My next bush bash expedition of note took me above Sunny Grove and Skerretts Creek. I walked off the beaten track and discovered an old hunters hut.
In this adventure, I explore some leftover relics from the old water catchment area that existed here in the mid 1950s and 60s. Not exactly a secret location, but I found more artefacts than I can ever remember seeing before. (I had trekked up here numerous times as a kid.)
Growing up in the 1960s and 70s in Wainuiomata means that I remember where some sites and artefacts from the past are located, before they disappeared in the bush. I specifically remember the water catchment area in Skerretts Creek being out of bounds, although by the time I was exploring that area, it was probably abandoned. Nevertheless, there was a fence, but you could pass through. The first time there (perhaps 1969), I remember being very young and taking my new bike up to the catchment area with some older kids who were looking after me. There was a sense of not being allowed there, but we ventured beyond the fence anyway and kept quiet as we walked up toward the water tanks. After that, I visited with friends my own age on a number of occasions. Some years later, someone installed an awesome rope swing above the water tanks. It was actually a bit dangerous because you gained a lot of height by the time the rope swung out from the steep hill and above the water tanks. My brother even fell off the swing one time, but landed atop a ponga tree. Lucky him. A friend of mine reminded me of this just the other day.
Anyway, I digress. After exploring the area, I scoured the surrounding bush. After some time, I came across an abandoned site littered with bricks, tin, a long drop, and household objects like crockery, old bottles, and a rubbish area. There was no established track here, so the site had been abandoned for a while. However, it came to me what the site must have been before the forest reclaimed it. It had to be the Black House.
My conclusion stemmed from my childhood memories of frequent visits to the Black House, situated in the same vicinity. My friend, who lived at the top of Sunny Grove, and I often explored the area because it was conveniently close. Back then, I was under the impression it was a tramping hut, as I had been told, though some speculated it might have served as a residence for the caretaker of the nearby water catchment. It’s conceivable that both these uses are true. Further, given that it predates the residential development in eastern Homedale, its original position was deeper within the forest. So it is also thought that the original purpose was a hunting hut. Ultimately, it’s plausible that this structure might have served all these purposes at different times.
In any case, the hut likely fell into disuse around the early to mid-1970s after someone created an opening in its wall, attracting local kids to explore its interior. Not long after, the hut caught fire, prompting a local resident to rescue a child upon noticing smoke emanating from the bush. Following this incident, the site gradually faded from memory, and the surrounding forest enveloped and concealed it from public sight.
Feeling happy with the find and the memories it brought back, it reminded me of the saying: “Seek and ye shall find”. Although, I had no idea what I was seeking at the time, I did find something. Going forward, I now have to decide my next adventure.
