A Deer Hunt at the back of Fraser's

As part of the development of the Fraser's Block, which was to become known as 'south Block', I first had to establish a survey line from Trig G because there were no old survey pegs to tie in to. Well at least we did not have access to the Cadastral maps and I couldn't find any boundary pegs. The only aerial photo was very old and GPS had not been invented yet, so land survey was the way to go.

The beehive shape of the bluff has almost gone
because of the vegetation, but it is about 50metres high.

Already Mick and I had established the main access road, which I called 'Beehive Road' - no, not because of the bees, but because of the huge yellow sandstone bluff that was roughly the shape of a beehive. This bluff was the target of artillery reservists who practiced fired at the bluff from [apparently the coast]. We found many of the timed shrapnel shells around the bluff - lump of lead shot in them about the size of a large marble! Bloody hell who would like to be in a war with them flying/exploding overhead?

The lay of the land was a bit difficult, because we needed to put the road above the bluff and we did not really have much choice about the distance because the road took off past a small saddle - the old geometry thing, the hypotenuse is the grade - height is the vertical - distance the horizontal. The easier the better for all operations, especially log transport.
I took a reading with my Abney level from the saddle to the top of the bluff and wet forth through the scrub with 'survey cloth' - linen rag that is ripped into strips to 'flag', mark where the top of the 'cut' was to be. Meaning where the bulldozer made its first cut to form the road.
Actually I nearly fell over another small bluff that was hidden by scrub because it was right in the middle of the proposed road! This caused me to modify the line making on section of the road steeper than I would have liked, but it was a straight, short section, so not so bad.

Once the road was formed Colin and I carried out the survey and I plotted on a map, finishing the survey at the boundary strainer on Lindsay Clearwater's place.
Mick on the old D6 opened up the old tracks, making them useable for our vehicles and so we could plan the future roading pattern.

There was a leading ridge that headed West and fell steeply into the South Branch of the Waianakarua River, which was the boundary between the forest and Walter Rutherford's property. The whole area was clothed in quite magnificent Manuka/Kanuka forest and scrub with broadleaf forest in the gulleys. Actually this was the area I saw puffballs which are an indigenous truffles
.



Mick and I had seen deer sign along this ridge when we opened up the track along the top as we sat on the moss covered rocks to look down into the river bed. So we planned a days hunting - there were to be four of us, Mick, Merv McCabe (sen), Steve (Mag's young brother) and me.
On a cool, autumn morning we parked up at the end of the ridgetop track and Mick paired off with Steve to head down the Northern flank of the ridge, while Merv and I headed to the South. The Kanuka was tall and open because the understory had been grazed for years by sheep, deer and pigs, so the going was easy, it a little steep. Merv did not want to go down too far, because he thought of the climb out, so he headed along the contour Northwards while I kept on going down towards the river.
I hadn't gone very far, when in a small basin, I spotted two spikers [young stags] in a little basin. I decided to shoot both because I thought Merv was handy and would come down to help me with the carcases. He didn't arrive, but while I waited for him I took the back and fillet steaks and skinned the carcases and cut the backbone so we could each carry a set of hind quarters each.
It was my expectation that they would have heard my two shots, and would surely come to meet me, so I started the heft and climb out. I was used to the old imperial measurement and could visualize a cricket pitch at 22 yards [steps] and that equated to one chain and there were eighty chain in a mile. I counted 22 steps as I carried the first set of hind quarters up the steep hill. There I left them and went back down to collect the other set, and counted 11 steps after I passed the first set. From then on I took each set one chain at a time as I proceeded up the hill.

Meantime, the others had gathered back at the truck wand were waiting form me, and I was taking a long time. They had not heard my shots. Mick and Merv played tricks on young Steve, telling them that I go 'bush happy' when I am on my own and I might walk for miles - they might even come back tomorrow to find me. I worried the lad.

It took me until late afternoon to reach the ridge and for the others to hear my approach, and they came rushing to give me a hand - at last! They were pleased with my efforts and apologetic that I was left to lug the meat up on my own! Still we shared the meat as is usual, because another time it would they who did the shooting/carrying.
Actually, fit as I was, it had been a huge effort to carry those hind quarters out and secretly, it took me a couple of weeks to recover!

A more distant view of the South Block and the Beehive