Thread: Intrepid NZ - First Crossings

Originally Posted by Dougie

Cool episode tonight something about the taller presenter is mildly annoying but I enjoyed it none the less.

Their muskets took a few baths..


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Yes I looked forward to this program but I was disappointed as I know a lot of that Te Kooti country. All the random little bits of country they chose to film really did not give one a sense of the man or his thinking. Much of the film seemed to have been taken close to the road, like I recognised one scene in the Opepe reserve where they must have had to dampen out the traffic noise. I think I also recognised parts of the 6 foot track, Ruakitori River, Panakuri Bluffs.

But to give a real sense of that war or the grandeur of that country I would have liked to see them Film Te Kootis lookout on the confluence of the Te Hoe and Mohaka river where local lore says with a telescope he read the semaphore signals sent from Napier to Taupo and therefore managed to always stay one step ahead of his pursuers.

More time should have been spent on Mangapohatu Mountain and in the Whakatane River and less time in areas near the road or dragging their muskets through deep water. A fighting man who needed to fight at any second of the day would show far more care. He would need to draw the ball, flush out the powder and thoroughly dry out the whole weapon and reload before it was useable. That would only work if he had dry powder and caps.

Just some thoughts