Tramp Reflections 802 - Te Akatea Farm, Glen Massey

14 December 2008

We left Hamilton with a van and car load of trampers, Janey, Jen, Louise, Lynne, Michiel, Anna, Dianne, PJ, Brett, Sue Sheryl and Ken; all keen to see this new area and get a taste of the local virgin bush on private land. We drove to just beyond Glen Massey, an old mining area approximately half an hours drive, west of Ngaruawahia.

We arrived at the homestead of the 4500 acre dry stock farm where we were met by John and Marcella Hodgson. They have farmed here organically employing perma-culture methods and theories for over 30 years.

John sent us on our way, trusting that I would remember where we had been when we had last walked this walk on the farm. He was to follow shortly on his farm bike to check that we were OK and to give us an overview of his farm, a bit of history and a wee bit about his farming methods. Just as well he did, because all those farm tracks look the same!

Put right by John, and confident we were on the right track, we walked up hill, passed the airstrip and onto a track from where we could look over what Marcella describes as “the worst part of the farm”. The land is steep, not very fertile, erosion prone and difficult to farm. It was however heartening to see the evidence of the perma-culture theory that gorse-covered land, left untouched, would regenerate into native bush. This was in fact happening in pockets all over this area. From here we could also see Pongawhakatiki, the highest point in the area, where we would have morning tea. The map says this hill is 140m asl, but it sure felt like more as the climb was quite steep with no track, just slippery grass. We enjoyed the views of Waignaro Landing, Raglan Harbour, Huntly, Pirongia, Maungatautari, Te Aroha and deliberated over the other mounds we saw in the distance.

Refreshed, it was just a short walk back down and into the private native bush area (650 acres). John had erected a stile and cut a track through the bush so we could all enjoy the uniquely local vegetation. Upon entering the bush, there was a lot of “Te Akatea” vine, the local vine and a member of the rata family; a bushy vine with tiny wee deep green leaves (approx 5mm) and white flowers, similar to rata but lots smaller. While the bush has never been milled, most of the trees were not particularly tall and grand as one would expect, due to the poor soil and close proximity to the coast. There were however lots of rimu trees. There was also evidence of wild pigs.

We walked down through bush to a big old slip area which was grassed over where we perched, ate and watched cockatoos flying and listened to the tuis. After lunch we scrambled down the slip, passed more rimus, lots of tree ferns and out of the bush onto grazed farmland. We walked down through pockets of Angus beef and Romney sheep till we got to a stream which we crossed and followed on the farm track beside it. We meandered along admiring the farmland, animals, ducks, turkeys and the many lancewoods on the hillside next to the track.

It was a sunny, hot day so we waited, rested and regrouped under a willow tree around a swampy area before moving on past the stock yards, around and about a few more grassy hills and onwards till we came to the woolshed where we had begun our walk.

We had completed a beautiful loop of the farm. The toilet facilities there were a blessing and we then went up to the house where we thanked our hosts and drove on home to Hamilton. Thank you to the farmers for sharing their piece of paradise with us ‘townies”.

Adrienne

Photographs by Brett Robinson (Canon PowerShot A470).