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00:00G'day guys, I'm Mike from Continuous Group Gisborne and I'm proud to present the next episode of NZ Hunter Adventures.
00:10New Zealand is an outdoor paradise full of endless towering mountains that are inhabited by a variety of impressive big
00:18game animals.
00:19Join us as we explore these wild places and challenge ourselves physically and mentally while harvesting delicious game meat for
00:27rule to share in the spoils.
00:30Life is a mountain, start climbing and don't look back.
00:35This is NZ Hunter Adventures.
00:40On last week's episode, Greg and cameraman Emil were joined by familiar hunting companion Nigel Jordan, along with new face
00:47Taylor Harrison, to tackle an ambitious, multi-discipline hunting trip.
00:51Starting at the wilderness area boundary of the Mahitahi River, they plan to hunt their way up through the Edison
00:57Basins,
00:58push on to summit the remote and towering Mount Deakin, before descending steeply into the headwaters of the Åtoko River,
01:05then hunting downstream to a pack raft drop-off, and finally rafting out to the Partinger Confluence and back to
01:12the main highway.
01:13Reaching the alpine slopes of the Upper Edison, they looked over a number of tar and chamois,
01:18before locating a stunning tenant, Shammy Buck, which Emil cleanly dispatched...
01:25Oh, that's one dead Shammy.
01:27...providing both a great memento and valuable sustenance for the calorie-burning mission ahead.
01:32After reaching their intended coal, a hard and fast altitude-gaining climb saw them cresting the summit of the impressive
01:39Mount Deakin,
01:40treating them to some incredible views across the Alps.
01:43But the fun was only just beginning, as their afternoon descent down into the Åtoko was far more melted, cut
01:50-up and steeper than they'd expected,
01:52demanding a focused team effort to get everyone through this section safely,
01:56with Greg lowering the boys down multiple rope pitches, appropriately described by our guests as a healthy exercise of type
02:032 fun.
02:04Pushed the comfort zone at times, but we're down flat now, which is quite nice.
02:09We'll now be catching back up with the crew, as they wake to their first morning nestled in the very
02:13head of the Åtoko,
02:15as they leisurely set about uncovering what animals are in residence.
02:24Feeling a bit lazy this morning, aren't we boys?
02:27Yeah, it was quite a big day yesterday, so it was nice to get out the tent and just throw
02:32the binos around,
02:33and sort of have a camp day.
02:36Get a bit of washing done.
02:37Yep, laundry day, clothes drying everywhere on impromptu clotheslines and sticks.
02:43What are your thoughts on some of those animals we saw this morning there, Greg?
02:47Well, some nice young stags in there.
02:50Long, long way away from being, you know, three or four years away from being worth looking at again,
02:55but there's definitely, yeah, that one there had three on each top.
02:58Missing bays, unfortunately, but other than that, he was pretty good.
03:03Bulls here and there in the bushes.
03:05One of them looked like definitely worth a closer look, maybe.
03:08We're setting ourselves up for a great afternoon, aren't we?
03:10We get a good look around some of this other country.
03:13You see the mackerel sky building up, up above, so we know there's something coming.
03:18On top of that, Willie's told us on the in-reach, that's our modern mackerel sky.
03:23Confirmed your thoughts.
03:24Yeah, so we've got two good days today and tomorrow,
03:27and there's a lot of the otoko to cover in two good days.
03:31I think we're going to be having a bit of a wet jungle bash for the end of the trip,
03:35but anyway, I might have it wrong, make the most of it while we've got it.
03:39And you look back up at that kua, four hours to get down that kua yesterday
03:43with four full-length 60-meter lowerings.
03:46Because the snow's wasted away so much, the steepness of that top bowl
03:50is way, way more than it would have been either early season
03:53or in a good snow year, which made it fun.
03:57Yeah, it was definitely good to hit the flats.
03:59Yeah, that's right, yeah.
04:01Definitely some heavy breathing going on.
04:03Yeah, yeah.
04:05What a place to be, though, man.
04:07What a place to have a relaxing morning.
04:09Can't beat it.
04:10Yeah.
04:11But the relaxation wasn't going to last for long.
04:15There's a bull here, just moving through the scrub.
04:19What about?
04:21See that pyramid of rocks?
04:23Oh, yeah?
04:23Yeah, he's just heading towards the top of that.
04:27Oh, yeah.
04:28He looks like a pretty respectable bull.
04:31Oh, man, that looks impressive.
04:32It looks like he's got a bit of height even through the bionis.
04:36Oh, man, he's got some tips.
04:39Great tips.
04:40Good width and height.
04:43That's the best bull we've seen yet.
04:45Here we are at camp, bare feet.
04:48Right, come on.
04:49What are we going to do?
04:51I'll get the gun set up anyway.
04:52I reckon that bank out there on the edge of the shingle.
04:55Righto.
04:56Is he still there?
04:58Yeah, he's still there, Greg.
05:03Right, got everything we need.
05:05Let's go.
05:10He's got eyes on us.
05:12Hopefully we're just a distant movement down in the riverbed.
05:16So he's got that nice shape, eh?
05:18He comes out wide, which will give him length.
05:20But, yeah, I don't know if he's got the age yet to stack that length in the bases, height in
05:23the bases.
05:24No.
05:24Yeah, I'd say a six-year-old bull that could go 14 if he's allowed to.
05:29Yeah, it's definitely the best bull we've seen on the trip.
05:32Yeah, I probably wouldn't guarantee he's any older than seven, looking at that.
05:36Yeah, right.
05:39Saw a few animals today, boys.
05:41Yeah, a little bit quiet.
05:43Reasonable bull.
05:44Yep.
05:45Just a young bull, probably like a six-year-old.
05:49Probably not good enough.
05:51Yeah, just enough to keep us interested and keep us excited about the prospects of what could be.
05:57Give this last wee look over in the morning and see what else pops its head out.
06:03And then, yeah, looking forward to heading down valley and seeing what else we can see.
06:06Where the big boys will be.
06:08The big boys.
06:19So we've woken up this morning to quite low cloud cover.
06:22Jumped out of the tent and there were just four hinds right out in the river flat in front of
06:26us, probably 100 yards.
06:28And then had breakfast, had a few brews and the cloud cover's starting to make its way up the hill.
06:33We've spotted the old animal up high, a wee spiker.
06:37No, six-point spiker.
06:39And then some tara behind us.
06:42I think we're just going to sit tight here and wait for the wind to change and potentially move down
06:46valley and set up another camp
06:48and see what new animals we can find in some new country.
06:53Saying goodbye to the head of the Otoko.
06:55Beautiful spot it's been.
06:57Yeah, stunning spot.
06:59Bloody good view, 360 degrees.
07:02But time to probably head down valley and try to check out some new country.
07:06Have a look at some scrubbing some boulders.
07:08Yeah.
07:09That's it.
07:09I quank ourselves out with the scrubbing boulders.
07:13Plenty of animals in here.
07:14Just can't find those older fellas, can we?
07:17Not many nannies, which is good to see.
07:18So we're still looking for something of the right age.
07:22Definitely.
07:22The rain's coming in still tomorrow, but not quite so much.
07:25There's no real heavy rain coming.
07:27We're just going to hunt our way and if the rain gets too heavy, we'll have to park up.
07:30Long way to go yet.
07:32Just go and attack that scrub.
07:42I especially enjoy hunting in the mountains, chasing those mountain species.
07:46I'm fortunate enough to take a reasonable chamois and an alright bull, but I really want to push that 14
07:52inch mark.
07:52So I'm hoping on this trip we can track something down of that calibre.
07:57I think the biggest goal of mine is to get one of those big wild west coast red stags.
08:04So if we can stumble across one of them, it would be pretty unreal as well.
08:10The boys clearly had some lofty goals when it came to the calibre of animals they were after.
08:15But if they were going to find them, this remote, seldom visited country was as good a place as any.
08:20And the real bonus, anything taken on adventures like these carries far more meaning than just a nice set of
08:27horns or antlers on the wall.
08:28They tell a story forged in sweat, hardship and a fair bit of suffering.
08:34By south westland standards, not too bad a trip down from the old lake bed, down the gorge in the
08:40river and then a bit of a bush bash for a couple of hours.
08:42And popped out into this dry riverbed and we've seen a couple of old bulls there and just spotted a
08:49big red stag way up the top here.
08:52So we've just got the spotter out to see if we can get a look at what he is.
09:03There's a bit of bone going on there. He's got reasonable tops by the look of it.
09:06Can't tell if they're two tiny or three times, but it's quite a decent bit of antler frame there.
09:11You know, he's certainly got some length.
09:13Yeah, he almost looks like three skull lengths long, so.
09:16Yeah, that would indicate up around that 40 mark, wouldn't it?
09:18Certainly would.
09:19Yeah, it's just how many points he's got on those upper tines and whether he's got bays would be the
09:24big question, but it sort of looks like he doesn't have a lot on top there.
09:29Yeah, I think he's just got two big top tines on each side. I can't see a third tine on
09:33each side.
09:34And I don't know if he's got bays. Might just be a big eight.
09:37Seem to be reasonably spindly stags in here, don't they?
09:40Hmm. No real boomers.
09:44It was heartening to know the main target species were present in this section of the valley.
09:49Fingers crossed the boys could uncover that prized animal for Taylor over the coming days.
09:55We've reached the Otoko landing site. This is from the Ta Bellots, obviously.
09:59This is their camp site. So we're set here, evening hunt now. What's the plan?
10:03Head down and sort of look up Harka Torrent and acquaint ourselves with the country,
10:07see if we can find somewhere over this side to look. The stuff we looked at higher up there,
10:10the wind's all wrong for that tonight, but we've got tonight and we've got tomorrow morning probably,
10:14so we'll make the most of it.
10:16It'll be good to see what's up there and see if we track down the bull.
10:19Good eyes on big daddy. Big daddy.
10:22We haven't seen a big daddy yet, bro. There's got to be one somewhere hiding around here.
10:26Big granddaddy.
10:28We're going that way and then going down.
10:30Sounds good.
10:33We're just heading down the river to go and look up a side creek and we're just seeing some hinds
10:40in this other side creek. It's cool to see some hinds out and just cruising. It's good.
10:46Not that desperate yet?
10:48No, not that hungry yet, so we'll stick to the back countries for a couple more days.
10:52Maybe tomorrow.
10:53Maybe tomorrow.
10:56While a big bull or stag was top of the priority list for now, if the boys did start to
11:01see a good
11:01number of nannies or hinds, i.e. the female breeding unit, which has the greatest influence on future
11:07population levels, they'd certainly try to do their bit to help keep these herds in check.
11:13Still plenty of animals around here, boys, isn't there? But can't find anything of that level we're
11:18after, can we? No, unfortunately not.
11:21Oh well, we'll see what the morning brings. At least there's some unknown hidden corner where
11:27the 14 could be lurking.
11:28Big daddy.
11:29Big daddy.
11:30Okay, back to camp for another brew.
11:35Another back country, another brew.
11:37I've got Turkish lamb tonight.
11:45Oh, we finally got Greg out of bed.
11:48He's almost there.
11:51So what, across the river?
11:53Have a look up the side creek and have a quick glass and then see if we can gain
11:56some height and look into that country we didn't have a look in last night.
11:59The stuff we couldn't look at last night, yeah.
12:01Yeah, definitely looks promising on the map, but time will tell.
12:04Find that good bull.
12:05Yep, not too bad a morning here. We've got some quite cloud, but hopefully that just stays up there
12:10and we can have a good look before this rain potentially comes in as well, eh?
12:13Let's get it done.
12:34It's great to see so many rockwren in here. We've seen quite a few and there's three just here in
12:38one group and this is an area that's had no intervention.
12:42We've still got a nice catabatic coming down that'll change soon if any more heat comes into the day.
12:48So we're trying to get up onto this knob to look into those basins on both sides and that face
12:51on there
12:51before the wind changes and we get a thermal blowing up.
12:56Yes, we've just come up this creek and we're about to just pull over this ridge and look into some
13:01new country.
13:01And we saw some bulls up in here this morning from down in the river, so I'm just going to
13:06try and locate them and see if they're any good.
13:09But it was another mountain species that was first to show itself.
13:13Stags. Got a couple of stags here. Don't look to have too much head gear, but cool to see nonetheless.
13:22Being such an undulating and broken landscape, there are countless pockets and small feed slopes
13:28that remain hidden until you find just the right angle to glass in from. With that in mind, the boys
13:33pushed higher,
13:34hoping to uncover some hidden pockets that might just be home to the special bull tar they were after.
13:42Look at the spot we've found. This is an eagle's nest.
13:46And what are you doing mate? I was putting on the billy and having some raspberry flavored tea.
13:53Look at that view.
13:57Well, despite the cloud coming and going, a bit of light rain, we've sort of so far been able to
14:01do
14:01everything we wanted to do. We've got right up here and looked around that corner, haven't we?
14:05Yep. Now we managed to have a look at some bulls that had been feeding out of the scrub,
14:09but just all a bit young.
14:11Everything here, even the deer. It's like we're in kindergarten or something.
14:15Yeah, a bit like that. This side of the valley might be for the young ones. I guess we just
14:19sit here
14:20under this somewhat dry rock, freeze our arse off for a bit longer. Have a look at this amazing view.
14:30It's a beautiful day now, boys.
14:33Set it out as long as we could, didn't we?
14:35Yep.
14:36Yeah, no, we gave it to 7 o'clock and I don't think it's going to clear.
14:40If not, it's probably a bit worse.
14:42Yeah.
14:43So we're bailing.
14:44While claggy conditions certainly make glassing a bit tricky,
14:48they also seem to make the animals feel more comfortable venturing into the open.
14:52Unbeknownst to the boys, they were in for an action-packed descent back down to camp.
14:59There's a chamois just down here.
15:00Pretty good, pretty good.
15:02Quite wide.
15:08There's a good buck there, but if you look below, there's some tar.
15:17Three balls.
15:19Yeah, yeah, they're quite wide, but they don't cut down that far.
15:23Yeah, but he's a big bodied animal.
15:26That's a big, you compare him to that bull tar that he's standing next to.
15:30As big as that, that's a good sized buck.
15:32It's good to see them, sort of hanging out together.
15:36I'll sneak back out, leave them alone.
15:38See what else we'll bump into and fall on the way down.
15:56Talk about in amongst it this evening.
15:58That's quite cool.
16:00They're obviously feeling quite a lot safer with this sort of misty cloud cover.
16:03Yeah.
16:03Seeing those tar, that chamois and then...
16:06Some stags going to be looking at us now.
16:07Yeah, those spiky looking stags.
16:10Pretty neat experiences.
16:14Oh, looks like the guy's got something else in front.
16:18It was quite cool.
16:19Just another close encounter.
16:21If you were a bow hunter.
16:23Yeah, if you were a bow hunter, this would have been perfect.
16:25I've definitely lifted the spirits after sitting up there freezing.
16:28Almost worthwhile.
16:30Take care.
16:34Certainly sat up there for a while.
16:35And pretty good look at the inside of some clouds.
16:38Yeah, that was about it.
16:39But I think we got rewarded for it, didn't we?
16:42Yeah.
16:42Cool encounters and you didn't need your binos.
16:46Weather.
16:47Unfortunately, it looks like it's done the dirty on us and it's basically raining from here on in.
16:51So we're just going to get up, pick up in the morning and start the slog through the bush and
16:56down the river.
16:57See how far we get in the day.
17:01Not actually raining this morning, boys.
17:03No, a bit lowdy, but it could be worse.
17:05Bush is going to be a bit damp on the way down and we've got a long way to go.
17:08No, it'll be interesting to see what it's like.
17:10See if our predictions are...
17:13What did you say two hours?
17:16No, I'd say two.
17:17I said three.
17:18Travel time, three hours.
17:18They look good from up there.
17:20Here it might look a bit different.
17:28We have a lot of good brands and products supporting the show.
17:32And one that stands out that makes these kind of trips easier is Rav.
17:36They do a lot of good lightweight gear.
17:39Anything from their stretched trousers and shorts, really good base layers, puffers.
17:45They arguably do the best sleeping bags in the world.
17:47And of course their rainwear.
17:49It's super waterproof and breathable.
17:52Which is important in days like this where we're walking a lot.
17:55You just save a lot of bulk and weight with their gear.
17:58And you almost have to try to believe it.
18:10A little bit of fun, wasn't it?
18:12Yeah, no.
18:13A good bit of bush bashing for the last couple of hours.
18:15It's been quite pleasant.
18:18You see some blood on his face.
18:21Well, it's never going to be easy, was it?
18:23It was never easy.
18:24Every step that way is a step in the right direction.
18:34What do you reckon the bush is like?
18:36Definitely some thick bits.
18:37We're getting through it.
18:38It's almost down at some of the flatter country, but it's just definitely thick in some places.
18:42So it's been a bit of a grind.
18:50Just one of those classic west coast bush bashes over boulders,
18:55over fallen trees and up and down into the river.
18:59Wet energy sapping, but it's good fun.
19:04You learn to love it.
19:07There's a key reason why these west coast valleys are seldom visited on foot,
19:11and that's because the travel is adventurous to say the least.
19:15Sometimes a few hundred meters on the map can take hours,
19:18while other sections can be relatively straightforward.
19:21But no matter your current level of suffering,
19:23it always pays to keep an eye out for animals.
19:27So we've just been bashing our way downriver for the last however long,
19:31and popped out into the slide creek, and I just spotted an orange tinge on this slip here.
19:37Turns out it's a stag.
19:40He's got good lower tines, looks to have a bit of age,
19:44so I think I might take him and wee memento for the trip that we've done.
19:55We've got no wind to allow for, which will be helpful.
20:02Okay.
20:05What do you reckon Emil?
20:06I'm ready.
20:07Okay, so Emil's all ready.
20:09Are you happy there?
20:11Yeah.
20:12Okay, when you're ready there Taylor,
20:14just take the middle of the shoulder and squeeze it off.
20:20Good shot.
20:21That's a good shot.
20:22You've had him right there.
20:24Right there.
20:25Good shot.
20:26Good stuff man, good stuff.
20:28Cheers mate.
20:29Got it done.
20:30We've got it done.
20:31We're leaving it for the last minute.
20:33The last minute.
20:33No, no, last minute's tomorrow morning,
20:36before we get on the pan grass.
20:37Yeah, it might be a bit damp for them.
20:40Well he's had it rolled into a big pile of nettle.
20:42No, hopefully not.
20:43That looks like nettle country, doesn't it?
20:46We're big fans of the lightweight and functional
20:49Spartan shooting systems.
20:50With the addition of either the screw-on classic adapter
20:53or the recessed gunsmith's adapter,
20:56you can simply fit your chosen bipod or shooting system
20:58with their magnetic attachment function.
21:01We find the best all-round system for us
21:03is the Pro-Hunk Tech bipod with adjustable legs at 235 grams.
21:07If you need extra length and more versatility,
21:10you can go to the Springbok at 300 grams.
21:12They do a range of other products with their magnetic attachment function,
21:16from tripods to the Springbok quad sticks,
21:18for when there's no other suitable rest.
21:20If these products have been a bit beyond your available budget,
21:23they now offer a new entry-level bipod called the Javelin Lite.
21:26It doesn't have adjustable legs, but it's only 135 grams.
21:30To see the full Spartan range,
21:32get on down to your local Hunting and Fishing New Zealand store.
21:38The Wild West is a truly incredible place.
21:41You just never know what might be around the next corner.
21:44This time it was a great character stag for Taylor,
21:47a fitting reward for all his efforts over the past week.
21:51Bloody good.
21:53Look at that.
21:54He's an old stag, man.
21:55That stag's at least eight.
21:57He's got pedicles right down, doesn't he?
21:59Yeah, hell yeah.
22:00Yes, we've got up to the stag.
22:02He's not a giant, but he's definitely showing some real age.
22:06Beautiful lower tines there.
22:07And then he looks like he's receded on his top,
22:09so he could have been a 12.
22:11Yeah, it's a great memento for the trip that we've had.
22:14Like you said, Nye's cutting it down to the last few minutes.
22:17Yeah, after a long day bashing through Scrub, this is a pretty good reward, isn't it?
22:21Yeah.
22:21Hell yeah.
22:22That's unique.
22:22It's got a cool shape.
22:24And you've got to feel good about taking a stag of that age,
22:27of that bloodline, out of this sort of wild country after a trip like this.
22:31That's just like the icing on the cake.
22:32Yeah, definitely Greg.
22:34And the best thing is we didn't shoot it on the wrong side of Mount Deakin,
22:37so we had to carry the bugger over.
22:40Yeah.
22:41What have you got there, Greg?
22:43175 grain Hornady LDX.
22:45Perfectly mushroomed under the offside, quartering through from the shoulder into there.
22:50I'd say it still weighs 142 grains.
23:07Beautiful.
23:08Look at that.
23:09And we hope we're only about half an hour from camp, but we haven't been there yet.
23:13No.
23:14Might find someone there seeing Kumbaya around the fire.
23:17Oh, that's good.
23:18Sounds like they've got their tinned up.
23:20I don't know what's going to be more painful.
23:22Getting spared by this on the pack raft tomorrow,
23:25or the needle that we've sort of just walked through on this slit.
23:30Onto the camp site.
23:31A bit wet, but not far now.
23:34Now we're on the home stretch.
23:36It had been a long but eventful day for the boys.
23:39I can guarantee it felt pretty good reaching the flats in their pack raft airdrop,
23:44giving them a chance to rest their bodies overnight,
23:46before tackling the final leg back out to civilization the next day.
23:55The last day of the trip.
23:57I hate the last day of the trip, but I'm actually a little bit bored with this paddle out.
24:00Sad, but yeah, fun.
24:02Classic west coast morning.
24:03Real moody, overhanging skies.
24:06But quite warm.
24:08That'd be a nice jumping pack raft now, float down river.
24:13Should be good.
24:14Saves the peat.
24:15It's good for yesterday.
24:16Quite happy to be sitting on our bun's daddling for a bit.
24:21While hanging out with the NZ Hunter crew lately,
24:24I've actually found out quite a lot of stuff that goes in behind the scenes,
24:27which people probably don't understand.
24:29The time that the likes of Greg, Luke and Willie volunteer
24:33into the recreational hunting sector is huge,
24:36and people shouldn't take that for granted.
24:38They're a really big voice for us rec hunters.
24:41They have everyone's best interests at heart.
24:44I think New Zealand hunters as a whole,
24:46we really need to unite to be able to achieve those greater conservation goals
24:50and have better heads to chase with a better herd.
24:54And then ultimately we'll be able to achieve those hunting goals.
24:57That's a real big eye-opener for me,
24:59is the things that these guys are doing behind the scenes.
25:01If anyone gets behind them, I think we can really do some good things.
25:05Hitting the river at Reynolds Flat,
25:07the peck raft was proving a fun and rollicking ride,
25:10giving the boys fatigued legs a well-earned break for a change.
25:13And on these gorge-ridden west coast rivers,
25:16it always pays to keep a close eye on what's coming up around the next bend.
25:20What's happening, mate?
25:21We've just had a bit of spice.
25:24Greg's gone to investigate.
25:25It seems like the river drops off here a bit,
25:28so whether we have to portage the boats here for a wee bit.
25:31Are you feeling nice?
25:33The one that runs into everything, everyone, that's me.
25:41Just portaging this rapid in.
25:43My boat went away, and now I'm stuck in a stupid place.
25:50Epic bit of water in here in the middle of the gorge.
25:53We've ported some of it.
25:54I'm going to run this middle section.
25:56Oregon ride!
26:09You want to jump?
26:10I can jump.
26:16While lightweight and portable,
26:18a peck raft is nowhere near as responsive as a whitewater kayak.
26:21And when you add 20-odd kilos of game meat and hunting gear inside the tubes,
26:26while something like the term lead balloon springs to mind.
26:30Nothing quite like trying to steer the Titanic down some whitewater, eh boys?
26:35That was close.
26:46That's it, boys.
26:48We've just hit the junction of the Taringa.
26:52That's the end of the 90 autocoll.
26:55We came back around to a bit of a hard time here, isn't it?
27:08It was a nice float down, a few challenges along the way, but it was nice to eat on the
27:27lazier part of the river.
27:29It's an epic trip really, wasn't it?
27:31We covered some pretty neat country and pushed the comfort zones.
27:35Quite a few times.
27:36Yeah, up in the ice.
27:38It's hard to describe with words the satisfaction when you complete one of these
27:42big south-westland epics, isn't it?
27:45It's always rewarding.
27:46Good to reflect on it later on.
27:48Yeah, definitely.
27:49Special country, special people.
27:52Can't beat it, mate.
27:54For the remainder of this episode, we're heading further up the country to the unique
27:58volcanic plateau of the central North Island for another river-based adventure with an enthusiastic
28:03crew, this time targeting some great eating seeker deer and stunning rainbow trout.
28:09We were in this part of the country in October on the Parliamentary Game Animal Council hunt,
28:14and we had a bit of a look at the river and Minister Potaka said to me,
28:18we're going to do a pack raft down my awa for my birthday.
28:22Hey, kia ora koutou katoa.
28:23Tama Potaka here with my youngest tamaiti, Aorangi, Potaka,
28:28in an iconic and pristine and magnificent part of the country
28:31up here adjacent to the Rangiteke River, which flows from NÄpuketurua,
28:36just to the north, all the way past Mangaweka, Rata, and out to sea,
28:40into Taiorehua, the Tasman Sea.
28:42But this is an absolutely phenomenal and beautiful place, and we follow the pathways
28:47and the highways of our ancestors, our tūpuna, and the sayings that go with that,
28:52kairaumati, kai makariri, te hinu, te whenua, in summer and in winter,
28:56the land will nourish and sustain us.
28:59Aorangi, what are you looking forward to?
29:01Pack rafting.
29:03What else?
29:05Catching some trout.
29:06Yes, the kai. There's always the kai.
29:09And finish off with a deer, hopefully, tonight.
29:11Yes.
29:12So great day on the river, we've got the fisheries expert with us.
29:15That's right, we should be able to catch a couple of really big brown and rainbow trout.
29:19But then we won't be able to eat those, we've got to catch small ones.
29:22Oh that's right, there's a size limit.
29:24So rafters are medium fish, they're about the sweetest eating anyway,
29:27so it'll be good on the barbecue.
29:28Yes.
29:29A bit of a walk down here, making our way down the side stream
29:32until we finally hit the Rangiteke.
29:33And then, blow up the pack rafts, get all the gear on board,
29:36start looking for some trout, get wet, have fun.
29:39Rock and roll.
29:40One of the great things coming out with experts
29:42is learning about different ways that we can look after
29:45and interact with our environment.
29:46Some of our iwi here have our own traditions and our own tikanga,
29:50but there's always something new to learn about our river.
29:53And by that, I mean that collective owl.
29:55All of our river, the Rangiteke.
29:56It's maybe the most beautiful river in the whole country.
30:00I think it is.
30:00You might have your own views.
30:02But when we go down there today, you'll see that it is absolutely pristine and glorious.
30:33Welcome to the Rangiteke.
30:36reached the Rangitike River, absolutely pure and pristine. Hopefully jumping in.
30:43Yeah that's just asking to jump off isn't it? Yeah exactly. It's a great place to come and
30:49reconnect with the tile, reconnect with nature, that's what it's all about.
30:54With their gear stowed in the tubes and pack rafts inflated, the team was primed and ready
30:59to tackle their adventure down the mighty Rangitike. So what does that feel like Tama?
31:03Yeah, Prima. Comfortable. Lovely. So really enthusiastic about our first turn on a pack
31:12raft and going down our tupuna awa or our ancestral river and of course finding those little fishies.
31:20Hi my name's Karina, I'm the CEO of the Game Animal Council and Fishing Game. We had an opportunity
31:27to take a couple of days away from the computer screen and get out amongst it. I haven't fished
31:32river before. It's got a water conservation order on it for its outstanding trout fishery. So there's
31:36beautiful rainbow and brown trout in here and around here we've also got amazing large game
31:41hunting. So we've got seeker deer, one of the best eating deer I think in the country. So looking
31:46forward to maybe bagging a couple of hinds, doing a bit of game animal management and taking some of
31:51the meat home as well. So yeah, good times. Let's get amongst it.
32:02Pulling ashore a few kilometres down river, it was now time to see if any of these famed
32:07rainbow trout would oblige and find their way onto the menu for the team's dinner.
32:12One of the great things about mana whenua is taking action and taking responsibility for the land and
32:19it's about doing things and about experiencing things like our young fellow Aorangi here. Getting
32:26out, exercising a bit of kaitiakitanga, stewardship and also exercising a bit of mana whenua on his river,
32:33the Rangitikei. Mana whenua is about doing things, it's not just a name.
33:02What a machine! He whacked it twice didn't he? And then we got him.
33:08On the third time, third time lucky. He's definitely going to be tea tonight.
33:12Now let's take him ashore.
33:14He got away for a couple of casts and then we finally got him on like the third one.
33:19Ayo!
33:21Congratulations, now mahi came up here.
33:23The mahi was awesome.
33:28One of the great things about Aotearoa New Zealand is that there are so many people, farmers, hunters,
33:35New Zealanders who are really into kaitiakitanga, stewardship and guardianship and conservation.
33:41And fulfilling those responsibilities is an absolutely essential part of our way of life.
33:47There are a number of groups and associations, organisations that are involved in upholding this
33:52notion of conservation stewardship. Whether or not it's the fish and game crew or the game animal
33:57council, hunters and gatherers, a whole range of non-governmental organisations really acknowledge
34:04those people who go out hunting and gathering and support other whÄnau in need. Those that have a bit of
34:11food deprivation and it's great to see the Sika Foundation in particular in this area of the world,
34:16but there are a range of others who are doing some fantastic charitable work at the same time
34:20enjoying themselves in places as wondrous and iconic as this. Kia kaha.
34:27Although pack rafts are primarily a lightweight transport tool we use to carry our gear and access
34:33hunting locations, they're undeniably a lot of fun to paddle on rivers and white water suited to your
34:38level of competency. Compared to larger multi-person rafts, you're in complete control of your own
34:44destiny in these individual boats. So you've got to be on your game at all times, which definitely has
34:51its pros and cons, especially when trying to film as well. Aie mo.
35:00The name of this river, Rangitikei, was attributed to our well-known traveller,
35:05Hothi explorer, who is responsible for travelling down the west coast of the North Island. Then when
35:10he came across the Rangitikei, what he said was, Tikei te wai ko Rangitikei, and that's the
35:18kÅrero or the story that's associated with the naming of this river. Camp time, get into some more
35:25clothes and set up the tents and go and find some ungulates.
35:37With a suitable campsite found, the team was keen to get out and look for some handy deer,
35:42but first on the agenda was settling a few rumbling tummies.
35:46Wow, we've had an amazing day. It's my first time pack rafting and it was such a blast.
35:51It was definitely a blast. Something that I know that our boy Orangi really enjoyed.
35:55It's getting a bit tough after four or five hours though, so he's having a little nap and he's really
36:00looking forward to eating off the fat of the land and of course the flesh and the water.
36:05And it's something that I'd really love all Kiwi kids to experience and to enjoy and to have that
36:12chance to go out to some of these wondrous places that form part of our conservation estate,
36:18where they can have these types of experiences.
36:21Well, it looks like they're getting pretty ready there Greg.
36:32How's that? Good?
36:34Fresh out of the river, into the frying pan, into the pukui.
36:38You're right, that skin's really good. I normally don't eat the skin. I've been missing out.
36:44With the prime evening hunting time fast approaching, the crew were soon climbing to gain some altitude
36:50and a better view into the surrounding hillsides, hoping to locate a relatively handy animal before
36:55darkness set in.
36:57How do you think we're going today?
37:00Pretty good.
37:01Do you think we're going to catch a deer tonight?
37:02Hopefully.
37:03Yeah, let's see. I think Greg and Karina are looking for one and we are too, but it's getting late
37:10so
37:10let's see how we go and we might have to call it in soon and go and have a kai.
37:15But just as it was looking like the cunning seeker deer might have evaded them tonight,
37:20Greg's scout of a nearby scrubby face had come up trumps. Game on.
37:26We've just spotted two hides on this face over here. We haven't got a lot of light left yet.
37:31We've probably got, we've got enough time so we'll see if we can find a good place to lie down
37:36and get
37:36a shot at them. How far away are they? About 350. I reckon you're up for that, Harry. You know
37:42what I mean?
37:43No pressure. No pressure.
37:46Let's lie down here.
37:50There you go, lie down behind there.
37:54You see the grass? Yeah.
37:56Right, see if we can spot the deer. They're up there somewhere.
37:58I can see one.
38:00And she's right by the bush. Is that the one you can see?
38:02Yeah.
38:04Okay, I need 365.
38:07Okay, I'm going to wind the power up now.
38:09It's just turned his head.
38:10Yeah.
38:10You have a practice shot of the shoulder, okay?
38:13And when you're ready, straight up its front leg. Did the gun stay there?
38:17Yeah.
38:17Okay, perfect.
38:19We're ready.
38:22Okay, she's stationary there now.
38:24Straight up the front leg, foot of the shoulder.
38:26Good shot. Good shot. Deer down.
38:29Good stuff.
38:31The other one's still there, Greg.
38:32Yeah. We'll shoot the other one.
38:34Who's shooting the other one?
38:36Can you see the deer?
38:38Yeah, yeah.
38:39Okay, I'll wind the power up.
38:40Yeah, yeah.
38:41Okay, so you're on the deer that's standing there with its head to the right, hey?
38:44Yeah.
38:45Okay, so you're going to aim at the base of the neck.
38:48Are you comfortable there?
38:49Yep, yep.
38:51Now I'm ready.
38:52Okay, when you're ready, so you're aiming just in front of its shoulder, the base of its neck.
38:56Yep.
38:59Great shot.
39:01Deer down.
39:02Deer down.
39:04With two deer, trout in the tummy, had magnificent experiences.
39:10And now because you had a big day yesterday and you've had a big day on the river today,
39:14you and Dad are going to quietly make your way back with them all to camp.
39:18And I'm going to go over there, drag them down the bank and leave them by the river,
39:21and we'll pick them up on the way past tomorrow.
39:23Excellent.
39:26Rolled down into here somewhere, I think, in this bush right here.
39:30Right, yep.
39:32There we are.
39:33Now I've got the work of gutting them and getting them down to the river.
39:37The team had enjoyed a truly incredible day on the rangateke,
39:41topped off by securing some great eating venison in the final moments of play.
39:46What an incredible backyard we have on offer here in New Zealand.
39:53Well, what's today?
39:55It's an important day.
39:56Today is the day we enjoy the Rangiteke River and obviously get safely off the river.
40:02We might have a couple of distractions along the way.
40:05Celebrate Elvis and David Bowie's birthday.
40:07And of course, my 50th birthday.
40:09I'm halfway there.
40:10The big 5-0.
40:11It's a great place to spend a bit of quality time.
40:13So now, along with Greg, I'm a kaumatua on this trip.
40:20And we've got to paddle not very far around the corner and we've got to pick up the deer from
40:24yesterday and then onwards.
40:26I'm looking forward to completing the mission and celebrating a great couple of days.
40:31Right, let's hit the hour.
40:33Ka-pai.
40:38Look at that.
40:40We're determined to go help with deer management.
40:42It's a very important kaitiakitanga issue, but also a very important conservation issue and
40:47ultimately whenua management.
40:49Two beautiful hinds we've got here.
40:51Good time of the year.
40:52No fawns at foot.
40:54So we had one was pregnant.
40:57So we essentially got three for the price of two.
41:00So Hunter's giving back to a bit of conservation, a bit of game animal management.
41:03We do it well.
41:03We've got healthy hinds, good stags, win-win for everybody.
41:07So we're getting the hindquarters, back stakes and what shoulder meat hasn't been damaged
41:12by the dead-eye dicks.
41:14Good work, ka painga mahi.
41:27Oh look at this rock, don't get this one wrong.
41:39Not far now.
41:42All right, this looks like our pullout.
41:46Well we all survived our orangutika episode.
41:49Our boy, our youngest boy Aorangi has had a fantastic time and I just wanted to send out the
41:53big mihi, the big acknowledgement for all your hard work, your leadership, your teamwork,
41:59but also the fun.
42:01Having a great time here on my birthday.
42:03Kaitiakitanga isn't about sitting in the office pondering and wondering, it's about getting out there.
42:09So to everyone, get out there.
42:10Kaitiakitanga.
42:16Hey guys.
42:17Oh g'day.
42:18Hey.
42:18Got a little lunch box here.
42:20Oh nice.
42:21We thought we'd bring some of these to show you, some wild venison frankfurters.
42:25These are the big dogs, traditional artisanal approach to making a frankfurter by a German expert.
42:31Bring out the barbie.
42:32It's all done, no barbie needed.
42:34Oh look at that.
42:36Thank you very much.
42:37Wow.
42:38Frankfurters often get a rap for being a processed food, but if you do it right,
42:42that's just an emulsified sausage, slightly finer, and then you actually whip the mix by hand over ice
42:48and then pipe it and what you get is the incredible texture.
42:51It's like, everyone loves the savelois, right?
42:53This is the top dog version of that.
42:55It's a gourmet savelois.
42:56Yeah.
42:56Easy as that, eh?
42:57The snap of the casing, eh?
42:59That's always the telltale for a good sausage, right?
43:05Wow.
43:06Smoke flavour coming through is so good.
43:09It was such a shame to write off those Cheerios from your diet, because when you learned
43:15what was in them, but this is the guilt-free version of it, right?
43:18And this is New Zealand wild venison, pork back fat, water, spices, salts, casings, and smoke.
43:24It's kind of got that nostalgia of a Cheerio or a savelois, but they're made with real ingredients,
43:30and it's got that beautiful, smooth consistency inside.
43:33My kids love them. I think it highlights just how versatile wild venison and wild game is.
43:39Yeah. Best thing is easy to cook, right?
43:42Barbecue, yeah, but you can even just plop that whole pack into a simmering water
43:46and it'll be ready in five minutes, something like that. Easy.
43:49So simple, eh?
43:50You've nailed it. It's nostalgic, but you don't feel guilty.
43:54And you're right, something you'd feed to your kids.
43:57Yeah.
43:57Yeah, so these are available at the Faroe supermarket in Auckland,
44:00working on getting it out further, but this is just such a great converter.
44:03So, yeah, check it out.
44:05So good.
44:06A massive thanks to our major partner, Continuous Group,
44:10our retailer partner, Hunting and Fishing New Zealand,
44:13and the rest of the sponsor family who allow us to produce quality outdoor television.
44:18It's in their move.
44:20Shit paper support for next week.
44:29Just everything they do.
44:36Thanks for watching.
44:37Thanks for watching.
44:38Thanks for watching.
44:39Yes!
44:41Let's get to see.
44:42sonra
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