Thread: Dustoff for Willie Peters

Originally Posted by Raging Bull

Yeah, it was auctioned off at the Napier Wool Exchange in December, 1973.

The limit for the Hunterville 4x4 Tour this year was 75 vehicles, thats a lot, but at $250 per vehicle (incl two passengers) and $50 per extra adult, $25 per child (13 and under), they would of raised a fair bit of coin for R McDonald House.

When all those motor bikes and vehicles arrived up there the deer thought they were all hunters arriving and so vanished from the face of the earth for a couple of days.

I never have forgotten the Plateau. Jim Warren the resident bonus hunter showing me around the block took me up there for my first visit.
We travelled up the Mangatera almost to Lake Colenso and turned up the Waikotore Stream, we cullers had a 1/2 sized tent camp half way up this stream. We climbed out of the gorge next morning up two beech logs wired together for a ladder (shades of Cave Creek) and hit the track between Taitapu and Ohutu Ridge. When we stepped out onto Ohutu Ridge I could not believe what wonderful country lay at my feet. The rolling hills covered in the golden tussock waving in the light autumn breeze and the valleys with their little patches of alphine beech forest that still survived on the shady and wet sides of the valleys that had seen all the fires of the Moa Hunters long ago.

I could faintly make out the airstrip at Ruahine Corner and the boundary of our block the Ikawatea River System, and No Mans beyond. I could see the Otupae Range that still held mobs of 60 deer then, away in the distance. Futher out still was the Comet and the mountains of the Tongariro National Park while between in the hazy distance we had the Kaimanawa's and the Kawekas that beckoned and demanded a quick poach. Closer in we had Black Hill and Aorangi and all the local features, clearwater campsite, the Waikotore Stream and the most marvellous camp of all, in a sheltered basin in the forest on the most eastern point of Ohutu Ridge. Ohutu Ridge Tent Camp.

It is interesting, now only the iron chimney remains of the tent camp but the basin itself where the camp once stood in all its glory is now called by the locals Hind Park.

It must have had some effect on a man because I have never really left the place. Either in person or in spirit I am still at that place .

Originally Posted by Scribe

Actually there was a distinct shortage of 'Dawfs' in the area at the time I remember. It might have been him too 'TeRei'

Probably your mate on PG Tips?

Originally Posted by Scribe

When all those motor bikes and vehicles arrived up there the deer thought they were all hunters arriving and so vanished from the face of the earth for a couple of days.

I never have forgotten the Plateau. Jim Warren the resident bonus hunter showing me around the block took me up there for my first visit.
We travelled up the Mangatera almost to Lake Colenso and turned up the Waikotore Stream, we cullers had a 1/2 sized tent camp half way up this stream. We climbed out of the gorge next morning up two beech logs wired together for a ladder (shades of Cave Creek) and hit the track between Taitapu and Ohutu Ridge. When we stepped out onto Ohutu Ridge I could not believe what wonderful country lay at my feet. The rolling hills covered in the golden tussock waving in the light autumn breeze and the valleys with their little patches of alphine beech forest that still survived on the shady and wet sides of the valleys that had seen all the fires of the Moa Hunters long ago.

I could faintly make out the airstrip at Ruahine Corner and the boundary of our block the Ikawatea River System, and No Mans beyond. I could see the Otupae Range that still held mobs of 60 deer then, away in the distance. Futher out still was the Comet and the mountains of the Tongariro National Park while between in the hazy distance we had the Kaimanawa's and the Kawekas that beckoned and demanded a quick poach. Closer in we had Black Hill and Aorangi and all the local features, clearwater campsite, the Waikotore Stream and the most marvellous camp of all, in a sheltered basin in the forest on the most eastern point of Ohutu Ridge. Ohutu Ridge Tent Camp.

It is interesting, now only the iron chimney remains of the tent camp but the basin itself where the camp once stood in all its glory is now called by the locals Hind Park.

It must have had some effect on a man because I have never really left the place. Either in person or in spirit I am still at that place .

I bet they did.

Did you ever carry a camera back then? Would be great to see some photos of your old camps?

Originally Posted by Raging Bull

I bet they did.

Did you ever carry a camera back then? Would be great to see some photos of your old camps?

Second that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. So please forgive my sausage fingers!!!

I have never had a lot of luck with camera,s...My first decent camera got monsooned in Malaya. My next one got full of water and silt crossing a flooded Marapea river. So I gave up.

If you go to the NZ Deercullers site and have a look in "the gallery" In the Ruahine section you will see most of the camps we used.
It is an interesting place to visit.


Meanwhile I will just have to paint little word pictures for you all which is what an author trys to do.

.

Sorry about it coming out like this...But this is a photo taken by a friend of mine of one of our favorite huts in those day. Ruahine Corner.

I took my Wife to this hut for the first time when she was 17.

Favourite Hut on the Plateau...Makirikiri....Oldest daughter was concieved somewhere within a 10 km radius of this hut.

Classic

Originally Posted by Scribe

I have never had a lot of luck with camera,s...My first decent camera got monsooned in Malaya. My next one got full of water and silt crossing a flooded Marapea river. So I gave up.

If you go to the NZ Deercullers site and have a look in "the gallery" In the Ruahine section you will see most of the camps we used.
It is an interesting place to visit.


Meanwhile I will just have to paint little word pictures for you all which is what an author trys to do.

Thats a bit of a bugger. That NZ Deercullers website is a gem though, some cracker shots on there. I remember looking at it a couple of years ago when there weren't as many photos.

Looking forward to reading your book when it arrives.

Cant be far away now.

Heys guys - I obviously get paid a lot more than you sorry lot because after reading the back of Dundee's copy, I bought myself Scribe's book Fantasticly written, I'm absolutely loving it. I haven't really searched for a kiwi author before but the style of this narrative is right up my alley - really down to earth, easy to read.

Cheers Scribe, and I love your note in the front!!

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Cant be far away now.

No worries, it'll turn up.




Dougie - It is a different book to the one your reading.

Link: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q..._ndV39fsz8Ghbw

Originally Posted by Scribe

Sorry about it coming out like this...But this is a photo taken by a friend of mine of one of our favorite huts in those day. Ruahine Corner.

I took my Wife to this hut for the first time when she was 17.

Is that 4 years after you were married?