Tuna Nui

With a 7.30 dinner booked in, I did wonder how we could possibly leave from Waerenga and arrive in Havelock North given that dickie told me to arrive at his place at 2pm. I got there at 1.15, just to give us a chance. A few cuppas, and a chat on his deck, then me, Helen & Dickie loaded their new Landie and headed off. First stop was at Kawhia’s house to drop off Maya, Helen’s new pup. That part of the trip was super interesting, as we took roads that I always wondered about and we made decent time too. Having dropped off the pup we made decent time through to Taupo, with one distraction caused by a cop who got Dickie doing 123kph. He booked dickie for a 112kph offence instead, and miraculously handed Dickie his license back. Miraculous because his current points balance is 80. Get 100 and it’s all over. Stopping in Taupo at Scenic Cellars for a bottle of plonk and a coffee we ten made good time over the Taupo-Napier Road. No sign of deer, although I kept my eyes peeled in the twilight. We reached our destination at 7.00pm, arriving just as the first mini bus departed for Elephant Hill winery.



                               Helen & Wendell

Our party comprised several new faces including Grant from Hawkes Bay, a bird rearer, Stuart from Perth, a mining exec, Bill from Northland and Wendell from Hibiscus Coast. Jeff and Bridgette from NZ Gamebirds/Tuna Nui were host and hostess. The dinner venue was stunning, the food great and the company interesting. After dinner and a danger-fraught trip back to the motor lodge (“mind the speed-bump whoops BAWOOMPHA!) Guy, Wendell, Stuart and others decided to hit the town. Me, well I hit the hay after watching a bit of soccer with Johnno. My alarm went off at 6.30, so was up showered and ready for brekkie at CJ’s Café (was that BJ’s?), everyone trooping in for variations on the bacon, egg, hash brown theme. Except Guy, he was missing in action.

                                Dickie

Stuart, Johnno & Kevin

Apparently he had texted Bill at 2.30 am about some soccer result. Dickie’s not a brekkie person, so we all gathered to set off to Tuna Nui with Bridgette, and Guy was finally up and about, a deathly pall upon his face, tiny little slitty eyes and Johnno chaperoning him to get a couple of slices of dry toast for breakfast. We hit Tuna Nui by 8.30 and fark it was cold, but with a beautiful still clear day the views were fantastic. Our safety briefing was in a woolshed which may have been the oldest building I ever stepped in (in NZ) and we drew pegs and had a cuppa.
                                                          
                                                        Tuna Nui Woolshed

Andrew who runs the shoot likes to keep things brisk, we were marched in orderly fashion to the pegs on the first drive, with orders to load and begin shooting anything that came our way. I folded the first cock of the day, he came out high and fast and that got the blood pressure and tension down a bit. Down enough to watch Guy shoot a few birds, then turn to a gun minder to watch his gun while he keeled over and retched his guts out.
                                
                                 Have another drink Guy

                               Hunting hounds

                               Wendell, Johnno, Dickie & Tim

Rosie, Helen & Stuart

Bill & Wendell

The Maize drive. Birds come off plateau upper right, guns in valley lower left

Passed out (Muwaaahaha)

After that he retired to the end of the paddock while the guns minders had fun shooting at his share of the birds. Hilarious. Anyway, the day was a mixture of exciting and difficult birds, drives that worked and drives that didn’t, culminating with a drive behind the main homestead where everyone had a deal of fun. Especially when poor Tim (gamekeeper Matingarahi Station) who had had a lean run had a beautiful bird get up and head his way.
Only to fold up in a heap of feathers as she struck the powerlines stretching above and across in front of us! Back to the homestead we went for drinkies and nibbles, where we were served KFP (Kentucky fried pheasant) and pheasant wontons, along with mussels wrapped in bacon and liberal drinks. It was getting cooler by the second as the sun dropped behind the Kaimanawas (Kawekas maybe?) so with final goodbyes Dickie, Helen and me jumped into the car and headed back to the motor lodge. BTW, Guy redeemed himself by shooting superbly for 40+ birds. Of the bag of 212, Guy, Dickie and I shot well over half. The overall shot to bird ratio was 3.7:1, no mean feat considering the quality of the birds.

If I never shoot another shoot again, one day I will return to Tuna Nui.