SATURDAY - MT KARIOI CLIMB SUPPORTING A ROCHA Environmental Group. (Thanks to Kristel van Houte, National Director of A Rocha for facilitating this venture) Cars departed from different locations – east & west Auckland at 7am, meeting at Huntly McDonald’s for a welcome breakfast and coffee break. Heading South on SH22 through Waingaro, SH 21, Te Mata Rd, we reached the end of Karioi Rd just after 9.30am. Isabelle Lance – DoC member met us there, walked with us 40 min over farmland to the edge of the bush where she instructed us in openingthe pest traps, releasing traps still set, rebaiting and resetting. She also instructed us in the use of the Trap.nz. Murray and Barbara had joined the Karioi Project on the App and could track our position on the climb, as well as report on the status of each trap on our phones. (Options - Still set with bad bait / Sprung / relured /a rat removed…etc). From there we set off with 2 teams, led by Murray Black and Paul Ungemuth. Teams checked alternate number traps, each 100m apart, as we climbed the mountain. Yellow markers helped us locate each trap. The track was quite steep, and particularly challenging near the summit where two ladders helped ascend the final slope. We encountered thick mist, so no view, and descended a short way back down thetrack to stop for lunch. We re-baited 15 traps in all, completing the full set on the Wairake (inland) Track. Barbara was excited to re-visit the trap she had carried up the mountain some 14 years ago when members of ABTC participated in the laying of the first trapline on the mountain. There are now multiple traplines over the mountain! The descent seemed longer than expected – we had climbed much further than we had realised, actually 3.4km each way. At the end of the day we drove over an hour south, skirting the Aotea Harbour, and arriving at Kawhia Beachscape Holiday Park where Motel units and comfortable cabins awaited us. We were advised that the Boat Club near the wharf served sit-down meals and we enjoyed an enjoyable chat and hearty servings!