Thursday 28 February 2013

Man Vs Possum

We got a successful hitch to HanmerSprings by a couple of entrepenural type kiwis, Nelson born, one of which has done a fair amount of hunting and tramping so could tell us more about the netx section of the walk. Can't beat a bit of local knowledge!

Once in Hanmer we went crazy at the sight of a supermarket and smashed close to $300 without even blinking an eyelid! There we go, all resupplied ready for the next 7day section to Arthurs Pass via Harper Pass and Goat Pass. But first things first, lets go across the road to the leafy park, sit by a picnic bench and devour an artisan bread loaf with a jar of nutella, a slab of butter and a jar of strawberry jam! Satisfaction was guaranteed.

We then called up the Alpine Adventure campground to check for prices and once theyoffered a courtesy pick-up wehad to say yes. Couldn't possibly walk for another 10 minutes! This place was great - hot showers, hot laundry (trust me, that's nothing short of amazing) and the people running the joint were chilled out and real friendly so we decided to stay for 2 nights. The first night we slept like logs but the 2nd night we had an unwelcomed visitor - a bloody possum! These area pest in NZ as back in the early 1920's (I think) they were introduced into the wild for the fur trade but their numbers exploded and with it they caused havoc by knawing at certain trees, eating birds eggs and in Waitomo we even had a possum kill a bird directly above our tent, the blood of which spilt all over our abode! We've had numerous sleepless nights because of possums and now, here was another potential, but not if I can help it. Once I heard it close to the tent and the walking poles disturbed, I lept out of the tent with the headtorch and shone it directly at the tree adjacent to the tent and there it was, startled, daring not to move (this is why you see so many dead at the side of the roads). First thing I noticed was that it was trying to get away with Emily's walking pole would you believe. Second thing I noticed was in my right hand I was holding my 4ft long wooden pole with the thin end grasped in my hand. I looked at the pole, looked at the possum and instinctively decided it was time for it to die!

Keeping the possum in a daze with the headtorch, I drew back the pole with the precision of an archer, got myself into the position of a baseball batsman and I was poised ready to strike. The heartbeat got stronger, I took a couple of breaths knowing I would have to strike it hard in the head to kill it. But here goes..........here's for all theinnocent birds you kill, here's to devastating the countryside, here's to keeping me up all night and for infecting animals with TB you dirty pest and with all my might I swung the pole and SMACK! I felt a sharp shockwave go up my arms but to my dismay realised I had hit the tree and not the possum, who scurried up the tree out of reach and stared back at me! "Bastard", I though, here goes another sleepless night......

1 comment:

  1. Tell you what mate, a walking pole would have only ticked it!! I went on a possum hunt and saw a trapper kill one from a trap with a solid steel mallet and it took a few blows to silence the bugger, they're tough mofo's!
    J

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