Stewart Island Freds Camp any intel ?

Hi folks,
I'm heading south to Stewart Island for a week based at Freds camp (southern arm) just wondering if anyone has been there ? any information about best strategy for success ? (not asking for anyone's spot X) and also if I can expect to see Kiwi or any other wildlife in that particular block ?
for me the trip to Stewart Island is more about the location than actually doing any hunting (of course white tail will be on the cards if the opportunity presents) but this trip is more about the experience of Stewart Island than the hunting side of things.
We may do a little fishing but I'm just as happy to sit in the hut and drink whiskey, eat steak and tell stories if the weather is rubbish.
Any intel is appreciated, feel free to pm if you'd rather not post publicly.
thanks
:cool:

Definitely kiwi, especially upstream/inland. Bay is very shallow. Its possible to run aground a hundred metres from shore. If you follow the track in or boat to the creek opposite Ogles point and work that area, there are nice areas of fern/broadleaf that are good to take your time in. A climb of Mt Rakeahua on a good day is well worth it. Saw several kiwi on the way up there.

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Originally Posted by wekaman

Definitely kiwi, especially upstream/inland. Bay is very shallow. Its possible to run aground a hundred metres from shore. If you follow the track in or boat to the creek opposite Ogles point and work that area, there are nice areas of fern/broadleaf that are good to take your time in. A climb of Mt Rakeahua on a good day is well worth it. Saw several kiwi on the way up there.

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amazing pics, I can't wait to get there :D I'm not sure but I think Mt Rakeahua isn't part of our block according to doc website, obviously we can still walk up there but no hunting.

Yea thats right its a different block, we took both blocks but no issue heading up there for a look and a leg stretch. A few trampers and kayakers moving through as well. You won't have the place to yourselves.

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Originally Posted by wekaman

Yea thats right its a different block, we took both blocks but no issue heading up there for a look and a leg stretch. A few trampers and kayakers moving through as well. You won't have the place to yourselves.

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yup I'm aware of that, thanks for the info. really appreciate it :thumbsup:

@wekaman you forgot the best pic from Freds Camp

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From the Hut you can hunt up and down bay.
Follow the track then pick a ridge and head in land
Pleanty of scrubby clearing once your well off the track
Not particularly stalking country so pic a spot sit wait an hour move 20 m pic a spot sit wait
If you have a boat the fishing is better further out the inlet and as wekaman has said the mud flats at the top of the bay can catch you out but do have some good flat fish

just as important where are the paua

223nut be the man to ask, I assume he is still on the island

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Originally Posted by Happy Jack

223nut be the man to ask, I assume he is still on the island

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he will be there with me :cool:

Make sure to take a rod and some pink coloured lures. Plenty of salmon to be had from the jetty.

Bugger all Pāua unless your willing to travel a wee ways.

we caught salmon of the wharf, if you want to have a whiskey as well as a bit of relaxing type fishing, and then you can put the skeletons
on the beach as a bit of cat elimination later on :thumbsup:.

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Originally Posted by Boner

Make sure to take a rod and some pink coloured lures. Plenty of salmon to be had from the jetty.

Bugger all Pāua unless your willing to travel a wee ways.

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unless the Paua are in ankle deep water they are safe from me :D

We picked up big muscles as in shellfish,ankle deep not far from hut turning right as exit door.i actually shot a hind on beach while cooking them. Way less than km from hut. Was pre GPS days we hunted in on one bearing,turned ninety for hour then went back on reverse from start. Beach n track being backstop,handrail to get home again. Never got slightly nav confused. Saw lots of deer on beach at dawn on opposite side of bay.there used to be a hunters camp there. Take overalls,gloves n head covering for sitting still,the sandflies were merciless.couple cans of Black flag for in hut at night also good idea.

Sometimes despite the best laid plans things beyond our control happen, literally on the first day on our boat ride to Fred's camp we hit some waves, one of which made me lose my footing and hit my hip heavily against one of the big aluminum stanchions on the boat.
I didn't realize how bad it was at the time but as the day went on what started as a dull ache became a throbbing constant pain, to the point I couldn't walk, sit or stand without help etc. Took some pain killers that evening hoping a good sleep would see me right, woke up the next morning no better. Took more pain killers and while the others went for a hunt I went out for a low key fishing session with the boat captain, managed to catch a few blue cod and a spiny dog (which was returned to the sea).
But by the time my pain killers wore off my pain was even worse.
Went back to Fred's camp and left a note for the hunting parties, then made a B line up Pattersons inlet to see the nurse in Oban.
Hats off to the Nurse who met us at the medical center despite it being a Sunday, after a quick check up and some stronger pain relief I was being flown to Invercargill for a precautionary check up due to concern of internal bleeding.
Given the all clear by the Dr at Invercargill but very sore and quite immobile there was no point returning to Stewart Island.
Got picked up at Invercargill by a friend and I'm staying in Tuatapere for a couple nights till my mates get back from Fred's camp and pick up my car ffom Bluff and then me for the trip home.
Pretty gutted about not getting to hunt but still greatful for the experiences I managed to pack into 2 days.
I saw a Kiwi in the wild, got up close and personal with a local Kaka, caught my first Blue cod and my first shark, shared our beach below the hut with a young sealion and traveled further south than I've ever been.
Thankful for good mates who dropped everything to help me in my time of need, Stewart Island.....I will return ;)

Sun setting over Stewart Island on our ferry ride from Bluff

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Sun rise on our first day in Oban

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Jimmy's pie for Breakfast before heading around to our block

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Golden bay

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Our boat for the trip the "Myra B"

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Rainbow over Pattersons inlet

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Fred's camp hut

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Fred's camp hut resident sealion

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Wee plane ride to Invercargill...

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Bruising on my right hip from the stanchion on the boat, what you cannot see in this picture is the swelling compared to my left hip.

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Bugger!

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Originally Posted by 7mm Rem Mag

Bugger!

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Could've been a lot worse, good excuse to go back :cool:

Ah shit that’s no good at all , great pic’s though

That’s no good Danny.

Bad luck chap. At least you got a couple of days in and great pics.As you say , you'll be back. Myself and two others rebuilt that jetty.Great spot to sit and contemplate the complexities of life with a beer or two.

what happened to front lawn at the hut?????.distinctly remember there being small grassed area between hut n beech as guys had tents up there and deer walked into it overnight.
lovely photos,at least you got to see a Kiwi and visit ,even if only for short duration.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

what happened to front lawn at the hut?????.distinctly remember there being small grassed area between hut n beech as guys had tents up there and deer walked into it overnight.
lovely photos,at least you got to see a Kiwi and visit ,even if only for short duration.

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Angle of the photo, there is a small grassy lawn there, maybe wide enough for a tent

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Originally Posted by ghosts

Bad luck chap. At least you got a couple of days in and great pics.As you say , you'll be back. Myself and two others rebuilt that jetty.Great spot to sit and contemplate the complexities of life with a beer or two.

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Great job on the jetty, looks like new hand rails are being installed currently

I knew I should have gone in your place to save you any pain.

Not good mate, get healed soon and get back asap.

Sorry Danny, loved the photos [emoji106]
Stewart Isl will still b there when u r ready [emoji41]

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Happy Jack

I knew I should have gone in your place to save you any pain.

Not good mate, get healed soon and get back asap.

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Bruising is still spreading, can't really post updated pics of that as it has spread over the right side of my arse ......no one needs to see that.

Mate, I feel for ya. You'll have to make sure you get back over there soon.
Rest up, heal up.

Bugger, easy enough to happen. Probably saw enough to be already thinking about a return trip?

@dannyb what roughly would the cost be for a trip down there for 5 days or a week?
I went there on a school trip as a kid and always wanted to go back, I reckon going with a few blokes for a hunt like you did would be pretty cool.

I think I can answer that as costed it out before the red queen put us in home detention again. Somewhere between grand and fifteen hundy each. Ferry over and boat hire were the big expenses.

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Originally Posted by 7mm Rem Mag

@dannyb what roughly would the cost be for a trip down there for 5 days or a week?
I went there on a school trip as a kid and always wanted to go back, I reckon going with a few blokes for a hunt like you did would be pretty cool.

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I did it for the cost of a return ferry ($200), $100 in food (I already had back country meals from previous trips), around $200 in fuel to drive down and back from North Canterbury, I was fortunate one of the guys coming owned the charter boat so we didn't have to pay hire just fuel cost (still waiting on that bill, but not expecting it to be heaps), plus unfortunately for me $147 flight out after my accident. I think the doc block was about $30 to book would have to double check as we booked it months ago.
Your biggest expense I reckon would be hiring a charter boat or water taxi to get to your chosen block but I'm not sure on the rates as we only paid for fuel and Rum for our captain.
It was pretty affordable all things considered, you could spend more, but you could certainly spend less too.
When I go back I think I might charter a plane and fly into Doughboys or Lords sharing the cost of the charter between 4 should be pretty economical too. Just gotta book the block well in advance as the more popular blocks get booked out well in advance.

Cheers thanks for that, certainly worth thinking about.

We try and run our yearly trips for $1500 per person
That includes
Fuel down
Night in invers pre and post
Boat across
Stabi
Food
Fuel
Hut costs
Other refreshments
Only thing left is food in invercargil and onway down

That sounds like a pretty good price

Oh
That includes a t shirt for the group but doesn't include ammo and fishing gear...but we eat like kings
Last menu was
Beef short ribs
Corn beef
Sausages
Roast lamb
Venison
Savaloys
Fish entree
Breakfast is porridge
Lunches are Wraps or soup
We have popcorn and I bake bread or scones
Cheese crackers salami nuts chips and dip
Beer wine gin and of course rum
Those that are slovenly also get bogan juice...I mean bourbon
As you can tell we rough it down there

@7mm Rem Mag We did a 10 day trip to a northern block a couple of months ago. Used Mana charters to go directly to the block and they left us there with a 4m frewza to get around. 6 people and cost us approx $1300 per person all up, including food, booze, etc etc. A few minor unforseen costs like parking in bluff but nothing major. We're all into spearfishing too so ate very well the whole time. One of the best trips I've been on - already re booked for next year. Shane from Mana charters was awesome.

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Originally Posted by Edunn

@7mm Rem Mag We did a 10 day trip to a northern block a couple of months ago. Used Mana charters to go directly to the block and they left us there with a 4m frewza to get around. 6 people and cost us approx $1300 per person all up, including food, booze, etc etc. A few minor unforseen costs like parking in bluff but nothing major. We're all into spearfishing too so ate very well the whole time. One of the best trips I've been on - already re booked for next year. Shane from Mana charters was awesome.

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Cool, thats great info. Thanks