I complete my exploration of the lower Skerretts Creek area, with no new discoveries – just more awesome nature.
I visited family in Wainuiomata, and upon leaving, the outdoor thermometer (in the shade) displayed 30 degrees Celsius – indeed, it was a scorching day. I drove to the top of Sunny Grove and then put on my boots and ventured into the bush. Noticing a significant drop in temperature inside the forest, it seemed obvious that planting more forests would reduce global warming somewhat.
Anyway, back to something more important. My goal for the day was to revisit the site I had discovered during Bush Bash 6, a location near the Black House, to complete my exploration of the area. Since there were two sites, I had earlier speculated that they might be connected, with the lower site possibly being the result of materials washing down the bank near a creek on the northern side of the hill site. The plan was to first determine if the main site was in fact the main site or was it too a result of materials being washed down the hill from another site further up. I had to ascend above the site to investigate, then visit the site and eventually descend down the southern side of the hill, in case artifacts had been washed down that side of the hill.
Ascending above the site somewhat using a track in the area, I then zigzagged down through the bush on the hillside without finding anything noteworthy. This was to eliminate any possibility that the site was not connected to another site higher up. Reaching the bush bash 6 site where the hilltop is not that steep, I zigzagged down the steep, bush-covered southern side of the hill, finding no artifacts there either. This eliminated the possibility that any remaining artefacts and debri were washed down that side of the hill. After that, I climbed back up to the site, to then check the northern side of the hill where I knew there was already a site, but to eliminate the possibility that there may be other sites. There wasn’t. I then returned to the creek behind the Black House and explored further upstream in a section I missed last time. That also yielded no results.
Satisfied with my thorough search, I descended back down the Black House creek. Along the way, a fantail bird accompanied me. Recognizable by their fan-shaped tail, this one danced from branch to branch getting ever closer to me. It is believed that this behaviour is to feast on insects that you disturb when trekking in the bush. Indeed, confirming the theory, the fantail then chased a big insect.
I arrived at the Black House site and took a look around to see if there was anything I had missed on earlier visits. I discovered nothing new. Once again, I reached Skerretts Creek, and explored the lower section of the creek before it borders into private property. I found no further artifacts from the water catchment. I then exited the bush, and returned to Sunny Grove in what felt like a temperature exceeding 30 degrees, despite the official reading of 29 – according to my car. Then again, I had just done a workout of sorts, so I was already feeling pretty hot. That wrapped up the day and off to Woolworths to buy a drink. On the way, I passed the school I went to as a kid and it was undergoing a rebuild. I decided to take a few photos of that to document it. I then headed home.
