A River Runs Through It

Robert Redford and Brad Pitt were in the Rocky Mountains in the early 1990’s, and now in 2014, we’re in the Tararua mountain range, Reikorangi valley with the Ngatiawa arm of the Waikanae River, to be more precise.

After the heavy rains at the end of April, we went for a short stroll up Ngatiawa Road (west) to see what that part of the valley holds for early autumn.

This arm of the Waikanae is joined lower down by other streams to eventually flow into the Tasman as the Waikanae River proper. The level of water rose relatively for a couple of days after the heavy showers, but has since subsided into its babbling brook nature once more. Here we are standing on the (single-lane) Kents Road traffic bridge.

(Above): Shane’s property borders along the left bank of the river and includes the bridge area. Here Shane’s Billy sports the latest style in goats-wear (in their favourite colour)….

 
(Above) … while Shane’s Milly walks in the udder… sorry, other, direction. By the way, does this outfit make my bum look big? Billy and Milly are names I use purely for ease of reference – not even sure whether Shane indulges in this naming-thing…

Ngatiawa Road is a “No Exit” country road (called a “Cul-de-sac” in some countries). On this dead-end arm of the road, we encountered this newly fallen tree – quite a large specimen, but causing no damage or harm to traffic or life and limb – just like nature intended in the days of Adam and Eve and their kids… and goats… if they had.

 
(Above): Compared to a couple of months ago, the verges and adjoining vegetation have very little in the way of floral displays. We spotted quite a few of these which resemble Chinkerichee flowers, but the plant structure is different. Maybe something like “may-bells” – maybe a reader can help? Anyway, pretty and clean.

 
All along the verge embankment next to the roadside streams, toadstools and mushrooms of various sizes and descriptions can be found…

Whilst I wasn’t too sure about this toadstool/mushroom argument, I did some reading up on the subject. I still haven’t changed my mind and can confirm: Don’t listen to old-wives-tales or family rules: What remains important about toadstools and mushrooms are the following facts:

• They are the same and no scientific distinction exists between them.
• They cannot be defined by shape, color, or appearance, since there is no standard differentiation between them.
• Mushrooms aren’t fungi with caps and stems while toadstools lack caps and stems.
• Fungi are not defined by level of toxicity: anything classed as either may be nontoxic, mildly toxic, hallucinogenic or extremely poisonous.
• People should never consume anything classed as toadstool or mushroom without having it first examined by a professional mushroom hunter.

(Above): Not only does a River Run Through It , but there are many little streams which run all over the shop. This one trickles road-side for hundreds of metres, until it takes a sharp right turn and heads for the river. If you stop to listen, besides the birds here and there, the gentle babbling of the shallow water over the small pebbles is all the breaks the silence of the clear fresh air…

(Above): Although Mayday was cloudless, the air was still quite crisp and a light jumper not out of place. Here, near the end of the road, the girls took time-out to sit in the warm sunshine and to soak up the sounds of the birds and the river in the distance, for a while before setting off back home.

(Above): To their left, Ngatiawa Road with the lush green kaleidoscope of vegetation overhead and all around – a voyage of discovery for a budding botanist, and (Below) rolling green mountains into the distance.

Sunday Afternoon Walk

One of the very picturesque valleys in the area includes the Mangaone South Road off Ngatiawa Road. The end of this road and the associated walk through the river valley was our destination a couple of weeks ago. Two walks start here: the shorter one, the Mangaone Walkway to Mangaone North Road off to the left and the longer more strenuous Pukeatua Track. In New Zealand, these country walks (hiking?), including at least one overnight stay, are known as “tramping”.

Being fairly late in the day, and with the idea of a “test” walk in mind, we chose the shorter Mangaone Walkway, which was previously known as the Reikorangi Track. What a pleasant walk, mostly along cool pathways in dappled shade. The pathway follows the western course of the Waikanae River.

(Above) The initial roadway to the first pedestrian bridge is also used for access to their homes by some nearby residents. It gets steeper as the path progresses.

 
(Above) The pedestrian suspension bridge means that you don’t have to walk across some private residential land down near the river below. The bridge must have been some six, seven, or maybe more storeys above the river bed.

(Above) The track is situated on private land. I guess that this fence ladder is over a boundary fence between properties owned by different owners.

(Above) A number of these little timber bridges span gulleys which would doubtlessly be brim-full during the wet seasons.

 
(Above) We stopped for a short sit-down in this cool peaceful environment, with the babbling stream gurgling past over the well-worn rocks, before heading back to the car-park.

(Above) The remains of an early days boiler contraption, which I would guess, was somehow part of a lumber milling operation, now lies abandoned on the verge.

Five species of tree fern line the track: Katote, Wheki, Wheki-ponga, Ponga and Mamaku. Ground ferns and delicate filmy ferns on tree trunks are also prominent along the track. Perhaps we can research these species, and then identify them on our next walk.

Timber!

The property belonging to our neighbours across the way borders on the right bank of the Waikanae River, with a long row of extremely tall pines growing along a vertical erosion cliff. Having been planted many years ago, and now in 2014 the trees are clinging to the top edges of the sheer precipice, presenting a possible danger to people, property and the bridge over Kents Road.

I cannot even imagine the cost of felling and removing these giants, but I understand that the lumberjack will do all the work, the cutting and removal of the timber (for sale as firewood), and you may even get some change or firewood out of the deal.

The guy appointed, Richard, will be busy for three to four months. Here are some pics of his activities:

Richard’s office. A beautiful sylvan setting, but running a heavy chain-saw man-alone all day cannot be that much fun!

The “biscuits” (round wheelie sections of tree trunk) are further sliced and diced into fire-place sized pieces and loaded onto the back of the truck by conveyor. Who handles this department? Yes, you guessed – Richard – the fellow in the red overall.

A lumberjack’s (in this case, lumberdick’s) work is never done

Slicing the trunk into biscuits. What a mouthful…

Al la Biscuits! Ready for slicing and dicing into manageable firewood.

Morepork and other friends

Last week, we went for a mini-hike walk northwards along Terrace Road (see the green route on the map above). This week, it was the south’s turn to put up with us along Ngatiawa Road (red route on the map), tracking the Waikanae River.

Our first port of all was Mike’s place on the opposite side of Kents Road, bordering the river. Brynn is friends with Mike’s daughters Poppy and Katherine, with all their farmyard chickens and ducks and other livestock.

 
Free-range organic are we, says Mr Rooster. Poppy (dark blue shirt) and Katherine (the younger) show Brynn around the chicken range.

Part of Mike’s approximately two dozen flock of sheep grazing near their house. The pines in the background border the river.

Hello Mor-Pork. Quite at home in his large pig-pen.

In the paddock adjoining Morepork’s quarters…

And a small flock of Alpacas rest in the shade.

After seeing all Mike’s gardens and animals, it was off down Kents Road towards the one-way bridge over the Waikanae River.

At this time of the year, the volume of water coming past is not all that great. I’ll check again in the middle of winter for comparison.

This upper reach of the Waikanae River is along Ngatiawa Road East in the direction behind Jeanette.

Uphill along Ngatiawa Road we go…

Growing in the wild along the roadside…

Time-out for a bit of joking, too…

Off the road and onto the Kapakapanui hiking trail. It goes across private property, with clear markers as to where you may go, with easy access across fences where needed.

We finally reach the river. Time-out on a suitable rock in the shade. The day was pleasantly warm, until late afternoon. Brynn eyed the water for a while…

 
Come Dad, let’s take a look across the other side – the hiking track continues up there…