Back in the Bay .... Feb 2020

We love nothing more than returning to our friends in Whakatane, Clare's home town.  This time we were available to look after Max and Ruby whilst their humans took a trip away.  Our time here is always full of beach walks, fishing and summer sun.

Ruby can always find a patch of sun!

Max and his play date, Luna the Lab

This time, Clare took a bus trip down to Levin to drive her parents up for a week. 

Mt Ruapehu from the bus window

Although they grew their family up in Whakatane, they moved away some years ago and had not been back for a visit for many years. 

Clare and her Dad

Whakatane became infamous in December 2019 when Whakari - White Island, the volcano offshore erupted.  Unfortunately 21 people were killed, tourists and local tour guides,whilst visiting the island.  Here she is, in all her glory, like butter wouldn't melt .....

We took a long walk to visit Wairaka (the lady on the rock) which stands in the entrance to the harbour.  The bar here is known by fisherman, both local and visiting, as a very tricky customer indeed.

Moutohora - Whale Island

There is always something going on, even if it is just cuddles with the clan .....

Max and his friend and cousin

Our heaven on earth - Feb 2020

The bay in the dying sun

We are the luckiest people in the world to have wonderful generous friends who allow us the use of their bach (kiwi for holiday home) in one of the most magical and isolated coasts of New Zealand - the East Cape.

The view from the front room

After all the meat we had been consuming we were really looking forward to catching some fish and seafood.  James had bought a cheap set of secondhand diving gear and wanted to test it out.  Having never caught a crayfish (kiwi for lobster) he was delighted to come across these two scurrying around in the undewater rocks.

Cooked

Plated

In the mouth

We enjoyed a few early mornings out on the kayak having fun with the fishies.  A couple of which we brought back to add to our 'see food and eat it' diet ;-)

This kahawai was the first candidate

Kahawai is beautiful freshly smoked

These guys all got to live another day or two ....

Porae

 This kingfish, one of our favourite fish to catch (they are also very good to eat) was caught with a lot of fanfare and hilarity.  Clare made a valiant effort of paddling us around the bay while James reeled it in.  It a bit smaller than the legal size of 75cm so went back to the ocean to grow some more.

In the week we were here, we only ventured out once to the shops at Waiau Bay for some fresh supplies.

Caught relaxing!

This is one of the few places on earth we are never ready to leave when the time comes ......

Where the wild things are - Dec 19 & Feb 20

If you have been following our adventures to date, you will know that we are big fans of harvesting our own food.  And as meat eaters, this includes hunting.  We have recently had the opportunity to spend some time on a private hunting block in the middle of the North Island of New Zealand.  Funnily enough, Clare spent two years living and working on this very block in her twenties.  These days the block is owned by a successful  NZ businessman and managed by a friend of ours.  The block is being used primarily as a kiwi breeding ground.  The neighbouring forest block, owned by the same man, is being replanted in manuka to be used for the harvesting of honey once the manuka becomes established.

The view as far as the eye can see

In December we took the opportunity to make a short trip to hopefully shoot a deer.  Deer are considered an introduced pest in NZ.  They destroy the native forest, rubbing the tree trucks raw with their antlers and eating the foliage, especially of your trees.  

But first, we wanted to take a look around the block.

Out and about on the Polaris

Rifle always at the ready

The Hole Hut down beside the Waiau River

The guy who lives here full time feeds the deer around the main accommodations.  It is a special experience to be able to sit quietly and watch them.  There is no hunting within 100m from the huts.

Whilst out driving in the forest, we came upon the perfect opportunity to shoot a deer, the meat of which we would share with the family for Christmas.

Dressing out the deer ready to carry to the vehicle

Ready for the big carry

That's about the size of it ... 

Skinned and ready to joint out

Harvesting the meat

We also helped out with some rat monitoring.  We laid some ink pads out on some lines one day, in the pissing rain! and went back the next day to count how many rats had walked across the ink.   It's good to know that the rat baiting is actually working.  All part of the myriad of pest control projects that go in to keeping the forest healthy and developing.

In February 2020, we made a second trip to the block.  This time to help out with a different kind of pest control.  Rabbits and hare.

The boys ready for a night of spotlighting

 Not being ones to shoot animals for the sake of it, we picked up as many of the rabbits and hares that we could during the three nights we went out hunting.  We love to eat rabbit and hare and it has been a nice opportunity to introduce this rarely eaten (in NZ anyway) meat.

It takes a bit of work, but James is pretty
happy with his meat packs.

On one of the nights we were out we came upon a couple of youngish female pigs.  Again, considered a pest in the native forest, we took the opportunity to harvest a different kind of meat.

Wild pork yum scrum!

Still more work to be done

There is nothing quite like a sunset in a place unsullied by artificial light ....