Thread: When men were men

Originally Posted by mudgripz

The whole huge area from Tutukau mill way south past Opa site, and north to Titiraupenga and Pureora forest was still dense bush in 50s and early 60s. Sawmills took out the big trees in our area, Totara, Rimu etc, but left small/medium trees like konini, miro, five finger, and of course the northern ground cover like blackberry, supplejack, ferns grew back very quickly after big logs removed. Bit later they planted blocks there in exotics - pine/ fir etc? Unsure when.

There were two ways to get back to Opa from the hills above Tutukau. One was the notorious zigzag down a hillface, and the other was a long steep straight descent - both only possible in perfect conditions. This latter one was overgrown then so probably long gone now. These areas were teeming with pigs and deer when family farmed there from 1955-1966. We took untold numbers there but it was very hard going in that dense northern undergrowth at times. Nothing like southern forest. You'd hear the dogs bailing maybe 200m away but it might take an hour to get there. Slasher was essential equipment with all that supplejack and blackberry etc. There were also at the time wild cattle in that bush - had got free decades before and populated in some areas. One of the Mann boys met a huge bull in the bush behind their farm - scared the shite out of him. But he did come away with the head and horns - very big spread. Not a shot you'd want to miss...

And incidentally - a bit of history for the Waikato boys who know this zone. George Wilder the famous NZ prison escapee in the 60s was caught on our farm - the last one before tutukau sawmill. This was in 1962. Farm ran to the mill then off round to the right and George was caught there. I remember the farm crawling with hundreds of cops and army etc, and the old man showing them where to look. The policeman who caught him (Gyde or Hamilton) had borrowed dad's jungle carbine to go back and check a spot. George had been sleeping during the day on a big rock and had just climbed down when policeman saw him... Carbine won that conversation and he gave himself up. Later escaped again for 100 days. Very famous times in 60s NZ...old George was a national 'star'.

Just had a catch up with John Mann and he remembers what you fellas got up to.
I had a laugh to myself the thread title is "when men were men" in reality for a start we were just kids playing and learning a bit, some off it the hard way.
But it is good to reminisce now and again and some of the stories are pearlers.