We had a fabulous weekend at Bushy Park - trip report below.
Saturday - 3 car loads of keen walkers departed Carterton and Masterton, taking varying routes to Whanganui - and then headed west and inland to get to the Bushy Park Sanctuary entrance - a tree lined driveway, double gated predator excluder fence, and then a bush clad drive to the main buildings: Homestead, Visitor Centre and our accommodation "The Bunkhouse".
After lunch and much exclaiming how wonderful it was to have accommodation in the middle of a forest sanctuary, we checked out the stunning Homestead - beautifully decorated to match its 1906 heritage. We then headed out for our first walk, around the Ratanui track, to view the large northern rata tree (exact age unknown, height 39m, diameter 3.72m, girth 11.7m). We continued up the drive track and back to the central point, deciding we had time to check out the wetlands before sunset. We saw Hihi (Stitchbird), Kereru, plenty of Tieke (Saddleback) and friendly NI Robin. After cheese and crackers, we had a delicious spread of hot roast chicken, salads, bread rolls, followed by homemade rhubarb and apple crumble with custard.
Sunday - a few of us up early to do an early dawn chorus walk - the birds getting up at 645am! After breakfast we all set out on the longest track - " Fenceline", walking through the forest to reach a view point of Kapiti Island (unfortunately too cloudy), but we did see 6 Sulphur Crested Cockatoo in a tree, flying and screeching. We continued around the Fenceline, noteable for its many pest traps and tracking tunnels. We stopped at a picnic table for a hot cuppa, raspberry choc 'Froozeballs' and a selfie or two! We continued along the bush clad 'Moore's Ride track' named after GF Moore who the original Homestead was built for. The sun was out for our delicious design-your-own burgers, cooked on the bbq and eaten El Fresco on the deck.
A few of us walked the Twin Ponga loop and Ratanui Track, with some friends from Whanganui. We watched some very active Tieke, digging bugs out of the tree branches. Our group put on our tidiest clothes and headed to the Homestead for Devonshire Tea - $15 for 2 scones and tea /coffee in the Drawing Room, listening to beautiful music and talking to the informative host Dale.
Luckily we saved some room for dinner - homemade lasagne, salad and bread rolls, followed by lemon posset, crumble and brown sugar meringues. (Just as well we were doing some walks!)
Monday - Kings Birthday - another dawn walk for 2 of us, breakfast and then the group headed along the Kauri track and Festival Track to explore another area of the Park. We saw some more large rata, Pukatea and friendly birds. After packing up and having a quick snack, we re-visited the Hihi feeders on the Twin Ponga track and sat in the sun at the wetland.
We departed at 1230pm, heading back to the Wairarapa.
On the trip: Margaret, Laura, Mike, Christine, Mia and Sandra.
