Thread: Old huts

Originally Posted by Swanny

Attachment 138485taken about 1974 Ahuahu valley.
From memory was a derelict house. Mates black lab named Champ.

Thanks for that posting.
Hunted the Ahu Ahu Valley from 1967 onward for a few years until it got too well known. If it is the old house I remember it was on a reasonably large flat still clear of second growth. There was a stand of mature macrocarpas IIRC behing the house? There was an almost derelict swing bridge across to the flat. If it's the same house one end where the fireplace wasn't too bad, the other half not so habitable.

Almost got shot further up the main valley. We were walking thru manuka and approaching the edge of a small clearing with exposed papa face. Dickhead on the other side of the stream fired a shot that slammed into the papa about 2 metres ahead of us. I immediately fired a shot into the air. Subsequent abuse of them ended up with no reply or apology. They had most likely come in from the road that ended way up the valley, not via the Wanganui River.

We used to cross the Wanganui River using a 2 man kyack which had its moments.

I remember the old farm house and old man macrocarpa trees down the Ahu Ahu valley , we would come in from Kai Iwi and camp up stream on a small flat where the large creek entered on the left and did a few trips around 1970 , usually a few pigs and deer on the flats .some of the side creeks had good hunting ,had a few interesting moments with the wild cattle as well .

Many of the ridges had old fence lines totally overgrown with scrub , you had to feel for the farmer who had spent the best years of there life trying to make it , but like so many others had to eventually walk off there land .