Kokako Haven
                 by Claire Marshall

Another winter has passed
And we head to Rangitoto Station at last
How have the Kokako faired
And are all the rats dead
After the 1080 drop in June
All will be revealed pretty soon

The bridge now gone and the stream, quite stoney
4X4 vehicle or van access only
Up to the woolshed we return
No comfort spared here
As the Puke Club would learn

Up early on Saturday, kettle boiling
Breakfast “bacon & eggs” before we start toiling
Two new rat lines in our patch
The papers, ink & peanut butter we soon dispatch

Back up Line 1 for the second time today
Time for some slashing & clearing away
The supplejack has grown over our tracks
And some big windfalls… large trees on their backs

As we head home to hot showers
and a rest
June cooked our tea..
well done, you’re the best!

Early to bed, early to rise
A quick walk around the rat lines and to our surprise
Not a rat footprint to be found
And the birds are happily singing all around

A fantastic result for the coming Kokako breeding season
Rats 0% …………1080, with good reason!!

 

 

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