update

[Stella]

So I am currently working for DOC as a short-term contractor doing native fish surveys in Taranaki, Ruapehu and Wanganui, mostly aimed at finding large galaxiids.

They are *paying* me to do this :rotf: :cofn:

So my friend/coworker and I figure out interesting sites to visit, check out access during the day and either spotlight at night or electrofish, or both.

Last week we were in National Park, around Whakapapa Villiage. Not many fish to speak of (trout, trout, trout, trout, though rainbow trout are quite different to the browns I am used to), but there were blue ducks in nearly every stream we visited - incredible critters! And we saw wild deer (my first time), a train going through the Raurimu Spiral, and a gherkin slug, which seriously look like one of these split lengthwise and stuck to a tree:

Around Ohakune the week before we did actually find a couple of fish worth writing home about:

(ten points to whoever guesses the species correctly)

Next week we are back up in Taranaki, so hopefully there will be more fish.... once the forecast thunder storms pass! :facepalm:

(one from last time, so well blended in with the beautiful spotty taranaki stones:)

My co-worker has taken over driving since I rolled our last brand-new rental ute down a 100m cliff into a stream...

And this is my wonderful cosy home for the year:

(the van, not the carrot.)

Though currently in disgrace after she died in the middle of a set of traffic lights in Wanganui last night. :an!gry

Anyone here happen to be an auto-mechanic? It is the alternator or charging circuit. :facepalm:

[blueether]

koaro, and it looks fantastic...

off to read the rest of the post

[edit]

Last week we were in National Park, around Whakapapa Villiage.

On DoC land or the Landcorp block? We have bees on the landcorp block (runs from NP village all the way to the road to the 42nd traverse) so know the area well and have always wondered what was in the streams.

[twinkles]

gorgeous kaoro :nfs:

sounds like great fun

I'm glad to hear that doc's keeping an eye on the aquatics of our local area

Ohakune's just down the road, are you doing any in the whanganui catchment too? Would love to know what you spot if you do :bounce:

[GrahamC]

chocolate fish?

[Stella]

Yup, koaro (not exactly the hardest test, but extra credit for enthusiasm!)

I think it was just on DOC land (maybe some Ngati Rangi land, not sure, I was having concussion issues then).

Twinkles, we did some work in the Mangapurua, finding shortjaws, longfins and (we think) Cran's. Then dropped the ute in the Ruatiti stream, which kinda ended the Wanganui work for us

Was supposed to be working in taranaki this week, but that has been cancelled due to atrocious weather :an!gry