Six months behind the locked gates on Otaki Gorge Road
Yes it is 6 months since the September closure with now no clear plan although there is drilling planned to find the substructure… not to do a controlled dynamite slip but to look forward to future restoration of the road. It’s a waiting game… challenging as it’s hard to make plans for activities with people coming here. So except for a few that have taken the risk to cross to visit most of the traffic on the road are trampers, hunters and cyclists. It’s an interesting time as we have had to bring all we need in now may easier by being given a new bicycle buggy/trailer after the other older model was stolen on Waitangi weekend.
Greatful for rain today after a dry spell which David used to advantage by pruning the dam track over a number of days. We are glad that we had help to remodel the slip that blocked the track a few months ago that means we can drive over because it gave greater access to the 2 1/2 km to the dam beyond it. I have had a ride on the quad up the hill which has assisted with pest control which has taken me up the emergency tracks to empty traps and replace lures and gas for good nature traps.
There has been an abunance of moscovy ducklings hatched.. now what to do with them as they are a hungry lot. A few hard decisions need to be made before winter.
The 2 hives have produced about 70 kg of honey so that’s now bottled after creaming. What to do with that amount? any takers other than gifting it all.
Help from friends will be needed if we aren’t going to travel over the slip at night with daylight saving coming this weekend as the cracks and holes are there, a source of help has been offered when I go to Wellington to visit family/grandchildren.
We are always thinking of what it means to be caretakers here… the only residents as the DOC ranger is living elsewhere. I have enjoyed using the electric bike to travel to do the work for DOC… checking and cleaning toilets. The amazing damage one possum can do with a toilet roll has been rather interesting as they have the freedom of the area and seem to be attracted to the soft white material… it sure spreads far and wide leaving toilet rolls decimated and clawed.
So join with us in these times of being positive when there are uncertain days, challenges which we face, seeing all the work that could be done but knowing it’s isn’t possible to finish it all in one day. We are learning to rejoice… making our choice to praise God in every circumstance.
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