Rediscovering Rameka’s Historic Bridle Track

During the week of November 13th 2017 I headed down to Takaka with my buddy Orion and two Project Rameka trustees, Stuart and Karyn, to lend our track building skills to the effort to reopen the historic Rameka Track. Orion and I came to New Zealand from America as part of a study abroad program, and have been working for Jonathan Kennett in Wellington for the past two months or so.

Two fierce track builders, Orion (left) and Alex (right)

The primary objective of our trip was to uncover the historic track, which had been built in the 1890s as a bridle path for mustering sheep, but has been overgrown for more than 50 years. We also hoped to release trees planted during previous work parties and collect information from locals to be used for interpretive panels we’re in the process of creating.

Track building master Hamish Seaton hard at work

We arrived Tuesday evening, and Orion and I set up camp in the Lorax Lair, a small wooden hut built for volunteers. We were struck by the remoteness of the location, but soon came to enjoy the simplicity of life up there.

Watch out for tomo!
Orion doing battle with a barberry stump

During the rest of the week we spent time working on the track with our grubbers, digging out roots and stumps and smoothing out the gradient. We also attended a meeting of the Project Rameka Incorporated Society and heard about the status of the land and plans for its future.

A track with a view
Locals lending a hand

Over the weekend we participated in the community work party, and I was amazed by the support and enthusiasm of the locals and the incredible progress we managed to make. It’s hard to recall all the names, but from memory there was: Paul, Darren, Emma, Jason, Pete, Tamsin, Linwood, Brian, Mandy, Kea, Frazer, Kerry, Daphne, Chris, Jill, Martin, Marie, Hernan, Annie, Glenda, Mark, Jonathan, Bronnie, Stuart, Ricky, Corina, Ginny, Karl, Steve, Hamish, Georgie, Archie and Brady!

With nearly 30 people showing up each day, we uncovered around 3 kilometres of the old track and built a handful of switchbacks. Not too shabby!

A perfect switchback!

In our free time we headed down to a local swimming hole to test out the cliff jumps and rope swings, tossed a frisbee around at camp, and spent the nights gazing up at the star-filled sky. Our time in Rameka is one of the highlights of my time in New Zealand, and something I’ll remember for years to come!

Another 490 plants in the ground at the Rameka Carbon Forest this August

A jubilant planting group at Rameka in August.
The euphoria of a good planting session finally gets to … some, but not all … the planters at August’s planting session. From left to right: Andrew McLellan, Geoff Plimmer, Ricky Ward, Bronnie Wall, Paul Kilgour, Kate Potter, Ann-Louise Metcalfe, Karyn Burgess, Marie Langley and Martin Langley.

200 flaxes, 200 pittos, 40 rata, 25 griselinia, 25 others were planted in August at a well-attended working bee where locals and people travelling from outside the bay were joined by Robyn, Tom and Martin from QE II Trust.

Andrew McLellan installs the first QEII covenant sign at the top of the project, while QEII rep Tom Stein looks on.

Together we put up our new QEII covenant signs and walked the recently cleared historic track.

Simon Johnson and Paul Kilgour study the breathtaking view from the Historic Rameka Pack Track.

The views from the track are just fabulous, and it was agreed that the locals who cleared the top half are legends!!!  Looking forward to the next working bee at the project on 18/19 November where the aim is make progress on  preparing the track to reach Grade 3 standard.

Protecting the Land for Good

When we raised funds in order to purchase the additional land at Project Rameka, we said to our generous supporters that we would protect that land.

18 months later, the Rameka Forest Restoration Charitable Trust has honoured that commitment by putting 91 ha of Project Rameka under a QEII National Trust Open Space Covenant.

Liz, Bronnie and Jonathan discuss QEII covenant options with rep Tom Stein at the base of the Rameka carbon forest.

A QEII Open Space Covenant protects the land in perpetuity and ensures its current, and future, owners manage the land in a way that protects its natural values.

Negotiating the covenant with the QEII National Trust involved recognising the uniqueness of Project Rameka being a carbon forest that provides riding, running and walking opportunities for the public.

So we and any future owners of the land are required to manage the land by:

  • protecting and enhancing the native flora and fauna
  • enhancing the land as a source of carbon dioxide sequestration
  • allowing non-motorised recreational activity.

Does this mean anything changes in how we currently manage the land? Not hugely, since so much of what we do is already aligned with the covenant’s purpose. But some things might take a little longer to achieve. For example, if we want to build any new tracks or plant exotic trees, we have to first work with the good folks at the QEII National Trust to decide how that would fit with the covenant aims.

But that is a small price to protect the land for good.

Bridge over Troubled Waters

And so it has happened. After more than a year of sorting through building consents and engineering requirements, no more wet toes, ankles … thighs …

The Rameka Creek in flood
It doesn’t happen often, but when the Rameka Creek gets it into its head to flood, it can REALLY go to town.

The bridge over the Rameka Creek to Great Expectations has been built!

The actual building only took nine days. But those were nine totally full-on days.

Many more people were involved than are shown in this selection of photos. And to everyone who helped out – many, many thanks and big thumbs up to all of you.

So, here’s a taste of the action that took place over the week:

First up was measuring out exactly where the bridge needed to go …

Ricky Ward on the Great Expectations side of the bridge site.
Ricky Ward checks that everything lines up true for the bridge across Rameka Creek.

Then it was a case of digging ….

Phil Castle in a foundation trench for the bridge
Caver Phil Castle is back in his element – digging into the earth as he helps prepare the foundations trench on the bridge site.

And pumping …

Corina in the trenches
Corina Ward helps pump water from the trench.

And digging – did we mention digging?

Brian Sowman and Andrew XX dig deep
Brian Sowman and Andrew Smith knuckle in for just a bit more digging.

Measuring, sorting and sawing timber …

Andy Cole on site at the Rameka Creek bridge build
Andy Cole gets into the swing of things at the old mill site next to the creek.

But there was still a bit of time to stand back and assess exactly what it was we were doing.

Martin on bank
Martin Langley keeps calm and smiles his way through all the hustle and bustle of bridge prep.

And then it was time for the concrete to be poured for the foundations.

Tuesday, the concrete pouring day.
Richard Green arrived with the concrete for the foundations on a brilliant morning – perfect for setting.

Then first the piles and later the beams were lifted into place …

A crane lifts the first 12-metre beam from the mill site.
Friday was a wet day, but the 12-metre-long beams got lifted into place anyway.

And after that, it was a case of all hands on deck as volunteers came flocking to help hammer, saw, measure, grease, measure, saw, and measure again, bolt, hammer, dig … all the usual things one does to put a bridge in place.

EVan Mccarney bolted the beams in place.
Evan McCarney said this was the hardest holiday he’d ever had. Most of us agreed.
Damien and Zac Stone prepare the track to the bridge.
Damian Stones and his son Zac prepared an awesome track to the bridge.
David and Robin
David Bennett and Robin Dawson measured twice and cut only once to get all the decking timber exactly to size.
Weekend volunteer work on the bridge
The weekend round-up involved finishing the retaining wall at the base of Great Expectations, building a ramp to the other side of the bridge and putting in place the decking and then handrails.
Stuart Palmer and Karyn Burgess grovelled to get a handrail in place for the ramp onto the bridge.
Stuart Palmer and Karyn Burgess worked hard to sort out a handrail for the ramp onto the bridge – and it wasn’t easy!
Andrew McLellan, Brett Whiley and Helen Spring worked hard on the bridge build.
Andrew McLellan treated the sawed timber ends while Brett Whiteley and Helen Spring worked on the bridge decking.

And finally the bridge was complete … Ta-daaa!

Fil Burgess completes the staining on the bridge handrails.
Fil and Albie Burgers put the final touches of stain to the bridge across the River Rameka.

Biodiversity Booms at Rameka

January 2017

Rata was in flower for the first time at Rameka in a very, very long time (probably since the forest was burnt off in the 1970s).

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This rata was planted in 2009. Many thanks to Project Crimson for the hundreds of rata planted at Rameka over the last ten years.

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There were two bellbirds feeding from flax that we planted in 2011.