The end of the school holidays

We finished the school holidays in style, with the youngest super keen to get out and look for goats.

We headed up towards Duppa to have a look at a spot where the road get very close to the DOC boundary and native, but the area was replanted a few years ago, and between the trees was solid head high gorse, so we gave that a miss and instead did a couple of hours sneaking around in the rain on the edge of the native up by the Duppa carpark.

Saw loads of sign, both in the native and the logged forestry, but didn't see any animals. The mist came and went, along with the visibility. It's quite open bush with a fern understory so not too hard to move through.

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As we headed back to the car we came across a section of mature pine with what I assume is a pig proof fence round it. Must be some study being run there or something.

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Just to keep up traditions, we saw 2 goats and 2 kids hanging out beside the forestry road as we drove out. There are obviously lots of goats in there, you just have to catch them in the native.

After some grown-up time watching the Minuit gig (still crushing it 25+ years after I first saw them live) on Saturday night, Sunday morning saw us off to another spot where I have often seen goats, Opouri Saddle on the way over to Duncan Bay/Penzance.

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We parked at the saddle and snuck off up the ridge to the west along a small marked track. We found the remnants of another study up there too, big black plastic funnels in the bush. My guess is sampling beech seed volumes??

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At one point we were moving quietly along a bit of a saddle on the ridge, and heard something running away from us about 20m ahead. Don't know if it heard, saw or smelt us. There was a fair northerly blowing over the ridge, and and the runner (I'm guessing a deer) was on the downwind side of the track.

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After an hour and a bit we turned around and headed down the Opouri bridle track. Lots of good open bush either side of the track, but again no animals seen. We got back to the car just as it started pissing down, so pretty good timing. A pie for lunch at the Brick Oven in Rai and headed home.

Now we just need some good weather on the weekends and we'll be back out checking some more spots. We're both loving it so far.

A mate was out cutting a track from Flannagans Hut (Baton Valley) onto a ridge that same weekend, and said the area up round the hut is crawling with goats (he caught two by hand!) but apparently the track up the Baton to the hut is in very bad condition with lots of slips and trees down, so it's a 6-8 hour mission each way at the moment.

We might try going a little ways up the Baton and the Ellis next.

I saw that post about the baton on Facebook look at the map as might be an alternative way in.

Was going to go out today somewhere but my ute wouldn't start, 2month old battery

It sounded like Al found an "easier" way out from Flannagans, over the tops and down Loveridge Spur, BUT Al is a hardcore tramper who is out on long missions most days he isn't working (or climbing) and has probably explored more far flung terrain around the top of the south than pretty much anyone else. His idea of easy would probably kill me!

He often tells me where he has seen various animals, and when I look on a map to see where he has been there is usually an element of WTF!

I was looking at Cowins spur. Never been there so don't know anything about the river crossings, but have marked it as a possible summer trip

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid...02125440131685

Post I saw on the Permolat page

Great stuff keep at it you are close! A spot to try may be up the Pearse river if nothing else we'll worth the walk up to the resurgence to see the river start out of a rock cave.

the funnels are for seed collection we had trials out back of Taranaki generally two areas are chosen ours was possum control effectiveness I presume those will be the same- two areas were chosen - so one area was treated the other was a control area and not treated by comparing seed collection the boffins supposedly can determine how effective control was in regards to possums and seed production by comparing treated and untreated - I did not mind that work one got out into some good hunting country and always the rifle with me

Hows the state of Minuit ah. Been a favourite since ages ago [emoji41]

For sure that funnel is counting the beach mast. Quite a few of them up nelson lakes[emoji106]

Baton /Ellis junction is a cool spot. Was gold in the bottom bit of the Ellis but not at the top.

I've always thought that hut in the head basin would be a spectacular spot but believe its easier to reach from the flora carpark ( not atm) due to extensive windfall on the Ellis route.

Agree with trooper90. Plenty of goats up the pearse [emoji106]

Great wright up too by the way [emoji3]

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Originally Posted by trooper90

Great stuff keep at it you are close! A spot to try may be up the Pearse river if nothing else we'll worth the walk up to the resurgence to see the river start out of a rock cave.

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If you know where to look is one of the biggest caves in the area with an underground campsite or two.

I went into Ellis Basin from Flora about 18months ago, its brutal on the knees yet isn't that hard of a track, backcountry trust did some work on the hut a while ago too.