Fair Chase

Aotearoa action!

Fact file articles take you to some of the most amazing outdoors destinations in the world. These places attract people because they are so special.

Recently I visited a real gem. The majority of my profiles relate to my South Island home patch, but not always. Winter in the mainland can be long, cold and grey, so an offer in July to fly north and have a look around the Central Plateau was not to be turned down.

I realise that the King Country is not the warmest region in the North Island, but the days at least stayed light a little bit longer than at home.

I was picked up at Taupo airport by Glenn Martin, co-owner of Aotearoa Safaris, a hunting/
fishing/outdoors organisation that has exclusive access to 5,000 acres of New Zealand’s best red deer stalking and trophy trout angling. They back onto the Wanganui River, and across the river is the massive Tongarairo National Park, which sprawls out for kilometres.

It was a couple of hours before we parked the vehicle outside their well-equipped hut, nestled deep in the Wanganui River headwaters.

John Ham, co-owner of the company, was already in residence, as was his son Jimmy, along with a couple of guests. The fire was blazing, the meal was cooking, and good company made the first evening blur past.

It was quickly obvious Glenn and John are ‘what you see is what you get’ sort of people, and very skilled at what they do.

The peak of their deer hunting is the roar months of March and April, and the peak trout time is November through to June. The quality Whakapapa River is just down the road, and like the Wanganui River, it too is world-renowned. This waterway hosted the recent world fly-casting championship.

Sadly for me, July is not the peak of either trophy hunting or fishing, but the photo albums showed just how great the peak could be, with plenty of huge stags, fat trout and some big boars. The fishing was closed on the Wanganui, but Glenn lent me the accompanying photo of Mike Davis and friend to show you what I would have been targeting had I arrived a month or so earlier.

What July is good for is venison gathering – particularly for family groups who want to share a great adventure while bringing home the meat. During my visit, two father-and-son groups were going to try and fill their freezers.

The first two guests in residence were Jim Flavell and his son Whatu, and the following morning John and Jimmy took them out on their first red deer hunt. Jim is a member of parliament for the Maori Party, related by marriage to John, and a good bloke. Glenn had to head back out for a couple of days, so while all this was going on I went for a wander to see what this part of New Zealand was like. It’s easy to sum it up: stunning! When I reached the top ridge I was staring across bush-covered valleys and gorges to the snow-covered volcanic peaks of Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Mount Ruapehu. My camera got a real workout, and while walking back down I spooked two deer, and photographed a cute, fearless, jet-black and wild goat kid.

When I arrived back at the hut I met a party of jubilant hunters. Jim had nailed a red deer hind with a meritorious shot of over 200 metres. They had seen over fifty red deer, including a couple of reasonable stags. They had just got back, so I snapped a couple of pictures of them.

The Flavells headed out the next day, and this gave John a chance to show me around. It is a tourist’s Mecca, with miles of quad-bike tracks, open bush, big trees, numerous native birds (including blue ducks and wood pigeons), and views to die for. Most clients here become regulars, and year after year return for the hunting, the fishing or the environment.

One bunch of regulars is the Morrison clan, including John (Mystery) Morrison, who played cricket for New Zealand several moons ago. Just outside the hut door is a tree festooned with the antlers the clan have shot but left behind, as they’re not quite good enough for home. This tree is affectionately known as the Morrison Tree.

On day three Hamish Morrison and his two sons George and Matthew arrived for their venison hunt.

Hamish had heard his brothers talk about their various exploits in the King Country and decided to blood himself and his two sons.

Hamish was equipped with his old .303, and though the barrel was warmed up on some targets it was left in camp when the real hunting started. Later I heard Matthew ask if the mighty ‘30’ could actually kill a deer, and I think Hamish gave a very accurate reply. “Sure, it could kill a deer – if it hit it!”

John’s brother Bill was going to guide them, and Bill can walk. Rather them than me. Their first evening stalk was a marathon affair, involving a couple of missed shots and a lot of expended boot leather. They slept well that night.

Next day saw an early start for all of us, with the Morrisons chasing redskins while John, Jimmy and I visited some new country. I saw over sixty wild red deer, ten pigs and numerous wild goats during my travels. What a place!

Soon after arriving home the team of hunters got back as well. Three deer graced their bikes. Matthew had struck first, followed by Dad and lastly George. It had been a great day out, as the boys learnt how to find, stalk, cleanly kill and dress wild game.

George summed the day up from an interesting perspective when he said to Hamish, “Hey, Dad – this has been the most amazing experience, but gee, it’s hard not being able to talk all day!”

Next morning Jimmy went out with Dad and added a big spiker to the venison supply.

This area is a place I will long remember – and, don’t forget, I was there at the worst time of the year, with the big free-range stags having retreated back into the bush (though really keen trophy hunters can still seek out a big stag in the adjoining 500-acre fenced ranch preserve).

With talk of a more strategic and bigger new hut being built over the summer months, paradise is going to get even better next year. The Morrisons, though, will need to find a new tree.

Next issue: Sockeye Bob – a keen Aussie angler.

South Island charter operators and outdoor guides who would like to see their operation profiled in “Fair Chase” should contact Greg Morton: fairchase@paradise.net.nz or contact editor Grant Dixon on (09) 634 1800.

Contacts for Glenn Martin and John Ham, Aotearoa Safaris: 985 State Highway 4, Piriaka RD2, Taumarunui, King Country; phone: +64 7 895 9066; fax: +64 7 895 9056; mobile: +64 21 996 954; email: glenn@aotearoasafaris.com: www.aotearoasafaris.com.

Greg Morton - Fishing News - November 2008

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