# Outdoors > Photography and Video >  Ruahine Ranges...Tamaki

## Dundee

Heres a few pics







This peak is Takapari



The car park



The slip in the middle is Cats Paw

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## Rushy

What is the hunting like in there Dundee?

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## Scribe

Havnt hunted there for a good while Rushey. But we used to meat hunt a bit off the Takapari Road which skirts along the top of the range and is accessed from the Western side of the Range. We pulled a few deer out of the heads of the Pohongina but there is a lot of leatherleaf up there in the sub alphine belt. I guess you know what that is like. You cant go under it and you cant push through it. You can though make some progress clambering over the top of it but it costs you skin. I once took out my sleeping bag out and slept in the middle of a mountainside of it once. I never thought I was ever going to get out of the bloody stuff.
  Along the top of Dundees picture of the range was an A frame hut I presume it is still there. I think we called it Takapari Hut

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## Rushy

Thanks Scribe.  How is the manuscript developing?

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## Scribe

> Thanks Scribe.  How is the manuscript developing?


Last Chapter...Funs all over now I can see the end in sight...Hard and boring work to come editing and all that stuff.

Having a few days off and kicking over the traces. Cant get out to fish....Cant hunt in all this wind. All I can do is raise the IQ of all you people. 

I dont know how to put up one of those smiley faces but that last one was not a serious comment.

Catch ya 'Rushey'

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## Rushy

Good on ya Scribe.  Good to see you back in our midst.

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## Neckshot

Its good hunting up there but like everywere in the ruahines you dont shoot them close to the car park!

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## Dundee

Yes its hard work unless your lucky enough to get one on the Takapari Road or the track up Holmes Ridge or a handy one on the creek would be nice.That Cats Paw slip is productive they used too fertilize the grass years ago but its a steep climb. 

 I've got a mate that had there wedding photos up at  the Holmes Ridge heli pad.The bride and groom stood in front of the helicopter,classic.

I took my girl up to the Tamaki picnic area and thats where I proposed too her.Must of been good cause we still married.
She had no idea, we went up there with KFC and a few beers.

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## Rushy

> we went up there with KFC and a few beers.


Dundee you are a bloody romantic bugger.  KFC and a few beers.  How will us mere mortals live up to that sort of classy act?

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## Rich007

> Good on ya Scribe.  Good to see you back in our midst.


+1

The forum wasn't the same without you

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## BRADS

It seems that you have a taken one of these photos from our Woolshed Dundee?

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## Dundee

> It seems that you have a taken one of these photos from our Woolshed Dundee?


Yeah I did the car park looked full. Now that the picnic areas blocked off to traffic its a bit of a cluster up there.

By the way does Doug still have any running off the farm?

Welcome aboard BRADS :Thumbsup: 

I can add lots off pics too this thread,I practically lived up there as a young fella. Great times!!

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## Scribe

> +1
> 
> The forum wasn't the same without you


A heartfelt thankyou from me for the compliment. 'Rich'

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## Dundee

> A heartfelt thankyou from me for the compliment. 'Rich'


You have had many more compliments and respect on other threads on your short silence.

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## Dougie

> You have had many more compliments and respect on other threads on your short silence.


+1!

Scribe I hope you don't take this the wrong way but in the short time of knowing you over this awesome forum, I'd like to think you are a bit of a father figure that I could always go to for advice. It's good to see you back around the place. And your little personal note inside my book was such a lovely touch, I really appreciate it!!

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## Scribe

> +1!
> 
> Scribe I hope you don't take this the wrong way but in the short time of knowing you over this awesome forum, I'd like to think you are a bit of a father figure that I could always go to for advice. It's good to see you back around the place. And your little personal note inside my book was such a lovely touch, I really appreciate it!!


It works both ways 'dougie' many a post of yours has put a grin on my face for the rest of the day. Your story and the vivid desciptions you gave of the country and of shooting the deer when you were with the boys in Nelson was just great. Pictures were great to. 

A father figure I definately am and advice I will be pleased to give.

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## Scribe

> You have had many more compliments and respect on other threads on your short silence.


Thanks mate, Can you tell me Dundee if the A Frame hut is still up behind Takapari.

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## Dundee

> Thanks mate, Can you tell me Dundee if the A Frame hut is still up behind Takapari.


It got trashed by the buggers from the other side of the range :Sick: Drive up wit there 4wd and it takes me 2 hrs on this side to tramp up there peeed off!!!!

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## Dundee

Heres the Ruahines from home.Takapari on the true right.That big bump in the hills :Have A Nice Day:

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## BRADS

> Yeah I did the car park looked full. Now that the picnic areas blocked off to traffic its a bit of a cluster up there.
> 
> By the way does Doug still have any running off the farm?
> 
> Welcome aboard BRADS
> 
> I can add lots off pics too this thread,I practically lived up there as a young fella. Great times!!


Na haven't caught one out on the farmland for a while now, only seem to be catching people.

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## Dundee

Heres the A-Frame or Takapari Hut

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## Neckshot

Not like that now mate1, its a a frame and a crete floor no walls its a bit of a shambles actually.

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## Neckshot

Not like that now mate1, its a a frame and a crete floor no walls its a bit of a shambles actually.It could do with some heating.

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## Tahr

I used to hunt the area circa 1967. Access was through the Wiggins and I hunted their place over by the Rokai and up the dry creek. I became quite friendly with them and they used to put me up for the night and feed me. Their son (Murray) hunted for NZFS. I got quite good at getting deer out of there once I learnt a few skills. I loved the winter hunting when there was a bit of snow because it was quite novel to me, and I learnt that a bit of sun would turn it into good hunting. That habit has stuck with me.

When they sold (I think to Timmins?) and I lost the access I just hunted around the dry creek and its headwaters, and continued to do so on and off until about 1990 or so when I left the area. Haven't been back since but it holds a lot of memories for me. Dannevirke is a good area for a young hunter. If you can get deer out of some of those hell holes in the Sthn Ruahines, you can get them anywhere.

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## Dundee

> Heres the A-Frame or Takapari Hut


Yes its a bastard alright thugs go an wreck a shelter that could save a hunters life :Sick: 

Tahr the dry creek has moved a lot. It can be a shingle slide from the top now.

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## Neckshot

It is mate but deers stalkers are trying to get ownership of the hut so we can do it up.

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## Dundee

Thats great news,Vince will be right onto it.

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## Tahr

My last trip up there 20 years ago (see post above). True left of the dry creek.

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## Toby

Is it fun hunting in the snow? Last time there was snow anywhere I could hunt mum said no because there was no one else to go with me which pissed me off alot. I seem to think following trails will be easy if I was to use a bow haha but then it looks hard to walk in and cold for a over night trip using a fly.

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## Scribe

Thar or Dundee have either of you got photos of the massive thickets of Leatherleaf that abound on your end of the range. It is amazing that a number of hunters have never come in contact with it. Thar has got some leatherleaf with snow on it in one of his photos Leatherleaf covered in snow does make for some of the hardest going I have ever experienced. In some places in the Ruahines you can find yourself having to clamber over the top of the stuff for a couple of hundred yards before you break into the sub alphine belt or out onto the tussock.
Some days in winter we might of had to cross the tops in a couple of feet of snow. It wasnt bad if the ice crust was thick enough but when you started to break through the ice crust it would cut all the skin of your shins. The cold would stop you feeling anything but you would look back and see that you were leaving quite a blood trail across the snow behind you. For the rest of the winter you would never successfully grow skin back on your shins. Hunting in crown fern and leatherleaf would see to that. Leatherleaf in particular used to rip any new skin off you with its jagged sawblade leaves.
When I was out hunting in the winter to feed track cutting and tree planting gangs I used to climb up on the tops after a fresh snowfall. It was amazing how many deer would be out on the tops on a sunny day. Nearly all of the deer in the area trekked up to the sub alpine belt to get all the leaves off the  broadleaf and many other tasty plants that the snowfall had weighed down within reach of them. It is a great way to learn about how a deer thinks and behaves and that is by getting on a deers tracks after a fresh snowfall and just following them until you catch up with them. Particularly a couple of young stags they tend to travel more freely and take in the sights more than all the others.
Leatherleaf is great firewood, burned green or dry. When green it takes a bit of other wood to get it going. Like a lot of alpine woods it is quite dense. Burned green it produces huge hot embers that are great for cooking on and keeping the hut warm, they are the best for making good bread. I can almost smell the smell now of burning leatherleaf and baking bread in Purity, Mackinnon, Top Marapea and a couple of dozen other alpine huts around the country as I sit here.

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## Tahr

> Thar or Dundee have either of you got photos of the massive thickets of Leatherleaf that abound on your end of the range. It is amazing that a number of hunters have never come in contact with it. Thar has got some leatherleaf with snow on it in one of his photos Leatherleaf covered in snow does make for some of the hardest going I have ever experienced. In some places in the Ruahines you can find yourself having to clamber over the top of the stuff for a couple of hundred yards before you break into the sub alphine belt or out onto the tussock.
> Some days in winter we might of had to cross the tops in a couple of feet of snow. It wasnt bad if the ice crust was thick enough but when you started to break through the ice crust it would cut all the skin of your shins. The cold would stop you feeling anything but you would look back and see that you were leaving quite a blood trail across the snow behind you. For the rest of the winter you would never successfully grow skin back on your shins. Hunting in crown fern and leatherleaf would see to that. Leatherleaf in particular used to rip any new skin off you with its jagged sawblade leaves.
> When I was out hunting in the winter to feed track cutting and tree planting gangs I used to climb up on the tops after a fresh snowfall. It was amazing how many deer would be out on the tops on a sunny day. Nearly all of the deer in the area trekked up to the sub alpine belt to get all the leaves off the  broadleaf and many other tasty plants that the snowfall had weighed down within reach of them. It is a great way to learn about how a deer thinks and behaves and that is by getting on a deers tracks after a fresh snowfall and just following them until you catch up with them. Particularly a couple of young stags they tend to travel more freely and take in the sights more than all the others.
> Leatherleaf is great firewood, burned green or dry. When green it takes a bit of other wood to get it going. Like a lot of alpine woods it is quite dense. Burned green it produces huge hot embers that are great for cooking on and keeping the hut warm, they are the best for making good bread. I can almost smell the smell now of burning leatherleaf and baking bread in Purity, Mackinnon, Top Marapea and a couple of dozen other alpine huts around the country as I sit here.


Here you go. A little south of Tamaki. 



My mate after we spent a night out in the leatherleaf in the snow with kapok sleeping bags and wrapped in a blown down un-bleached sheeting tent...

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## Scribe

Ah so I am not the only one that has spent the night in the leatherleaf. Now I expect those people who havnt experienced leatherleaf before can appreciate how hard it is to get through five hundred metres of it covered in snow. That is a good picture you have of the stuff. Thanks for that.

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## Dundee

Heres a few more pics with some leatherwood included from the same area.

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## Dundee

had a view from the Manawatu River tonight that had my farm just below the horizon with Takapari above and I never took the pic cause I thought I had one :Zomg: 

This is not the view I wanted too capture but it will do,a few weeks back

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## Dundee

Tahr..........is that you Robbie?

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## Tahr

> Tahr..........is that you Robbie?


Nah. I come from Pongaroa.

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## Dundee

Just a bit cold up there today @BRADS  This is taken from the Dundee ranch,Kiwi Greg and veitnamcam will recognise the shooting range.

Tamaki West

Car park at road end.

Laws Road looking towards Kumeti and Rokai

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## Rushy

Looks bloody cold Dundee.

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## BRADS

> Just a bit cold up there today @BRADS  This is taken from the Dundee ranch,Kiwi Greg and veitnamcam will recognise the shooting range.
> Attachment 26249
> Tamaki West
> Attachment 26250
> Car park at road end.
> Attachment 26251Attachment 26252Attachment 26253
> Laws Road looking towards Kumeti and Rokai
> Attachment 26254Attachment 26255


Was my ute at the shed?
Or has the mrs hidden in town :Have A Nice Day: 
Snowing on and off here all day, very low on the foot hills :Have A Nice Day: 


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## Dundee

Nah I was the only one up there.  Snowing in Norsewood and Ashurst so of been told.

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## Rushy

> Nah I was the only one up there.  Snowing in Norsewood and Ashurst so of been told.


Blame it on the South Islanders that have just been up.

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## Dundee

> Blame it on the South Islanders that have just been up.


That white stuff might be the fleeces they removed of Brads sheep :Psmiley:

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## veitnamcam

Should have pushed those reds right down Dundee  :Wink:

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## Dundee

> Should have pushed those reds right down Dundee


The gummies couldn't cross the creek tonight :XD:

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## veitnamcam

> The gummies couldn't cross the creek tonight


We were Spost to drop off some real boots from neckshot but they got left in the car:rolleyes:

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## Dundee

> We were Spost to drop off some real boots from neckshot but they got left in the car:rolleyes:
> 
> Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2


I got them today :Have A Nice Day:

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## Dundee

Big dusting up there today

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## Rushy

I am feeling it up here Dundee. Light the bloody fire man.

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## BRADS

> Big dusting up there todayAttachment 26293Attachment 26294Attachment 26295Attachment 26296


Good dusting at Kashmir as well  :Have A Nice Day: 



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## Rushy

> Good dusting at Kashmir as well


Very picturesque.

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## time out

We used to hunt both sides of the range many years ago 
The Tamaki was easy access to plenty of side creeks - a bit of a climb and some good slips to glass - Laws Rd was also productive 
When the new road went up Takapari Ridge - we changed our focus to Diggers and Centre Creek - there were plenty of deer in Diggers and the leatherleaf was so open you could walk through it
The new road produced plenty of easy deer - the fresh dirt after the dozer - was like a cattle yard

New road - up on the main ridge above Centre Creek - slightly north of the road junction 


Isnt it fun hunting in the snow - Takapari - nah - I reckon its a mugs game - should have stayed in bed - much warmer places to be 


Up on the main ridge - a few years later on a nicer day

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## Neckshot

> We used to hunt both sides of the range many years ago 
> The Tamaki was easy access to plenty of side creeks - a bit of a climb and some good slips to glass - Laws Rd was also productive 
> When the new road went up Takapari Ridge - we changed our focus to Diggers and Centre Creek - there were plenty of deer in Diggers and the leatherleaf was so open you could walk through it
> The new road produced plenty of easy deer - the fresh dirt after the dozer - was like a cattle yard
> 
> New road - up on the main ridge above Centre Creek - slightly north of the road junction 
> 
> 
> Isnt it fun hunting in the snow - Takapari - nah - I reckon its a mugs game - should have stayed in bed - much warmer places to be 
> ...


Nice Landy!,tamaki and the Rokai are really good
Spots to hunt alright.looking at those pics you would have some great stories to tell about this neck of the woods

bloody shit phone

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## EeeBees

Have been working out in the chill factor warp 9 coming straight off the 'hines' all week...bloody norah!!!

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## Dundee

A couple of pics from the Tamaki this arvo.

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## Dundee

Few pics from 10/7/19 We spooked one and spent 4 hours up there.The last one I spooked went on my plate and I had venny vegemite cheese sandwiches when we got back to the ute.

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## rugerman

Cheers for the pics Dundee  :Have A Nice Day: 
A great spot

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## Been Upto

Shot my first hind and stag in that area. Cheers dundee

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## Mooseman

Nice Pics looks like an interesting area.

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## Dundee

Sighted a deer at 369 yards but kill shot and retreive would of been three hours.. back to the ute ..had to get off the hills for work so let it be.

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## Tahr

Cripes, that takes me back.

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## Dundee

Hiked from Tamaki to the Rokai today.   @Been Upto how are you getting on? Looks like you've been in there a few days?

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## Been Upto

Went awesome bro weather was great, hunted with a fellow forum member @Sako851 who shot his first red stag an awesome result, I also shot a young stag we had an awesome trip! Will post some photos soon

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## Tahr

> Went awesome bro weather was great, hunted with a fellow forum member @Sako851 who shot his first red stag an awesome result, I also shot a young stag we had an awesome trip! Will post some photos soon


Trip report would be  great

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## Been Upto

@Tahr will do mate just arrived home sorting out the gear will write up a trip report cheers mate

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## Sako851

Shot for the graffiti on the car haha classic. It was the best trip I have had so far. Good company and good hunting

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## Tahr

> Shot for the graffiti on the car haha classic. It was the best trip I have had so far. Good company and good hunting


First red stag eh! Well done.

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## Sako851

Yeah it was, couldn’t believe my eyes when it poked its head out from behind some cover. A really surreal feeling ! Been dreaming about it for over a year now and it finally happened

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## Sako851

Actually first deer at all, just happened to be a red stag!

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## 25 /08 IMP

> Actually first deer at all, just happened to be a red stag!


Awesome well done


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## Sideshow

@Sako851 
Nice remember that feeling  :Thumbsup:

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## Russian 22.

cool area for sure. lots long shots though.

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## Dundee

I went further SW today 30//7/19 Before the storm hits. Got drenched but had a good looksie for 4hrs before heading back down to work.

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## Dundee

3/9/19 Up via Holmes Ridge.A nice 4 hour wander to eat my venison sausages between milkings.No deer seen this time but did come across the skull of the yearling that I left in the bush after carting the whole carcuss out a few months earlier. Also met another two hunters on my travels.

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## Dundee

5 hours in the bush today.Plan was to head up to the "Cats Paw" Started heading towards it when the weather turned so left the creek and headed up and into the bush on the left of the creek.Less wind and rain.Got onto some fresh sign and saw a deer but didn't get a shot as it disappeared into cover.I came onto the A Frame track so pushed on to the hut where I had my lunch. Time was 1235pm when I left the hut and headed down via the track.Got back to the ute in 1 hour 20 minutes.Shot home for a brew then headed back to work.

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## Sideshow

Looks like Mrs Dundee found them  scissors  :Thumbsup:

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## Tahr

Thanks for the pics

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## Dundee

Was up here again a few days back.

Went up for a look tonight,theres a lot of water coming down tonight!

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## Jusepy

Well , im going to revive an old thread.
The brother in law and I went for a walk today out here. Was awsome , followed the riverbed up to a couple of good slips .
Did not see a deer but saw some sign and saw a fellow hunter , who was a GC and helped us out a little bit. ( If your reading this , thanks mate )

Definitely keen to go up here again and try another area !
Didnt take the 303 for a walk but took the brother in laws 308.

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## Dundee

I'm addicted to the area,10 minutes from work and 25 minutes from home.
Pics from last week.

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## Jusepy

How did you go dundee ?
Today was my first hit out in this area , enjoyed it !

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## Dundee

> How did you go dundee ?
> Today was my first hit out in this area , enjoyed it !


Nothing last week but doing 5 hours tomorrow.

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## Dundee

> How did you go dundee ?
> Today was my first hit out in this area , enjoyed it !


Nothing last week but doing 5 hours tomorrow.

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## Jusepy

Good luck dundee ! It is a mint day here in the manawatu...
 Wish I was out hunting.

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## Dundee

Had a day off on Monday as the southerly blast hit,river was blown out so no fishing.All the animals were bunkered down up here but went for a stroll anyway.

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## Tahr

> Had a day off on Monday as the southerly blast hit,river was blown out so no fishing.All the animals were bunkered down up here but went for a stroll anyway.
> Attachment 174750Attachment 174751Attachment 174752Attachment 174753Attachment 174754Attachment 174755Attachment 174756Attachment 174757Attachment 174758Attachment 174759Attachment 174760


Good
Was that up the dry creek?

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## Dundee

> Good
> Was that up the dry creek?


Sure was,still a good dumping around Makuri yesty.

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## XR500

Used to be my old stomping ground. But its young mans country...those slips are pretty steep!
An old work collegue told me his dad was one of the bulldozer drivers that the NZFS used to build Takapari road in 1972?. When they had finished up the work on the road they were told there was going to be a few weeks wait for the low loader to become available for returning their Dozers. My mate lived  east of Danivirke, so his dad decided to track the dozer to the West Tamaki roadend. Drove the dozer north from spot height 1170 about a km, then rode it down the screes till it stopped at the bottom, then tracked down the creek till in the Tamaki river bed and out from there.

A few of us keen types bicycled up there in the late 1970's (well before mountainbikes were a 'thing') We had those 3 speeds, with the gear change inside the rear hub. And you could still see where the leatherwood had been flattened as he headed north.

Try that these days and you'd be lynched :Grin:

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## XR500

Searching for an old scope in the 40 foot container (moved house) and instead found my old photo album. 

1979. Riding up Takapari road on bikes maybe 3 times the weight of current MTB's.  And way before 'mountain' got tagged on the front of a bike with fat tyres and more than 3 gears. 1979. Even managed to get half way up ( an almost new back then) Travers A frame hut before the legs gave  out.

Got photos of the road, which was lovely and graded. no potholes or washouts etc. But none of the turn off at spot height 1170 of the dozer tracks heading north sorry.

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## BRADS

> Searching for an old scope in the 40 foot container (moved house) and instead found my old photo album. 
> 
> 1979. Riding up Takapari road on bikes maybe 3 times the weight of current MTB's.  And way before 'mountain' got tagged on the front of a bike with fat tyres and more than 3 gears. 1979. Even managed to get half way up ( an almost new back then) Travers A frame hut before the legs gave  out.
> 
> Got photos of the road, which was lovely and graded. no potholes or washouts etc. But none of the turn off at spot height 1170 of the dozer tracks heading north sorry.


Was up there today very cold but lots of animals about.

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## XR500

Just confirming Brads' acknowledgement that it can get bloody cold up there!



But get down out of the leatherwood into the feed belt, and somewhere north facing and there's lots of donks up there.

Edit: fuck!!! Why can't they load like they look on my fricken computer!!!

Saved it by rotating it and its come out correct now.

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## Dundee

> Searching for an old scope in the 40 foot container (moved house) and instead found my old photo album. 
> 
> 1979. Riding up Takapari road on bikes maybe 3 times the weight of current MTB's.  And way before 'mountain' got tagged on the front of a bike with fat tyres and more than 3 gears. 1979. Even managed to get half way up ( an almost new back then) Travers A frame hut before the legs gave  out.
> 
> Got photos of the road, which was lovely and graded. no potholes or washouts etc. But none of the turn off at spot height 1170 of the dozer tracks heading north sorry.


Hope everyone keeps off the roof now the A Frame (Traverse)hut has been refurbished.Its a good climb from the Dannevirke side and the hut is much appreciated when you get to the top.

Did the fella drive his dozer down the "Cats Paw" slip that is about that height,fella must of had balls of steel!

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## XR500

I am unsure exactly which spur/slip he chose. I can only remember seeing the old dozer marks heading North along the ridge from the road. I biked up there in 1979, and worked in the MOW with his son in 1985. Even back then he was aware of the potential for shit to get flung at him, so he was careful where he went and what he dozed. Ordinarily, in that sort of terrain safety would dictate you would doze yourself a big fuckoff track in front of you.
He didn't do that :Cool:

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## Dundee

@XR500 the mans a fecking legend! :Wink:

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## BRADS

> Hope everyone keeps off the roof now the A Frame (Traverse)hut has been refurbished.Its a good climb from the Dannevirke side and the hut is much appreciated when you get to the top.
> 
> Did the fella drive his dozer down the "Cats Paw" slip that is about that height,fella must of had balls of steel!Attachment 174955


No was down above the Stanfield you can still see the track walk up toward the saddle and look back you'll see a very clear 3m track of leather wood in the native from the road down 

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