South Otatara Bush is a new area for me to visit.
I researched it for a true account of happenings in 1750.
The invaders poled up the river at night time up past Omaui Flag Station, past the anoying Rock now with the ususal name Bombay Rock and further up stream. It was a nightime effort. Aim to be unsean, unheard, and quick to carry out their plan of capture.
Who or what their target was, is still unsure. It may have been Boss Hogs HQ or to caputure a Pengiun or three. Or to find the load of hidden Gold.
Unfortunatly for them one local hero who is still anon even today, either heard, spotted or deciphered a mysterious signal days prior to the night.
It was a typical southern night: no moon, or the moon was hidden by the clouds, rain and very cold. These conditions were the downfall of the invaders. They ran aground and were spotted.
Then the fight began. Noise that broke all silence even though it was a howling gale. Explosion after explosion. Some on land where the invaders pitched their grenades and those so close to the boat that it disloged it from the mud and drifted out to sea never to be heard of again.
The boat may have sprung a leak and sunk.
People have been searching for this boat to try to identify who were the actual invaders. So far without success.
No one is boasting of the unsuccesfull attack.
Your mission is to find an unexploded grenade. It is thought that it may have got stuck in a tree therefore did not explode.
There is a circular track in the bush which should help you with your task.
There are hazards in this area. Poison for rodents so maybe not take your K9 friend in there. There are many rodent traps on trees along the track. On one fence line there is nasty barbed wire. There is a nasty tree nettle, Ongaonga, growing here. This nettle tree plant is the equilivent to the netorious poison ivy and oak in other countries. These plants can cause death in rare cases. Notice a picutre of this plant and be forwarned.
Previously I thought that this plant was only found in a small area of Fiordland up by a waterfall close Deep Cove Doubtful Sound I was found to be wrong with the research done on these events in 1750.
At GZ be awear of a small cliff going down to the river flats. It is 1m further on than the cache.
Suggestions of walking this track. Gumboots preferable. There were a couple of boggy places and one puddle and the ferns if wet will wet you. I strongly suggest walking it in an anticlockwise dirrection following the yellow markers. Soon after getting to the cache the markers change to red and there is a section where there are no markers at all untill you reach the fence with barbed wire. It would be an interesting track to do at night...but not really recommending it as the residents close by may think who wants to do a bush track at night.
Parking on the grass at reserve entrance.
Happy hunting. Cache is 12 steps off the track riverside. (for the view).