The Magic Of Eskridge Station

A few weeks ago I had an interview with Kay Bazzard- she wanted to write an article about me to feature in the lifestyle section of a local magazine Bay Buzz. The story was duly written, facts checked and Florence made contact to organise a photo shoot. I'm really not quite sure what happened but somehow the wheels fell off and the article was rather unceremoniously cancelled. But what a fascinating experience it was, the explaining to outsiders the richness of our lives. Ah, but there was our first hurdle- Rob The Indispensable wasn't to be included. How can a story about all that I am not include my best adventurer friend? What I did come to understand was that our lives have become so rich and expansive that it simply cannot be condensed into 1200 words. Besides, I long ago learnt to tell our story through pictures. To be honest, no one else can do that part justice because my view of the world is unique and, well- mine!

I have made a transition to writing here in The Wild but there's been quite a lull where I have just been sharing on facebook so I 'm not sure how I catch up as there is so much I want to record. So I shall just begin here in the middle of being 62 in a summer that has barely happened and we'll see how we go.

Even as I am writing this everything has changed- cyclone Gabrielle has just devastated our beloved province by flood this past week. All the places that we love to go have been destroyed. Hundreds of wonderful old trees have fallen, properties, crops and livelihoods smashed, bridges have collapsed, cutting off rural communities all over the place, but worst of all- people have lost their lives and others have been traumatised by rescue events and the power of the floods. Horses have been found on the roofs of houses as flood waters recede, cattle trapped in silt have been spotted and dug out, beloved dogs and cats have been rescued, found and recovered and others just haven't made it.

However, just last Tuesday the 7th... 

We discovered Ellis Wallace road after Rob read about a bike trail and a railway bridge up a strange road we'd never heard of before and off we set one day to find it some 7 years ago. The Esk valley has become very dear to our hearts. Rivers are amazing- their largess, their capaciousness- the way that they gather up all that needs to be channelled, guided and released. Often suffering tremendously in the process, yet regenerating themselves time and time again. Even accepting the rearrangements that have occurred within their borders with gracefully resignation. Since we had a day off and it was the first run of high temperatures this summer, we decided to take the opportunity to visit Esk Ridge Station and see what we might find. Private land that can be visited with permission. This time there were contact numbers so Rob rang and spoke to the two sisters that now own the station. Our wet summer has been unkind to the river, stretch marks galore, new channels forged and all the wild plants washed away. Just a little ezapote and mint beginning to come through. The river was still swift and a bit murky, but the trees are happy. And now a week later it is all gone! So I have a chance to record all that we experienced in this valley and be witness to it's regeneration and recovery.

We decided to unearth our muslin canopy out of the top cupboard and see if we could find a branch to hang it in. The poplars obliged very nicely, but the canopy was not so easy to work with. And it was windy. Rob's "just incase cutlery" that he keeps in the car, made useful tent pegs. 

The light was so lovely.

And the shade was just lovely under the care of the silver poplars

I tried every which way to manage my "side" 

but in the end I gave up.

A while back I ordered these Cath Kids bags because I adored them. After a long period I realised that they didn't appeal to anyone else. So I kept them and Rob came up with the bright idea of making them the bunting bags. Perfect! 

Off we went for a wander and managed to get across the river- just!

This holiday hut intrigues us. A little more work has been done on it since our last visit.  

Clearly people camp here regularly.

It's a lovely spot.

It even has its own waterfall. In good form this year.

A channel through to the river.

So English. And so pretty.

Well at least the equisetum arvense (field horsetail) has bounced back. So full of silica too!

This wee stream comes out of the hills the other side and runs just passed our lovely picnic spot.

See, just up here.

It's so lovely and peaceful here under the care and shelter of the rustling poplar trees. Although the cacophony of the summer cicada chorus might seek to disagree.

It's always nice to bring some suitable reading with us on our picnics. We often find the most marvellous articles that nourish us deeply while we are immersed in the quiet of nature. With no rush or bustle we often read bits aloud to each other and learn something new together- like these stories about the rongoa benefits of the Kowhai tree.

 

That came from this fascinating book The Meaning of Trees by Robert Vennell.

There's something about the "setting up camp" 

that engages us in the slow, deliberate pace of an adventure.

In mid summer it's nice to head off in the afternoon sometime, planning to settle in for dinner and to be around to watch the close of day.

The little house may come in handy. Ewwee

Picnics present such different possibilities for eating meals. We love this little tiffen tin we found in Mitre 10 in Dannevirke one day.

Loads of fresh vegetables are just the ticket for a summer dinner in the wild.

I even made kind of dolmades (what else could we call them?) using Kawakawa leaves and they were fabulous.

The avocado dressing/dip is just the best! Just blend together 3 or 4 good avocados with salt, pepper, dsp wholegrain mustard, dsp satay sauce, juice of half a lime or lemon, 2 tbsp of milk, yoghurt or in our case Caspian Sea yoghurt. More liquid if you want it to be a dressing. 

And all of a sudden it's time to go again.

It's really not much trouble.

Just shake it all about.

The goats are long time residents of the area.

Wild and free.

Wee Waipunga station.

Loads and loads of Tutu all along the unsealed roadsides. It's pretty toxic and probably as important as hemlock to be able to identify as the young shoots look inviting but they're not for eating! Tutu is a useful Rongoa plant if you know how to prepare it.

Hello girls!

Once we get off main roads we drive slowly so that we can see everything as we go by. We thought we'd stop here and see if there was a piece of fire wood we could take home amidst the slash here.

Just around the bend I noted that the hawthorn berries are ripening up nicely.

Quite suddenly a man came striding toward us most indignantly. It turned out he was Jo and after I convinced him we were driving slowly because we love the wild and that we really, truly weren't scoping his place we had a great conversation, What a terrible mess the forestry process makes of the land. The way we do things in New Zealand really has to change. Jo wasn't happy about it either, 

An abundance of Wild carrot and fennel flowers heading back past the main swimming hole.

And the most beautiful gum tree.

Just to the right here is where our friend Billy and her daughter Lanthe live. They are Granny McNab Heirloom Nursery and they bring the most wonderful plants to our Farmers' Market each Sunday

And out the other side quite abruptly we meet the bustle of the Napier Taupo highway SH 5.

Eskdale River Visit Just Before New Year 2021

This year of 2022 I have set my intention to write about our adventures and connection with the land we love so much, a lot more often. As time goes by we frequently forget what went before and what we have learned and although there is so much that has flowed on by in the last few years, I hope that by jumping in right here, I can catch the threads of our story once again- before it's too late. 

I read a wonderful quote a while back concerning Einstein:"When Einstein gave lectures at U.S. universities, the question students asked him most was: Do you believe in God? And he always answered: I believe in the God of Spinoza." There is much written about Spinoza's philosophy concerning God, however, the bit that caught my attention and that has now been woven in to our own life philosophy is this: “Live as if there is nothing beyond this life, as if this is your only chance to enjoy, to love, to exist. Then you will have enjoyed the opportunity I gave you. And if there is an afterlife, rest assured that I won't ask if you behaved right or wrong, 

I'll ask, ‘Did you like it? Did you have fun? What did you enjoy the most? What did you learn?’" 

Our plan has been to re-shape Rob's nursing work in to something that gives us greater freedom to forage, explore & curate our own lives, but as yet that hasn't been possible with staff absenteeism and now the impact of covid. We are now in to our 8th year wrestling with Wattie's and the insolence of their thoughtless industrial behaviour. Their seasonal disruption continues to shape our summers. This year our lovely neighbour Margaret is having her house painted and that has entailed long days of sanding & scrapping next door. Just what we need! So as often as possible we slide out from the weight of the things we cannot change by visiting the land.   

With a days worth of sanding going on next door it was time to head back to explore our beloved Esk river- we never know with each new season what changes there will be in the landscape, so we decided to visit all our favorite places & say "Hello". The river was too swift for us to cross over & visit the Hermit's house this time, but the horses were happy to have visitors...sniff, nibble, munch. The access to the river for this spot is via a thing called Gregory Access that is really just a gateway and grass track that comes off Ellis Wallace road, over the railway line next door to the Olivery. 

What a fine blue jacket you have little Kotare.

The Esk river is brave and vigorous and manages such enormous volumes of water when it rains, yet in summer, it becomes the most idyllic, dreamy stream- willow shaded and safe as anything for wanderings & swimming.   

Although the river access is on private land up the road a bit further at Eskridge Station, there was a well mown & happy welcome & the same nurturing river & plenty of wild mints to greet us. 

Everything changes in the heat of summer so we were delighted to find shade and sheltered in the rustling care of these lovely old cottonwood poplars for afternoon tea.

This is a river for wandering- mostly very shallow with a fine stony bottom. 

There are always a number of wild mints, horsetail (equisetum arvense) & watercress to be found at this spot. 

And joy!

Heading back down the road we called in at Eskdale Park too. Sometime ago this open paddock alongside the walkway was evidently planted in asparagus. This season it's been overplanted in lucerne. So as we wander along we do a little dance in and out of the perimeter as we spot a viable spear or two. This asparagus is just the best we've ever eaten- of course! 

There's also a large amount of fathen (Chenopodium album, white goosefoot) growing along the path which is a useful and nourishing wild summer green. 

There's also a lot of this willow weed- Persicaria maculosa. 

It looks awfully similar to vietnamese mint, but alas it is not.

Fathen and asparagus with the pretty edible lemon flowers of wild radish in the background.

The walk from the park sweeps up around the corner passed the swathe of rye grass towards the Waipunga road bridge. 

Back over to the river on our return- water running swiftly.

I always adore finding wild carrot (Queen Anne's Lace) in wild places all through the summer. She is so self assured & pristine all through the days of fierce sunshine. See the wee red heart at her centre. 

Lucerne flowers are so pretty and come in many shades of lilac, lavender and purple. 

The serendipity of foraging and wandering always provides the possibility of a pretty or useful surprise like seeing this clump of soapwort under the bridge. 

And a little sweetly scented buddliea- beloved of butterflies.

Everywhere we visited we stood in the flow of this beautiful river & allowed our souls to be replenished. So lovely to see the landscape green & verdant after recent rain. 

And when we got home we heard someone at the door and here was our dear, faithfully generous friend Wendy Franklin with a bunch of sublime, homegrown sweetpeas.