Thread: Ruahine Tops in October. Advice please.

Bit of a reminisce with some humour. The mate's I talked of, were a young couple on one of thier first big hunting trips. My brother and I had intended a roar trip which detailed climbing Te Hekegna and dropping into the Pourangaki to hunt the far side. But we hit a major storm and ended up bashing for hours through waste depending snow, stuffing my knee and getting mild hypothermia.

With no way back we made a good call and dropped down into the pourangaki and headed for the hut. We had never been too the hut before and it took some finding based on memory of old maps, but when we got close we could smell smoke and that guided us in. Inside were the young couple and another friend, who had arrived earlier that day.

My knee was really bad and I was hut bound but the others had some good hunting and finally we decided to walk out down the river with the them offering to walk out with us and drive us back too our car, which solved a problem.
We were incredibly grateful and invited them hunting with us, which started a lifelong friendship.

In a smartarse way, I used to refer to them as my grasshoppers as they became really good hunters. Some years later we arranged to meet up at Rangi hut, then head out and camp by the tarn for a few days. Mike and I got too the hut just before dark, and hit the sack, expecting them to walk in some time that night.

Around 2 am I heard a noise but no one came in and I went back to sleep.
Next morning they were a no show, so we packed up and headed off an hour before light to try catch a deer on way out to campsite.

We reach the intersection and turn left and start towards camp. its just getting light, shooting light, suddenly ahead of us a shot booms out and we look up to see Rex stand up, Silhouetted by the rising sun.

Turns out they had snuck past the hut at 2am and headed straight to camp, set up and he'd layed in wait above a spiker, waiting for us to show up before shooting.

He was pretty chuffed with himself getting one over us like that. Reckoned it took some effort to get one over the Carey brothers.

That rock pile track.
Roger Lentle was at the Rangi hut. And Alex and me. That evening Roger "educated" us on most things. It was pleasant, but one way.
The upshot was that when choosing our hunting areas he chose to go out the back somewhere near the Pari ridge and we said we would "hunt around the hut". His retort was "you wont get anything around the hut - and continued to educate us on the habits of deer and where they would be.
He headed off in the ungodly hours of the morning and we headed off not long before sun up towards the rock pile track and across to the creek faces under the hut.
Of course, I wouldn't be telling this story if Roger was successful and we were not.
He got back late, with nothing.
We got back early, with something (I cant remember exactly what we got - Alex shot it).

We never said a word about the track down through the leatherwood.

That evening was somewhat quieter than the previous one.

That evening Roger "educated" us on most things. It was pleasant, but one way.
Your diplomacy is legendary Tahr.... I have also shared a hut with Lentle & Saxton........

Originally Posted by NIMROD

That evening Roger "educated" us on most things. It was pleasant, but one way.
Your diplomacy is legendary Tahr.... I have also shared a hut with Lentle & Saxton........

Stereo

I'm thinking of doing a similar trip this October, it'll be my first time in the Ruahines does anyone know if the farmer to go to purity hut is still letting people through? I'm thinking of staying a night at purity hut than go down via pinnacle creek to stay at waterfall hut, Cheers.

Originally Posted by NIMROD

I hope he filled that pack up Rangidan

It's not a bad place on a nice day with no wind

Attachment 259131

Yes he did,shot a hind. That pack is perfect for him. Thanks Rod.

Originally Posted by danialr

I'm thinking of doing a similar trip this October, it'll be my first time in the Ruahines does anyone know if the farmer to go to purity hut is still letting people through? I'm thinking of staying a night at purity hut than go down via pinnacle creek to stay at waterfall hut, Cheers.

It’s a great Ruahines crossing. Come out through the Waipawa saddle and down the river.

Each of us would like to feel we know something than Lentle and Saxton didnt but you have to admit they wrote a great book.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

Each of us would like to feel we know something than Lentle and Saxton didnt but you have to admit they wrote a great book.

"Hunting the season round" has turned into an appreciating investment!