a passion for the Port Hills Newsletter, February 2013 Volunteer, Ohinetahi Reserve & Omahu Bush update Our work parties remain as active At long last, we are making progress as ever. Despite being unable to on access to Ohinetahi Reserve. access many tracks in the Sumner/ As a small voluntary organisation, Redcliffs area, the Eastenders are the Society makes no apologies for meeting regularly in good numbers taking a very cautious attitude to with undiminished enthusiasm. public safety, but it has been a very Recently they have worked on tracks frustrating time for all involved. in upper Victoria Park, Coronation One of the problems has been Reserve and the Crater Rim Walkway that geotechnical work and the at Mt Ada, and there is definitely interpretation of information has no shortage of work to keep them been complex, and the process for occupied. Similarly, with Ohinetahi reopening tracks continually under Reserve, Anne Kennedy and her review. There is also a big difference group continues to meet weekly, but between tramping in the back are restricted to the safe working country or the mountains where areas we have identified. Whilst the there is a greater awareness of risk, impact of the earthquakes is just a and areas like the Port Hills, close to ‘blip’ in the regeneration of the bush Boulder above the climbing area at Gibraltar Rock urban centres, where a significant and its wildlife, there are going to be proportion of visitors are there for issues in the foreseeable future with ‘an afternoon stroll’. The Board has track maintenance and dealing with agreed a proposal for a survey of weed and animal pests. As with the Ohinetahi which will identify tracks or Eastenders, there will be no shortage sections of tracks that have a normal of work. Paul Tebbutt’s small group and acceptable risk, and that can managing Omahu Bush goes from be reopened, tracks that will require strength to strength, and in addition minor work, and those areas which to combatting the on-going problems will need further investigation and of vandalism and rubbish around more substantial remediation work. the car park area, is spending time To carry this out will not be cheap, on maintaining the tracks, tackling and an application for funding has gorse and broom, and the animal pest Fallen rocks at Ohinetahi been submitted. programme. We were delighted to By contrast, the situation at Omahu be awarded a Selwyn Environmental Bush is much more positive. As Grant from the District Council indicated in previous newsletters, amounting to $4,882.30 which the bush area was unaffected by will equip the group with tools and the earthquakes and has been open supplies to help with maintenance throughout. Following a request and to step up its fight with plant and from the Alpine Club to allow rock- animal pests. climbing at Gibraltar Rock, we have The Society is delighted that our investigated this area in more detail. volunteer hours are still averaging Mt Pleasant gun emplacements The conclusion was that it is safe to over 4,000 annually. It also needs to reopen Prendergast’s Track, access to be remembered that we have a committed and enthusiastic the summit of Gibraltar Rock is safe, and that by the Alpine Board, all of whom give their time voluntarily to ensure the Club removing one boulder from above the rock-climbing smooth running of your Society. If you feel that you are able area, this can also be reopened. Work is currently in hand to to give some time to one of our work parties, please contact install appropriate signage. one of the convenors. Everyone involved will tell you that it is very rewarding, and that we really can make a difference. See page 2 for latest track access information... PO Box 17-719, Christchurch www.summitroadsociety.org.nz [email protected] 2 Access to other walking tracks Membership —latest information: It’s that time of year again—when I thank all our members for their support during the past year. Not Christchurch City Council continues to work hard to reopen surprisingly given the on-going challenges that face walking tracks, and recognises how important this is. many of us, membership had reduced slightly to 377. Remediation work has started on the Eastender’s Track from However, we still have a number of tramping clubs and Barnett Park and this should reopen shortly. walking groups as members, and together with the reciprocal membership arrangements with other local The Captain Thomas Track will be re-routed from Lower conservation-based groups, our total ‘constituency’ Sumnervale Drive, and this, plus the Scarborough Bluffs Track remains significant. For those whose subscriptions are on the other side of the valley will be open by June 2013 due this year, an invoice is enclosed with this newsletter. Work is in hand to re-route part of the Bridle Path on the Once again, I’d like to stress that the most successful Lyttelton side of the hill. Remediation work to open the Bridle way to recruit new members is ‘word of mouth’, so Path on the city side starts in February. The track will be open please talk to your family, whanau and friends about by June 2013. our work and show others our newsletters. Tracks in Urumau Reserve will be open by June 2013. The rock climbing area at the end of Albert Terrace will be Outings available by June 2013. Many thanks to all those members who responded A new track has been formed from Mt Cavendish saddle above to the request for views about the Society’s outings the bluffs in Lyttelton Reserve which goes to Mt Pleasant programme. Only a few members responded, and Summit and the gun emplacements. from this, it is evident that a majority feel that outings DOC is investigating the reopening of the Major Hornbrook and events are not a particularly important part of our Track. activities. This is borne out by a notable reduction in For up to date information, visit the Council website at: members attending. Notwithstanding this, the Board will have another look at organising something for the http://www.ccc.govt.nz/cityleisure/parkswalkways/popularparks/ coming year. theporthills/index.aspx Animal pest control As you will be aware from previous newsletters, Summit Road Society (Inc) PO Box 17-719, Christchurch the Society carries out animal pest control at both Website: www.summitroadsociety.org.nz Ohinetahi Reserve and Omahu Bush. Target species Email: [email protected] are possums, stoats, ferrets, weasels (mustelids), and rats. All these species are recognised as serious President Bill Woods 03 318 4825 enemies of New Zealand’s biodiversity. Feral cats can Vice-President Jeremy Agar 328 9956 be a problem, as can that supposed-friend-of-the- Secretary John Goodrich 354 0346 gardener, hedgehogs. Pest control is by poison bait Treasurer Paul Loughton 322 7082 stations for possums and kill traps for mustelids and Board Members Tony Edney 329 9868 rats. At Omahu, there is also evidence of feral pigs, John Hayman 335 0984 and deer have been seen on several occasions. Whilst Anne Kennedy 337 0364 there is no doubt that are efforts are paying off, as Paul Tebbutt 384 3086 witnessed by the ‘health’ of the regenerating bush Annette Foster 347 8651 and the increase in bird numbers, we have still a long Honorary Life Member John Jameson 354 5925 way to go in monitoring and understanding the real Representatives impact of what we are doing. At Ohinetahi Reserve Selwyn District Council Malcolm Lyall 347 2800 Tony Edney has been keeping records of our trapping Hagley/Ferrymead Islay McLeod 389 0954 since 2009. Whilst the number of animals caught is Lyttelton/Mt Herbert Jeremy Agar 328 9956 not great, generally, successful kills, with the exception THOMASGRAPHIK Port Hills Rangers Paul Devlin 332 5627 of rats, has reduced, and we seemed to have solved a Eastenders work party Paul Tebbutt 384 3086 minor problem we had with feral cats. Interestingly, the Ohinetahi work party Anne Kennedy 337 0364 most numerous animal caught is the hedgehog, with a DESIGN: Omahu Bush work party Paul Tebbutt 384 3086 total of 35 so far this year. It is important to remember that all these animals have no natural predators in New We are a voluntary society working to enhance, preserve and protect Zealand. In their natural habitats, the predator/prey the natural environment, beauty and open character of the Port Hills of Banks Peninsula for people to enjoy. relationship controls populations—low prey means low We need and welcome contributions to our work through memberships, JOHN GOODRICH predator numbers, and vice-versa. Here are some facts donations and corporate sponsorships, participation in work parties (non-members welcome - but why not join us as well!), and bequests. about these pests: Continued next page... EDITOR: 3 Possums Mustelids The possum found in New Zealand Stoats, ferrets and weasels are part of the mustelidae family, all of which are is the Australian brush-tailed carnivorous, members of which occur in many areas of the world. The family possum, a protected species there. includes such diverse animals as wolverine, otters and martens. Here, they have no natural They were introduced to New Zealand to control rabbits, and were released onto enemies, and our native trees have farmland, despite the protests of bird experts. not developed any defence against Whilst by 1903 the government had changed its policy on releasing mustelids, browsing such as spines, prickles or they remained protected until 1936. poisonous leaves. Possums are found all across New Ferrets Zealand, with the exception of the Ferrets are the largest of the three introduced mustelids, growing to 48-56cm, mountainous high rainfall areas of about the length of a small cat.