Thread: Good things take time

After putting in for a application for a south Island passport i was finally granted permission for my first time on the island.
After a bit of planing and research, a couple pms from top blokes on here our home for 7days was finally sorted. A drive from Gisborne down to the 3am ferry, we were told we could board at 11pm and had couple cabins booked to get bit of sleep. Due to a ruff crossing didn't end up in our cabins to after 12.
Arriving at Piton about 6:30ish we started the drive down to Twizel for the night. Man the stop go people down that way love there jobs, big smiles and waves. After a bar meal couple beers a good night sleep was on the cards at the local motor camp before flying out from mt cook in the morning.
The weather was looking good for the next 7 days with bit drizzle due on the thursday
MT Cook

after a good flight in we dumped off a bit of gear before getting dropped at the head of the gully

With time on our hands we set up camp and started to bino, it was a long day with nothing seen. Splitting up me and a mate went one way and one went up from camp, one down. Wasn't until about 6pm the first animal was seen in no mans land. Hour or so later we spotted three thar at the head of a creek.With no time to waste we were off. Getting up to the last spot that we had seen the my mate said your up. Sneaking up to the edge of the creek trying to catch a breath mate looking up trying to locate them but they had feed down below us. With a good solid shoot i had my first tahr on the deck. I was wrapped.
Next morning we packed up camp and split into two groups, me and my mate made our way back up to my tahr to remove skin,meat and head.
After a hot walk we made camp couple km down the valley
Some good animals were seen from this spot all after 6pm and decided to move down the valley bit more for the rest off the trip.
Day 3 found us climbing a big face up to were we had spotted couple good bulls from the night before. getting up there early bit of sleep in the sun was on the cards, deciding if nothing had come out by 6;30 we would make our way to the next clearing around. making around the face mate in front and above i look down to see a bull watching us . A quick rest and not much time AND been told its a shooter a shoot was heading its way straight through its chest. A solid hit seen it going over backwards. Making my way down to where it was no animal or blood was found.Searching for 30mins and no luck had as retreating for camp for the night.(sleepless night)
First light after a quick glass had us climbing back up the face, coming up on a different route under where the bull was last seen.Didn't take long to locate the bull 50m from the shot. We remove the skin,head and some meat from this guy and made our way back to camp
Back at camp my over two mates walk in with there report for the last few days.A day off heavy rain and wind seen us stuck in camp for a day and a half. The last night i went my own way seeing a few animals .
We all had a unreal trip in there seeing three of us taking our first tahr, the weather was unreal clearing on the last night and morning for pick.
The next stage was to head up into Rainbow road but it was only when we got out the road had been reopened. We did try to get hold of the manager and left a message with no luck. With the road opening we decided we would drive through for a look. What amazing scenery and did get to see a cham and couple reds mid day. Once back in coverage we managed to change our crossing date made our way to picton for a 6pm crossing and for a freakin long drive after coming of the ferry arriving home at 8am.
Hope you enjoy, first time posting a story.
p.s i don't know how you south island fellas do it freak your sheep are ugly

Good work

Looks like a great trip, well done.

Great results from a well planned trip by the look of things. Well done.

Choice trip, neat photo's and great story , Well Done.

Good trip by the looks of it great photos

Awesome!

pleased you guys had such a great trip...it sure is different to sneaking around the kaimais .even after nearly 30 years down here the sheer size of the country still blows me away.

Enjoyed that read, thanks.

Excellent. It's a beautiful spot. See any deer?

Well done, you must be stoked

IT was a epic trip. Even my mates are still buzzing. Not many trips when you have booked dates go to plan weather wise. Already looking forward to my next trip down south. I think around Gisborne is amazing for hunting but that south island is a whole new world

Cool report Bigbear, great to see you have some success in the big country.