Te Puke Branch of Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society

P.O.Box 237, Te Puke.

Secretary: Colin Horn,
Ph 07 573 7345

February 2007 Newsletter

Indoor evening meetings Recent Rambles

H eld at the Masonic Lodge, Oxford Street, Te Puke,

7.30pm start – except for 19 March book evening. Watch
the Te Puke Times for advertisements and info on meetings to
WHAKAPAPA: MAGIC MOUNTAIN
January Camp, Tongariro National Park.
12 to 16 January 2007.

be held later in the year; September, October & November.
Monday 19 Feb.
Historic Highlights of Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park.
DOC ranger Warren Geraghty will give an illustrated
talk about the pioneer days of the Park and plans to
preserve historic sites.
Monday 19 March
7:30 pm at the Papamoa Library – Books, Birds and the
Bush. DOC ranger Andrew Glaser from Opotiki will
be the guest speaker at this special event at the Papamoa
Library where we will have signed copies of Whio by
David Young, and also copies of Kiwi, the People’s Bird
by Neville Peat. Spot prizes and refreshments provided
– gold coin donation.
Note: change of venue, time and donation.
Monday 16 April
AGM. Plus – Guest speaker Bhrent Guy from Whakapa-
pa, Biodiversity Programme Manager for DOC, to talk
about Tongariro – The Park with Roots of Fire.
Combating Global Warming
O
nce again we had a great summer camp and continued
our tradition of three generations in one family attending
together: great to have the Hunters from Papamoa all with us!
Our team ranged in age from 5 to 80-plus years young, with
two teenagers, and it is always inspiring to see the comfortable
way everyone gets together.
We had a mad scramble on Friday evening when the toilet
rolls – to be provided – turned up missing! Hooray for Phil, the
DOC ranger, who came to our rescue by having spare loo paper
in his store cupboard at home – it’s a long way to the shops.
And congratulations to those canny campers who came along
with a spare toilet roll in their packs – very impressive!
In spite of dire weather warnings, our days were busy and
we only got the raincoats marginally wet. Ruapehu was shroud-
ed in cloud for the first day, but displayed its snowy slopes for
all the camera
buffs by Sunday
afternoon.
The nature
trail beside the
Visitor Centre
was a treat, with
the alpine flow-

I t’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to fighting global
warming. There’s lots of business opportunity in developing
new technology to harnest renewable energy sources such as
wind power. Here are links to a
couple of New Zealnd compa-
nies doing just that:
Windflow Technology Ltd
www.windflow.co.nz
NZ Windfarms Ltd
www.nzwindfarms.co.nz
Windflow Technology manu-
factures New Zealand de-
signed wind turbines, and NZ
Windfarms is busy installing
a 97 turbine wind farm in the
Tararua Ranges.
Some Windflow turbines are
shown in the photo.
Te Rere Hau Windfarm
1
ers in bloom
and the rare
red mistletoe in
abundance.
A walk to
Taranaki Falls
took us through Mistletoe with anti-possum collar above
beautiful beech
forest, beside a river, and along a good track with dozens of
hooded orchids to admire. Out above the treeline the myriad
tiny flowers of mountain
carrot, hebe, everlast-
ing daisy, dracophyllum,
pimelea and mountain
daisies brightened the
landscape. The waterfall
was great fun, and intrepid
Sarah led the adventurous
ones in behind the cascade
through the spray. Lava
 2
ing of the videos Volcanoes of the South Wind and Roots of
Fire – two excellent presentations which brought the volcanoes
alive and explained tectonic plates with great sight and sound
effects.
A brilliant morning on Monday saw four keen trampers off
to do the Tongariro Crossing while the rest of us headed up
the mountain again. Unfortunately the top chairlift had blown
a hydraulic hose and was out of action, so NO SNOW! But
plenty of places
to explore and
even a peek at
Taranaki above
the clouds, with
flows are marked and interpretation along the walk back over Tongariro and
the tussock lands is excellent. More energetic members of the Ngaruhoe look-
team did the Whakapapaiti Walk – most enjoyable. ing good in the
No visit to Whakapapa is complete without a peep into the other direction.
Chateau Tongariro with its grand chandeliers and lofty win- Silica Rapids
dows framing the mountain, grand piano and extravagant drap- walk was our
eries taking us back 50 years. Casual visitors are welcome and choice for the
can partake of tea and scones in the lounge – we just bought a morning, with
postcard! great views of
Ruapehu, more
flowers every-
where and the
stream to cool us
off on the way
down. Alasdair
kindly took
drivers back to
the top carpark
and we met up
with the rest of
team who had done the Ridge Walk and Whakapapanui Walk to
swap stories – and photos, of course!
Clean up day on Tuesday with various excursions planned
on the different routes home.
A drive to the top of the Bruce Road took us to the base of We visited Tawhai Falls, the National Trout Centre at
the chairlifts, but they were not working because of windy con- Turangi which was fun, had lunch with family at Turangi, and
ditions and mist. A chance to explore Meads Wall and the site drove back via Huka Falls. Luckily all our party avoided being
of Lord of the Rings filming – spectacular bluffs and dizzying held up by the logging truck accident on the Reporoa Road
drops over the cliffs! – we were detoured past Aratiatia Rapids and out onto the
We gathered at the Visitor Centre later for a special screen- Broadlands Road.
Huge thanks to everyone
for their participation, and
especially Alasdair and Dallas
for arranging and transport-
ing food, and Ruth and Doug
for assisting with transport of
food and all our luggage. Our
summer camps take quite a
bit of organising, but they are
definitely a bonus for me, and
we look forward to seeing you
all next year!
Report by Carole Long.
 3
KIWI ENCOUNTER
Rainbow Springs, Rotorua.
26 November 2006.
INSECT SURVEY

17 people gathered at Rainbow Springs,

Ngongotaha, on a Sunday morning
for our guided tour through Kiwi Encounter.
Otanewainuku Forest
November 2006

Good to see the Giles-Hansens, the Reids and

the Cosnahans joining us! Group bookings
O ur President, Peter Maddison
– entomology enthusiast extraor-
dinaire – has set up pitfall trap lines
are worthwhile, as the fee is well discounted.
in Otanewainuku forest to add to the
Kiwi Encounter is a million dollar facility developed as a
knowledge of this special area. The
tourist attraction but with a huge role to play in the survival of
information will also be valuable for
North Island brown kiwi on the mainland of New Zealand. Op-
the Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust as part of the work to improve
eration Nest Egg takes eggs from nests in the wild, incubates
habitat for kiwi and other native species. I thought learning tree
them in the facility, and raises the chicks until they are 1.2 kg
names was a challenge – the insect world is extremely interest-
in weight and can fight off a stoat. They are then returned to
ing, but such a lot to learn! Peter has already found some excit-
their home forest, fitted with transmitters and monitored.
ing specimens by various means of collecting, and the samples
Our guide was the vivacious Rachel, whose knowledge
collected are still being identified.
was matched by her enthusiasm and obvious pride in the work
The traps are set
being done. The kiwi cafeteria sported juicy mixtures and live
in catfood contain-
grubs as a supplement.
ers with lids, with
Two day old kiwi chicks were sleeping peacefully in the
the lids held open
brooder boxes, and further on three-week old chicks fossicked
by twigs. A quan-
busily inside another enclosure with a glass window for us to
tity of antifreeze
watch.
is added to the
The highlight was the viewing room with dim lighting and
container to retain
large enclosures full of native plants and litter for the kiwi
the insects that are
to rummage in for food. One older bird was sleeping while
caught and preserve
we visited, but the two younger birds were in fine form and
them.
scurried about very close to where we watched beside the
Traps are left open for a week, then the specimens are col-
low fence. “I can hear them breathing!” someone whispered.
lected and put in individual containers from each site
Avoiding talking, noise or any
for transfer to Auckland to Peter’s laboratory. Each
sudden movement is vital to
container is labelled inside and out to avoid confusion,
see the birds at their best, and
and the insects caught so far range from microscopic
we were very fortunate
mites to large black beetles and a spider or two.
Report by Carole Long. We hope to get Peter to visit for a field trip – even a
weta walk? – later in the year.
Report by Carole Long.

Kiwi Encounter:
Fairy Springs Rd
Rotorua.
Ph 0800 724 626
www.kiwiencounter.co.nz

Your Forest & Bird Committee

Position Name Address Email Phone
Patron Dorothy Mutton 3 Strathhaven Way, Te Puke mutton@bopis.co.nz 07 5738152
Newsletter editor Neale Blaymires 586 Te Puke Quarry Rd, Te Puke neale@orcon.net.nz 07 573 4157
Vice Chair & Nat. exec. Carole Long 20 Simpson Road, Papamoa carolelong@xtra.co.nz 07 542 0224
Secretary Colin Horn 57.e Fairview Place, Te Puke hornetz@slingshot.co.nz 07 573 7345
Conservation Coordinator Chris Butlin Rangiuru Road, Te Puke 021 02237879
Treasurer Alasdair Munro 636.b No.1 Rd, RD2, Te Puke a.d.munro@xtra.co.nz 07 573 9212
KCC Coordinator Cathy Reid P.O.Box 326, Te Puke cathyreid@orcon.net.nz 07 573 9566
F& B Committee: Joyce Bates 51A Topaz Drive, Papamoa 07 542 2989
Betty Normanton 24 Valley Road, Te Puke 07 573 8530
John Singleton 284 Maketu Road, Te Puke 07 533 2055
Maureen Burgess 33 Ngaparoa Drive, Te Puke maureenburgess@xtra.co.nz 07 5332644
 Monthly Walks
Y ou don’t have to be a Forest & Bird
member to join in on our walks –
and you don’t have to be super-fit either.
We walk at botanical speed, so there’s
plenty of time to take in the sights, and
to puzzle out just what is the correct
botanical name for that fern over there...
Meet at the Boucher Avenue carpark
in front of Te Puke Woolworths to car-
pool at 9:00 a.m. Note: some walks may have an earlier start
time. Please phone the contact person before-hand so you can
be contacted in case of cancellation.
Te Puke Forest & Bird walks:
Saturday 24 Feb.
Aongatete, Wrights Road, Kaimai Mamaku Forest
Park
Family day. Short walk. Bring your togs for the
swimming holes.
Contact: Alasdair Munro 573 9212 Car $10
4 to 12 March
SEAWEEK 2007
Watch the papers for organised activities: Talk by Steve
O’Shea, Sea Festival, Kaimoana festival at Maketu and
much more!
Saturday 24 March
Mokaihaha Ecological Area, Mamaku Plateau
Hidden gem Lake Rotohokahoka lies in this large block
of podocarp forest with abundant birdlife. Moderate
grade, 3 hours walk.
Contact: Carole Long 542 0224 Car contribution $15
27 - 29 April
Waitawheta Camp, Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park
Stay Friday and Saturday night at Waitawheta Camp and
explore the historic sites and spectacular scenery of the
northern Kaimai range.
Contact: Dorothy Mutton 573 8152 Car $15
Saturday 26 May
Mystery Trip.
Contact: Roy Hooton 542 3001
Sunday, 24 June
Rainbow Mountain, Rotorua/Taupo highway
Explore the geology and plant life of this volcanic
feature, Maungakakaramea – the mountain of coloured
earth. Lake Ngahewa carpark features native mistletoe.
Bring swimming togs for hot pool dip!
Moderate grade, 3 hours.
Contact: John MacDonald 573 5350 Car $15
Saturday 21 July
Karangahake Gorge, Windows Walk and Crown Track
Stroll from Dickey’s Flat through the tunnel & along
the river gorge, visiting historic goldmining sites. Bring
a torch! Options; return walk or pickup from the café.
Easy grade, 2 hours one way with Windows loop
Contact: Lyn Hooton 542 3001 Car contribution $10
4
H ere are the latest walks and activities for KCC kids. Due
to the overwelming popularity of these walks you must
now book a place with the group beforehand. KCC members
will be given preference over non-members..
KCC walks:
Sunday 4 March
Celebrate Sea Week at the mud flats.
Ann Graeme explores with us the mudflats to discover
the secret lives of the animals who hide there.
Meet at 1:30 pm at Coach Drive carpark off Grange
Road in Otumoetai.
Book: Suzanne Barker Ph 570 1268
Sunday 15 April
Hike up to Wairere Falls
Join us for a 2-hour tramp up into the Kaimais. A lovely
walk and a great waterfall.
Meet at10am at Wairere Falls car park, Goodwin Rd off
Old Te Aroha Rd, Matamata.
Book: Jon Sadler Ph 543 4876
Saturday 5 May
Mauao at night
Find out about the nightlife of petrels with Paul Cum-
mings. This is a repeat trip very strongly supported last
year. Please, if you have already been on this trip, let
others take your place to enjoy the experience this time.
Meet at 6pm outside the Mount Maunganui Surf Club.
Trip will take approx 2hrs.
Book: Gwen Ombler Ph 542 3848
Sunday 20 May
Fabulous Fungi
Join Shirley Kerr, a locally-based fungi expert, to dis-
cover a wonderful array of colours & species of fungi.
Meet at 10am – 12:30pm at Puketoki Reserve, Whaka-
marama, Tauranga.
Book: Kathy Nicholson Ph 576 9701
Sunday 10 June
Marine slide show
Graeme Butler is the local owner of the Gemini Galax-
sea, and gives people the opportunity to experience dol-
phins and other marine life up close. His slide presenta-
tion on Marine life is a fantastic opportunity. Approx. 60
- 90mins long.
Meet at 10am. Location to be advised closer to the time.
Book: Juliette Ph 533 2522