Into the wild places (photographed in N.Z. at the end of January 2017)

Okay, I admit it. I'm not really venturing into a remote and truly wild area of New Zealand. I'm in a scenic reserve. But it's one that is about as close to the wild state as one finds around here. There is a bit of a trail at the entrance to the reserve, but that quickly fades away until it is just the memory of a trace of a trail. Often times I had to stand and really study the ground before proceeding. Obviously, not many people visit this reserve. Someone though, who came this way and found the trail to be lacking, apparently had some yellow tape in his pocket, because he left markers as he went along. I thought his trail was as good as any. 

I made lots of trails through the hardwoods and cedar swamps that covered the 130 acres Jeanne and I once owned. I loved doing it. So it was no real problem for me when I found this reserve to be lacking in lanes and bereft of byways. This bit of 'wild' NZ is actually just a postage stamp section of not much more than my 130 acres and it is bordered on one side by the Opanuku and on the other by a steep hill.  It would be impossible to get lost in it or even turned around. 

And since this post is about 'the wilds,' I have also included a special treat (for me).  Some pictures from 'the land,' our 130 acres in Wilson that I took during 2008 and 2009. Compare the two types of vegetation. I hope you enjoy all these pictures. 

This part of the Opanuku  is about a mile upstream from the section that I've shown you in the past. This little reserve stands at the border between suburbia and farmland.

Not much of a path. Single file only. (sorry about the focus on this one)

I think the boys would like this see-through tree. 

Another 'see-through' tree, but on a grander scale.

This one is in a cedar swamp back home.

See what I mean? The trail is becoming camouflaged. 

My hunting blind is about 40 feet to the left of the camera in this picture. 

Ferns are everywhere here. 

The trail on top of the drumlin on my 'hunting 40.'

In these NZ wilds, the trees themselves support other layers of life.

The opening in woods and my blind. These Michigan wilds supported a fantastic number of wildlife species. 
The New Zealand bush is almost devoid of mammals.  (our part, anyway)

Here's the Opanuku, smaller since we're upstream, and it's been dry lately. 

Climbing down to it. 

It's cool down here and the sound of water across the rocks is peaceful.  The wind follows up the channel and adds a little movement to the greenery.  I think I'll follow the stream bed for a ways.

I've come to a little pool that I can't walk around. Time to climb back up and see what's up there. 

No trail, no problem

A dense part of the cedar swamp during the season when a swamp is most accessible and pleasant to be in. 

This is classed as a temperate rain forest. It feels jungle-like to me though.  I could be miles from the nearest human. 

My trail-cam watching over the game trails and my baiting area.

A convergence of three game trails (or four, depending on how you count them) 
I wasn't far from humanity here, any more than I am in NZ,  but it often felt like I was.

I'm back to the stream again and at an opening in the canopy of trees. I see an open field.   

Civilization was never very far away after all.  

Thanks for hiking with me today, through both of my worlds.    -djf