the Forest & Bird Society www.forestandbird.org.nz you updated on any progress. short boardwalk • Donate to Forest & Bird to assist with the promotion and over the washout. The new sign the implementation of the reserve proposal. A benched track • Write to the Prime Minister and ask him to stop mining leads to this, and the only steps remaining are a few plans and turn the Denniston Plateau into a reserve. Write ones at the far end (if coming from the car park) of similar letters to your local MP and other key ministers. this new deviation, and the track is now suitable for • Send a message to our Minister of Conservation, Kate all levels of fitness. As well a new sign has been erect- Wilkinson telling her that you want the Denniston to re- ed (suggesting that it could take up to 2 hours to do main untouched. the loop) and more trees planted in the rimu grove. Branch Contacts Please address all correspondence to ‘Secretary, PO Box 11092, Hillcrest, Hamilton’ Committee Members Phone Mobile Email Responsibilities Philip Hart 07 856 7992 [email protected] Chairperson, Covenants, Trips Jim Crawford 07 889 7739 [email protected] Treasurer, Trips, Morgan Res. Jim Macdiarmid 07 849 3438 [email protected] Secretary Adua Geremia 07 843 3375 [email protected] Membership, carpooling, Publicity Anne Lee 07 843 6880 [email protected] Bruce Dean 07 827 2874 Morgan Res, Walter Scott Colleen Brimble- 07 855 5626 Photography Competition combe Dave Lee 07 843 6880 [email protected] Jane McLeod 07 856 2505 [email protected] Publicity, Trips, Meeting catering Jon Wenham 07 855 0808 [email protected] Conservation grants, Publicity, National Exec Mary Crawford 07 889 7739 [email protected] Minutes secretary Steve Brooker 07 850 6017 [email protected] Legal Sue Smith 07 889 5859 [email protected] Trips Katherine Hay 07 856 1906 021 267 2773 [email protected] Newsletter, Tui 2000 Helen Ranson 07 825 8555 [email protected] Trips David Pattemore 07 560 0252 021 100 9456 [email protected] Russell Vant 07 856 2505 [email protected] Plant sale Susan Baucke 078298977 021 254 1360 [email protected] KCC TRIP REPORTS Easter Camp 6 -10 April RetarUKE On Friday 22 people settled into the Whio Lodge, Whakahoro, which looks down towards the Whanganui Valley. We had turned off at Owhango, and headed west on a long and winding road. Keith Wilkinson took us on a tour of the settlement, covering the history, including the old school house, the bridge that got shifted in the flood, Retaruke bridge – Lacy’s bridge which has an obvious kink in it from a 1958 flood, (river rose 50 feet) landing sites from bygone days, the attractive original homestead, and from the homestead front lawn, Outside Blue Duck Cafe a wonderful view down on the confluence of the Retaruke and the Whanganui Rivers. sighted two blue duck at the falls. After dinner we had a talk from local administrator Returned the lifejackets to the Depot, where we didn’t Wendy Lane, who outlined the Blue Duck programme, have the traditional whiskey for morning tea but admired and answered heaps of questions. She also brought over the stag head and bemoaned the lack of scones to the the aerial photo map which has been populated by fellow resident hunter. The walk passed through steep areas camper Bob Jordon showing location and kill numbers of which had been cleared and settled long ago, but which over a thousand traps in the surrounding area. had us wondering about the sense of those early settlers. Impressive gorges, drops into creeks, great views. Some Next morning, another stunner after a bit of fog, we went returned back to base from the depot, at this stage, and up the Kaiwhakauka River from the waterfall – in canoes then went on to a fun afternoon at the local Retaruke sports conveniently left there for visitors, took turns to paddle day, where they were treated to woodchopping, horse through the chasm to see if we could spot a Whio. Adua riding, produce judging etc and the king of the mountain did the canoeing distance record paddling from bank to race. bank but was patiently helped to steer there and back by Stan. One blue duck sighted by canoeists, (staying still for The rest of the party did the Te Mata loop track to Stan’s so long we wondered if was in fact stuffed) but we were Whare, where more whisky bottles were in evidence. An to be outdone by Keith, who waiting back on the track artist’s delight – rusty corrugated iron and picturesque. On the way back looked out over incredibly steep sided hills to the Central Plateau mountains, and some climbed to the potential lodge sight on the flattened top of a mountain from where Mt Taranaki sat in the distance, which gives an indication of the wonderful clear weather we were treated to. The Loop returned us back to the Depot, from where the last hour back seemed to be a lot longer than the morning’s walk – apparently we had covered about 17km. Sunday, after a relaxed start, a merry band headed back out the Retaruke Rd, to Te Rata, over the new bridge. We turned up the Tapurae Stream to an old mill site with a kahikatea New Group at Miropiko - helpers welcome Bob Miropiko Pa on the Waikato River in River Rd was Cuming built originally by the Ngati Hanui, a subtribe of Ngati at Stan’s Wairere. It was owned by the Valder family until the whare early 50’s. It is now a HCC reserve, but has a significant pest plant problem, mainly Tradescantia. It is planned to set up a monthly weedbusters/care group for Miropiko in partnership with the local Iwi, kindergarten, HCC and local community, and Forest and Bird, in September. If anyone is interested in coming along please contact Katherine Hay [email protected] with your name and contact details for more information. Three (wise) men at the mill site TRIP REPORTS Thursday 19th April Easter camp continued AGM stand which was fruiting, Followed much the same format as usual - but we do have where we a new committee member, namely David Pattemore, were treated who in a past life worked for Forest and Bird, and is most to a beautiful welcome, adding a youthful face to Waikato Branch (that bellbird is not difficult). concert Dr Stuart Parsons from Auckland University gave an while we interesting talk about bats, spelling out the differences rested, between the two native species, and the research that has and large been undertaken over the past few years. Long tailed bats, fat kereru such as are found in Hamilton feed mainly on insects in the feasted and flew in and out. Harvest Festival for birds. air, whereas the less common short tailed bats feed more A kilometre’s amble along from there took us through commonly on the ground. a very attractive stand of old kahikatea/tawa bush, He talked about where different populations have been now a QE 11 covenant, culminating in two enormous found around New Zealand and its islands, including a kahikatea, reputed to be 900 years (and 2 days). population of short tailed bats close to Pureora which Then a very steep hot climb to the ridge for lunch, some can be seen flying out in the evening in large numbers.