Conservation work at Burwood

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Nice early start, at DOC to pick up the pool car for 8am as today I am heading to do some conservation work at Burwood. Burwood is a famous conservation centre in New Zealand for the conservation of the takhae bird. Conservation / breeding methods have changed quite a lot since the area was opened – and Gilbert (French) DOC employee that lives and works there showed me round, explaining it all which was really interesting. We then spent a few hours going round all the vast enclosures spread over the hillside feeding all the birds. Once fed, we then headed to another area and I got to drive along a 4x4 off road style gravel track for a while which was great fun to a large valley which also forms part of the conservation area. Here we walked down the valley, following the stoat trap lines, checking them, and Gilbert removed the dead stoat and reset the traps if require – luckily this only happened on one occasion. The stoat population is massive here, and as the takhae are a flightless bird, traps are essential to prevent them from eating the young takhae, whose populations are being brought back from extinction.

After several hours of walking up and down the valley – crossing a stream, clearing the tracks where trees/branches have fallen and fighting our way through shoulder and head high grass in places we headed back to the car. Gilbert who must have been around 50 in age reminded me slightly of grandad Fish (tall, long legs, athletic, very quiet but lovely) and doing the conservation work reminded me of when he used to take me out walking as a child, him strolling along and me galloping/running along behind, I had a great time, both then and today!

(Deb, stop reading now).

Just as we ascend the steep valley side, in the last trap we find a live possum, which is trapped by its leg. Possums are also a massive pest here, and if we had let it go, then it would have died anyway, so Gilbert had to kill it with a stone. This is could not watch so I turned round, and he took it further down away from me which was very nice of him. I realised it is the first time I have seen something live killed in front of me, which isn’t a bug or something….not a very pleasant feeling! I think gilbert felt bad about killing it as I couldn’t watch etc, but I was fine, just didn’t want to watch, and once the deed was done I was happy to watch him pull out the fur – which you can sell and get good money for.

(Deb Read Again now)

Once back at the car, I drove down the track – just as much fun as on the way up, and by the time we got back to the house at Burwood it was 3pm. After a rather late lunch I was free to go, and enjoyed the scenery of the hour drive back to Te Anau. Back at the hostel I had a lovely quiet eve and early night, chatting, dinner and bed in preparation for the big day tomorrow!

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