Mighty Motu

[Ross J]

Hey guys, it's been wet, wet, wet over here and wind! There's enough to go around as they say. I haven't been out fishing for a while now so while the wind keeps me ashore a few mates are comming hunting deer and pig with me down the Motu area in the Ruakumara Range. (Last time I was there it snowed!)<br />My mate who is the landowner lays claims to there being a lot of deer, pig, goat, possum, duck, eels and trout (see there is a few fish) available. Whats better is that no-one has hunted there in the last 6 months so it should be great! If not I'll enjoy a few days of peace and solitude with friends.<br />Ross

 

[62_Kiwi]

Re: Mighty Motu

Well - to anyone doubting that the weather really is rough here in NZ at present... there's your proof - even RossJ has stopped fishing!<br /><br />Good luck with the hunting Ross. That's got to be the next best thing to fishing.

 

[Ross J]

Re: Mighty Motu

Hi there 62_Kiwi,<br />It's been quite a week for one of my clients. They own property down Thames way and the woman that dissappeared was close to them. The damage from the rainstorm was considerable and they still haven't been able to get to their property since. <br />What they have seen resembles a war zone. They talk of seeing their own property and farm equipment along the coast and watching folk collecting useable items from the foreshore that they recognise as theirs! It hurts them but they also show huge hearts as there's no way to prove to others who've lost everything that some item is theirs.<br />The dead stock on the beaches, wrecked homes, vehicles, bridges down and other damage has caused them to be thankful they were all safe in Auckland at the time. I guess every disaster has a few good tales intersperced amongst them.<br />Ross.<br /><br />PS I've just watched TV cover of the big fires in the states. This looks scary and I hope none of our board members are in any danger from them. I couldn't imagine a more dangerous thing than fire.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: Mighty Motu

sorry to hear you're having such bad weather. i take it you had flash floods too? or hurricane? and i think you posted once that your seasons are opposite from us? so its now winter over there?

 

[62_Kiwi]

Re: Mighty Motu

Ross - I'm sorry to hear that your client was hit so badly. The winds have been incredible, up to 100km/hr... glad I wasn't in a boat at those times.<br /><br />Ebbtide - Yes we have the opposite season to you "northerners" - it's mid winter for us now. I don't know about a hurricane, but they referred to what we have been having as a "weather bomb" - heavy winds combined with heavy rain.<br /><br />My friend's sister is in Arizona at present and was telling him about the gigantic fires over there at present (which for me is hard to imagine, given our weather here). I concurr with Ross and hope that our Arizona board members and their families are all OK.

 

[DJ]

Re: Mighty Motu

62_Kiwi,<br /><br />The fire is just outside a town called Show Low at this time. It looks just about inevitable that the town will go. Let's hope not.<br /><br />So far, there have been about 300 homes lost and the fire has burned approximately 300,000 acres-almost 500 square miles. To put that in perspective-that is the size of the City of Los Angeles.<br /><br />The fire is heading in a general direction of East-Northeast depending upon the prevailing winds. Winds this time of year are generally out of the Southwest.<br /><br />There really is little hope of containing it at this time. The entire forest is a tinder box and the temperatures have been very high. And, of course, we are in a four year drought. The experts say it could easily burn into the fall or until we get some type of Monsoon activity.<br /><br />This fire has really brought to a head the arguments between the residents, politicians and the environmentalists. The fire is being fueled by years of non-management in the forests. No one has been allowed to enter the forests with the intent of clearing under brush and selectively taking trees-it's just too thick.<br /><br />Sorry to editorialize, but that is the reason for the magnitude of this fire.

 

[Ross J]

Re: Mighty Motu

Off on my travels in a few minutes guys. I'll catch up with the board on my return. Don't go away now!<br />Ross

 

[DJ]

Re: Mighty Motu

AZ Fire Update:<br /><br />The fire is about 35% contained, the remaining hot spots are on the western front.<br /><br />All in all, there were about 450,000 acres burned along with 342 structures destroyed-mostly homes.<br /><br />They (authorities) have arrested one individual for starting the Rodeo fire. He was a contract firefighter. The other person that started the Chedeski fire has not been charged yet. She set a fire because she got lost hiking.<br /><br />Gee, if I get lost in the city, can I set a building on fire?? <br /><br />The fire has done one good thing though. It has brought to light that we are not managing our forests. The environmentalist groups have had a stranglehold on the US Forest service and have not let them do their jobs. Their jobs are to manage the forest through selective logging, thinning and controlled burns, in acceptable consditions.<br /><br />Hopefully we've all learned our lessons.<br /><br />Thankfully, no one was hurt in this entire disaster.

 

[smalloutboardsarecool]

Re: Mighty Motu

I set things on fire when I am not lost

 

[Ross J]

Re: Mighty Motu

<br /><br />Well there it is guys, the old house I lived in when I was a young buck making a few dollars driving bulldozers. I made 5 miles of roads, 1 dam, 1 airstrip and a few other clearings. All in the mountains in the winter. This photo I took yesterday and it hasn't snowed yet. <br />We went hunting and saw deer and pig but didn't shoot any as the neighbouring farmer was tending his possum lines during the evenings and we didn't need any accidents. <br />We did let the younger boys shoot goats and possums at dusk when we could easily access them. <br />Driving in the road was flooded, we made numerous fords over the river and there were Weka (a flightless bird) everywhere. <br />We even got to tow another vehicle out of the river before we could cross. What anybody was doing up there in a car is beyond me!<br />A well earned break with my son.<br />Anyhow I'm ready for some fishing now so watch this space........<br />Ross

 

[crab bait]

Re: Mighty Motu

pretty wild , ROSS ... gotta love it ..!!

 

[derwood]

Re: Mighty Motu

hey ross,<br /><br />like the place!<br /><br />please tell me that you don't eat possume's or at least that a new zeland possume is way,way differnt than a FL possume......yuk....nasty....(ralph)....gag....the last possume i shot when i picked it up it smelled like the south end of a north bound yak. it took me three days of hand washen to get that stink out....peee...yewww. <br /><br />shoot a deer and hog for me, i will live vicariosly through you for the hunt.....just don't let me shoot any of those nasty possumes. <br /><br />derwood.<br /><br />P.S. possumes......EWWWWWWWWWWW!

 

[Ross J]

Re: Mighty Motu

Howdy Derwood,<br />no sport, rest assured, our possums are not the same as either yours or the Austrailian ones. They're related however. Yes I have eaten posum in a stew. It was good. We don't eat them anymore as they carry TB amongst other diseases.<br />Thanks for the post<br />Ross

 

[derwood]

Re: Mighty Motu

THANKYOU,THANKYOU,THANKYOU,<br /><br /> i was close to a barf attack. the FL possumes are nasty little critters. They stink. i was not kidding about washing my hands either.....not even alcohal would take it off....thats bad.<br /><br />i liked the cabin (anything that dose'nt have a seven-elevn in the background of the picture is a cabin, anymore).<br /><br />looked like some deep dark woods back there.<br /><br />the wild hogs here carry TB. the fish and game issued a warning to be careful while cleaning them, to wear rubber gloves and to cook them very well if you plan to eat them.<br /><br />not like we don't do that anyway (except for the gloves).<br /><br />good luck hunting. derwood.