Experimental Research.

The Pukawa Wildlife Trust is currently involved in experimental work thanks to the help of Dr Caroline King senior lecturer Waikato University. Dr King an expert in rodent behaviour was able to obtain a grant for a student to come and carry out some experimental work which we hope will result in us obtaining a better understanding of rat behaviour and so  increase our rat kills.
Don has settled into accomodation in Hauraki Terrace and is already setting out boxes and other equipment to aid his experiments, he can be recognised by the "Pukawa" cap he wears.
One of the aids are wax tags which are attached to trees or boxes, these will show any teeth marks. You may see these bright orange tags during your walks.
I hope to keep you informed over the next couple of months.
Did you know that it is quite likely we have bats in Pukawa, --watch this blog.

Erupting Mountain.

Steam can be seen rising out of Mount Tongariro which seems harmless enough but we have noticed a very fine layer of ash on the window stills and car. At first I thought this was pollen which can often be seen coming from the pine plantations on the hills beyond Turangi but when felt with  the fingers it is definately ash.

On Line Again

The sytem has defeated me for sometime but thanks to a young friend I hope to be back to keeping you informed.
The expected rain only produced a light shower so we continue to be dry and hot.
For the month of November we had 70 mls of rain while Taupo only had 19, so we can be thankful for small mercies.

Shell Service Station Tokaanu.

If you haven't driven along State Highway 41 for sometime when you do you will notice that the Shell Service Station at Tokaanu has been dismantled. The Shell Company decided that due to falling custom they would have to remove the pumps and underground tanks.
It will be greatly missed by the many fisherman who always stopped to fill up with petrol before heading for a day's fishing on the lake.
I wonder if anyone knows how long that station existed, it is over thirty years that we know of and could be an additional twenty years beyond that.

The garage has not been effected, Joe Rowan still operates his business next door.

Likewise the Tokaanu Hotel is fast falling in to disrepair. Once considered thee place to stay or dine at, some very famous people have graced their doors. It is quite sad to see history disappearing but such is the changing way of life today.

Road Signs

Locals have for some years been trying to get a road sign placed near the wet land Tokaanu to warn drivers of the birds that frequently cross where the water lies on both sides of the road.
Finally it has happened, there is a sign on the south end as your apporach the small bridge and coming down the hill one is on the left as you approach the Waihi Village turnoff.
Pukeko are often seen eating grass on the roadside verge and sadly become victims as they attempt to cross over to the opposite side.  If you have read of the man who trained the pukeko and chicks seen in the TV advertisement, like me you will be surprised how clever these birds are and that they deserve our greatest respect.

Eruption Update

It is now 1pm and Pukawa is still clear of ash.
The sun has broken through the cloud a few times but the air is quite cold.

Eruption

I have just been outside to check for ash but there is no sign of it here that I can see.  It has clouded over, possibly the ash cloud so it is time to check our emergency water supply.
Should the situation change I will log it.

Stormy Weather

The storm that worked it's way up the Islands once again only gave Pukawa a glance, very little wind with 64mls over several days,  the rain would do a lot of good as our porous soil  was once again beginning to dry out.

Green Bin Recycling.

The Taupo Council have increased the green bin recycling to allow plastic numbered from 1-7 to be put out for collection, previously it was only numbers 1 & 2, items such as ice cream containers can now go in the bin but not the lids. Only lids that are stamped with a number may go in the bin. Food trays such as those use by the Super Markets are still not to be recycled.
To reduce the amount of food and green waste going to the landfill the council plans to subsidise home composting efforts and provide an education programme to help residents compost successfully. This could work just as well for home owners in Pukawa.

White-faced Herons.

On State Highway 41 after you reach the top of the Waihi Hill is a paddock where cattle are being break fed a crop. I counted 16 White-faced Herons in the paddock yesterday a quite amazing sight. Usually two or perhaps three birds can be seen at one time but this number is something I have never seen before. Many years ago we used to see the heron in the Spring flying towards the big trees in our bush, with twigs in the beaks, but that has not been seen now for some years.
This picture has poor colouring, the body is light blue-grey in colour with white face.

Amazing sight

Last week we watched in amazement as a flock of tui flew in to our lancewood tree, I counted ten, there were probably more than that.  They fluttered from branch to branch the type of behaviour we see when the kowhai are flowering but this was in June. They all took off heading for another tree out of my sight but were back next with a repeat performance. The lancewood is fruiting but not usually visited by tui.

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Earth Quake

How fortunate we were that the nasty earth quake that struck last night was so deep. We did not feel it here in Pukawa, but pictures no longer hanging level often indicate there has been a shake not felt by us.
There is snow on Mt Pihunga this morning so quite chill in the air.

Winter has arrived.

Pukawa missed the storm that bought the heavy snow to the South Island, once again living up to the reputation of having it's own micro climate.  Yesterday morning however we woke to see the Kaimanawa Range covered in snow as was Mt Pihunga, a true indicator that snow had fallen on the Desert Road.  At lunch time today the Desert Road was closed but seldom are both sides of the mountain closed so travellers can always travel via National Park should the Desert Road be closed. There was such a strange sky early this morning a "shepherd's warning" sky, the morning remained quite nice but by mid-day the southerly had arrived and it is now windy which has dropped the temperature to eight degrees.

Kiwi news.

We have had a report of a kiwi being heard in our bush, a few nights ago.
This report came from a person who grew up where kiwi were fairly common and she has heard them here in Pukawa before. From time to  time we receive reports of kiwi calls, I spoke to one home owner who remembers seeing kiwi walking through his section in the very early days of development.  Pukawa has long been considered a corridor for kiwi, we just have to keep trying to make a safe environment so they will stay. There is a lot of leaf litter in the bush now which should make ideal feeding for kiwi, we can only keep hoping.
We were told that the best way to identify kiwi call is to count the number of times it repeats  the same notes, ten to fifteen times and you can be confident you heard a kiwi.

Mice.

There has been a huge increase in mice numbers so look for mice signs in  your house when next in Pukawa. Rats too will have moved into warm places for the winter and they can do so much damage to pipes, wiring etc.
Over Queen's Birthday week-end Mitre Ten ran out of poison which shows wise people are taking precautions.
Our cameras showed how easily mice can climb a vertical object and we know that they can squeeze through the smallest opening.

Successful event

The mistletoe event on Sunday was successful, it was especially pleasing to see so many  adults all wanting to increase their knowledge .

Ranger Anna McKnight did a puppet show with the mistletoe story that had the children enthralled, it was brilliant.

The TDC had donated two trees which the children enjoyed planting in the Arbor Day corner, we thank the TDC for those.

Stickers were given to the children which had a nice illustration of mistletoe drawn by Cathy Jones, we thank Cathy for allowing us to use her drawing.

Pukawa Family Event

Yes, Sunday June 3rd at 10am down on the common we will all gather to learn more about the rare mistletoe and see how many plants we can find growing in the settlement. Ranger Anna will be there to speak to us and help with the search. Family groups can enjoy this event as it is open to all ages.  We will be walking some of the streets as we search for mistletoe.
The TDC men have been busy putting in the new tree name plaques, several down near the common as well as up on  the top bush track where some of the big trees have been named. We thank the TDC for these plaques which will be so useful in identifying some of our native trees.

Hope you can join us on Sunday.

New Arrival.

Many people have fond childhood memories of buddeleia bushes, picinic days at a river where buddeleia gave shelter from the wind, little did we know that it would spread and become one of our unwanted plants.
Very little will grow under buddeleia, it smothers other seedlings so it has been placed on the undesirable list.

In 2006 SCION introduced a weevil into NZ on behalf of Forest Companies to combat buddeliea that had become an aggresive weed. It is a native of China. Extensive testing was carried out before permission was granted to release the weevil to ensure it only attacked buddeleia.  The lava stage of the life cycle feeds on leaves, sucking all the green out of them. It is spreading throughout NZ and is hoped to considerably reduce the plant. 
Now it has been seen in Pukawa so we shall be watching it with interest.

Monarch Butterflies

Has anyone seen monarch butterflies in Pukawa recently?.
I haven't seen any so I was surprised to see 8 caterpillars on a swan plant.
Unfortunateky the beastly soldier beetle also arrived and has killed the caterpillars one by one. I have squashed three beetles but usually by the time I see them the damage is done.  The butterflies may still arrive but it is getting very late even for this area.

Glorious Autumn

We have experienced the most wonderful Autumn weather over the entire month of April with several small amounts of rain to freshen things up. We don't remember having so many lovely sunny days and with little wind, it has been most enjoyable.
Yesterday Friday 27th we had light rain over night followed by steady rain all morning resulting in 20mls which would do so much good in the bush. I noticed on Thursday how very dry the bush was, the leaves "crinkled" as I walked.

Earthquake reports.

We often have reports of earthquakes in the Taupo region but at the bottom end of the lake we seldom if ever feel  them so no shakes here at Pukawa.

No news

I have fallen behind in reporting on my blog, but do remember that no news is good news.(:-)
Pukawa once again missed the big blow that caused so much damage from Taupo north. I personally witnessed the damage on Tuesday as I travelled to Rotorua and on arriving back found Taupo shops in darkness with many closed due to the power failure. Wondering what I would find at Pukawa I reached home to find Russ and his friend returning from a walk in the sunshine with only a gentle breeze blowing, we never lost the power here either.
On Wednesday night however we did have heavy rain, 43mls but that would do a lot of good as it has been so warm the last few days.

Storm report

We did have fierce gusts of wind for several hours yesterday but there was no rain  and I feel that I can report that the storm passed us by. This morning is cloudy but we expect a sunny day.

Stormy Weather

It is 9am as I write, the sky looks lighter with  the odd patch of blue. We had an inch of rain over night, just gently falling rain and we have so far missed the wind. It is blowing yes, but nothing out of the ordinary which makes us hope we have missed the worst.
The two clutchers of tiny quail that appeared this week would have little chance of surviving, we can only hope that at least some do.

Earthquakes

In the last few days several earthquakes have been reported, one near Taupo and one near Wanganui but neither were felt in Pukawa.
When we notice that the pictures on the walls are no longer level it alerts us to an earthquake having occuried elsewhere.

Rain Rain.

Having reported it was so dry in Pukawa I can now tell you that we have had light rain, 10mls fell overnight and it is quietly raining at this moment.  Last night was a very hot night, definately a sheet only night.
It seems to be so dark in the mornings, this is after all only February, really strange weather.

Dry weather.

Pukawa has not had any rain for a month now and although night time dews help a little, many trees are showing signs of stress. The weather is so strange as we have had day time temperatures of 30 degrees but at night it has dropped to 8- 12 degrees.  In the sunny side of our house temperatures have risen to 35degrees day after day, so there has been a huge swing from very hot to quite cool, not the best for the garden. At least my rabbit fence around the vegie garden has beaten the rabbits so it is not all bad.

Read The Signs

We are heading for an early Autumn, autumn crocus are flowering, polyanthus, and the first trees to show autumn coloured leaves are always the Liquid Amber.  I was quite shocked to see those trees in the Turangi car park with so many autumn coloured leaves, this is only February after all but we need to heed the warning, --think of mice!!

Vandals

Twenty of the twenty five boxes on the track to the store were vandalized, traps set off, boxes tipped over and the ends kicked in. That this should happen at all is frustrating but at an important bird nesting period, a concern. How many parents check on just what their children have been doing when they have been off playing. Surveillance cameras will be installed as this practise must be stopped.  Yes, I know, children will be children, but perhaps the parents would be willing to pay for the replacement costs.

Robert Joe's Concert

The big night is Sunday at the end of Hauraki Tce.
The last few nights have been cool so wrap up warmly.

TV Installation Update.

I have been given the following information:
Taupo now broadcasts High Definition Free View for those that have newer TVs with digital tuners built in.
Just aim a UHF aerial at Acacia Bay.  Twelve channels are available.
I have been told that the reception at Kuratau is very clear.

Weather Wise Boat Wise.

It happens every Christmas holidays, a boatie gets into trouble trying to retrieve their boat back onto the trailer.
In the entire Lake Taupo Pukawa has the most difficult ramp in rough conditions. Once the wind gets up it causes waves and because of the steep slope of the ramp the boat being retrieved has the stern low to the water which permits water to enter from every wave.
If the weather report predicts north easterly, easterly or south easterly winds heed  the warning and if you are caught out, the Omori ramp nearly always makes a safe haven.
More than one boatie in the month of January had an experience at the ramp that they will long remember.

Agapanthus

A debate is raging up and down the country over the planting of agapanthus, some want it banned from sale in shops while others have found a use for it under some conditions. Like it or hate it, it will in the future cause a lot of trouble in Pukawa as can already be seen where it is seeding.
The main plant only increases in diameter slowly leading people to say" my agapanthus is not spreading" but it seeds, hundred of seeds which scatter in the wind and that is the danger. The plant once established is extremely hard to remove, just ask someone who has tried to dig it out.
Please remove the flower heads before the seeds set, this will at least contain the number of plants Pukawa already has.

Found Number Plate

A broken boat trailer number plate was found and returned to the rightful owner.
The owner was grateful that a person had taken the time to locate the owner.

Earth Quakes

As far as I know the earthquakes were not felt by anyone on Pukawa.
Turned cooler this afternoon but still no rain.

Pukawa's Pontoon

Pukawa's pontoon is back on the water again to the delight of the young folk.
There was a quick response to the message that the pontoon was drifting and it was removed for repairs.
Each season the pontoon comes to harm by human hand or wind, not always being retuned to the water but it is back this season giving pleasure to the young and not so young.

Give Away Household Goods.

Maggie Stewart has retired after years of wonderful service but your excess household items will be welcomed by the Church of The Cross
Emily Tamepo can be spoken to at the chemist shop PH: 386-8565 --9am-5pm or call her at home on
PH: 386-8494.
Clothes are also welcome if in good condition.
You will be doing the district a good turn by using this service.

T.V Installation

Over the Christmas period several people were  updating their TV equipment but struggled to find a technician for the job.
Your problems will be solved by Lockyer Ltd in Turangi, who have equipment and will install for you.
Give them a call for helpful advice and service.

Pukawa's Weather

Those people on holiday would have found the rain frustrating to their plans, when added up it showed that December was the second wettest month in 2011.
The wettest month was January 2011 and that was a surprise, we hope it will not be the case for this year.
Pukawa is known for the easterly breeze that comes off the lake in the afternoons, a fact boaties need to keep in mind.