2010 News
Here's where we present the latest updates and press releases about the Trust's activities, achievements and special announcements.
(To view the Top Stories for 2009, 2008, or 2007, click here...)
Top Stories
The new Haurangi Hut offers splendid views of the Rimutaka range and the nearby Orongorongo River
New huts about to come on-stream
April/ May, 2010:-
Haurangi and Shamrock huts were built in the late 1960s as private baches and later acquired by the Department of Conservation. Each hut is bookable and sleeps up to 8 people.
Approximately 400 bookings are taken for Haurangi hut each year and approximately 200 for Shamrock Hut. Haurangi hut is a three hour walk from Catchpool car park, situated near the Big Bend track on the true right of the Orongorongo River. Shamrock hut is a further 45 minutes from Haurangi hut following the Orongorongo River.
These huts were made from untreated timber and are both nestled in the bush. Due in part to their age, materials and locations they are rotting, have borer and have reached the end of their serviceable lives.
Both new huts will be rebuilt by the end of May 2010. They will be built from more sustainable materials, be warmer and better insulated with bigger, lighter living spaces. Each new hut will have 10 bunks instead of the current 8.
The new Haurangi hut will be rebuilt in its current location and the existing hut demolished. Shamrock hut will be rebuilt close by in a sunnier position with good views of the mountain range. The new ‘Shamrock’ hut will be renamed as Papatahi hut.
(Click for a larger image) The pink areas in the aerial photograph shown above are the result of the wilding-pine-specific herbicide spraying, which proved to be very effective in its first application, but which now needs to be repeated to consolidate the results.
Aerial spraying - Catchpool
3rd May, 2010:- Just a quick note to advise that, weather-permitting, a helicopter will be used again this week to re-spray wilding pines in the area occupied by the former Catchpool pine forest. The previous application was very effective, with no apparent damage to non-target plant species and remnant native bush.
DoC recommends that members of the public should avoid using the former logging roads above the Catchpool Valley and Butcher's Track until after this operation is complete.
Another juvenile kiwi returned to the Rimutaka Forest Park for release
February, 2010:- Jaybee, a juvenile kiwi sponsored by JB Hughes Contractors, was repatriated to the park on 27th January following a blessing ceremony at the Wainuiomata Community Marae.
Melody McLaughlin weighs Jaybee as part of his health-check just before he was released into a temporary burrow prepared in advance for him upon his return to the Rimutaka Forest Park.
Dog Training - Kiwi Avoidance
Our latest Kiwi Avoidance Training sessions for Dogs will take place again at the Catchpool Centre on 13th March, 2010.
Kiwi Avoidance Training for Dogs - Catchpool Valley, 13th & 14th March, 2010
After the success of the previous training weekends, the Trust ran another such weekend at the Education Centre at the Catchpool entrance to the Rimutaka Forest Park on the 13th & 14th of March, 2010. Many dogs were put through the Kiwi- avoidance-specific canine training course, many of them for their second, qualifying session.
For more details about what is involved, how long it takes and likely costs, follow this link...
Anyone interested in having their dog trained to avoid kiwi
should contact Melody McLaughlin - Trust Secretary:
by email to
Melody
or Tel. (04) 564 6213
or Txt. 027 452 4982
New free-camping area
January, 2010:- The Department of Conservation Poneke Office is formally encouraged camping once again in the Graces Stream area adjacent to the Old Five Mile Track.
Making the camping experience for newcomers more complete, a "Long-drop" (basic toilet) was dropped through the canopy by helicopter, which will be a relief for many less-hardy visitors.
The camping area is sited in a truly beautiful area of open beech forest alongside Graces Stream. It is within 800 metres of the top car park and accessible from the Old Five Mile Track loop.
Unlike the main campground, which has hot showers, flush toilets and well-equipped kitchen facilities, this basic campsite has great appeal to those who enjoy their camping "old-style", i.e. in a scenic spot under canvas (or nylon flysheet) and well away from any vehicles, or traffic noise.
The stream is crystal clear and the entire area great for kids to explore!
Thanks to the intensive pest control efforts of many of our volunteers and DoC personnel, the native birds are back in great numbers again, so the Dawn & Evening Choruses are wonderful auditory experiences.
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You can't miss the new campsite marker pole showing where to head from the Old Five Mile Track. There are orange track markers all along the route, allowing campers to find their way to and from the campsite even after dark.
These children were just day visitors, who after seeing the spot, pestered their parents into coming back to camp nearby for much longer!
At a kiwi release blessing ceremony at the Wainuiomata Community Marae, "Sir Angus" is shown here before admiring children and long-serving Hutt City Councillor, Angus Finlayson, after whom this kiwi has been named. Shortly afterwards, this kiwi and its companion, "Whero", were taken back to the Rimutaka Forest Park for release into the wild. (Click for a larger image)
Helping to save our kiwi; Marcel's egg is gently removed from his burrow prior to candling and subsequent removal from the Park for hatching under controlled conditions. By doing so, we greatly increase the chance of survival of each chick that hatches, by protecting them from predation by stoats and other introduced pest animals until they're big enough to fight them off themselves!
Kiwi signs appear on the roadside approaches to the Rimutaka Forest Park now that we have established a population of North Island Brown Kiwi there.
News Archives
Follow this link to see some of our archived press releases from previous months and years...(More)
Latest Trust Newsletter
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Field Monitoring of Birds
The Trust has been intensively monitoring our kiwi ever since their original release in the Rimutaka Forest Park in May, 2006. Now we are extending our field monitoring of birds in the Park to all other species.
Field monitoring of the occurrence and conspicuousness of birds occurring in parts of the Rimutaka Forest Park commenced in the winter of 2009 and is being undertaken by Trust volunteers. The purpose of monitoring is to measure changes, both seasonally and over a longer period of time, in response to trapping efforts to reduce the numbers of animal pests, especially stoats, rats and possums. It is important to show that the Trust’s pest control work is making a positive difference for forest conservation. Regular bird monitoring is one way of doing this. (More...)
