Turk, Crown Range
tramping, huts, travelComment
Crown Range ‘Turk’ (not a yurt, not a tank) is a prototype hut built by Erik Bradshaw, situated on Glencoe station out the back of Arrowtown. Built as a ski-touring base for his family, friends and backcountry travellers, it’s also perfectly situated for overnighting trampers. The solar panels power continuous ventilation, lighting and USB charge; this is a luxurious hut experience complete with hut slippers. Not to mention that the practicals (gas/cooker and utensils) and comforts (a heater and an armchair, carried up by Erik) are taken care of. If I were to add anything, it would be some art, but then you have the form of those surrounding hills and that light…! The longer way up (via Crown Peak) takes 3.5 hours, the short route direct from Bracken Gully up the spur, 2 hours. You could follow the range northward to reach Cardrona in another 4 hours, via Mt. Sale.
Crown Peak views of Wanaka (that bluey valley) and the Pisa range to the right.
Dave with Whittakers & whisky
Kōkako surveys
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Flieder at home in Parininihi. Flieder is one of the founding birds released at Parininihi in 2017, ending a 30 year absence of kōkako from the Taranaki region. Unfortunately, Flieder has paired with his sister Narangi and their attempts to produce fertile eggs have been rather unsuccessful. Still, with 25 unrelated Pureora birds released earlier this year, and other Tiritiri pairings fledging chicks, we hope he’ll figure out that he has other options. Update, December 2019: Flieder is now paired to Rasta, his second cousin.
The scene from the deck at Chateau Kōkako, Hunua. Hunua is home to a relict population that was reduced to just one female kōkako (and more than twenty males) by 1994, after decades of rampant mammalian depredation with no human intervention. Thanks to annual multi-species pest control and the introduction of kōkako from Mapara, Mangatutu, Waipapa and Tiritiri Matangi to add some much-needed genetic diversity to the mix, there are now at least 106 kōkako pairs within managed areas - and 90% of these birds were fledged in Hunua.
