BACKCOUNTRY TRUST - Supporting Aotearoa's Backcountry Heritage
  • About
    • Our History
    • Who We Are
    • Our Key Supporters
    • Performance Report
    • BCT Managed Huts
  • Our Work
    • Volunteer Projects
    • Kaimahi for Nature Projects
    • Partnership Delivery
  • Volunteer
    • Apply
    • Guidelines
    • Claims, Payments and Reporting
    • Resources
    • FAQ
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Donate
  • About
    • Our History
    • Who We Are
    • Our Key Supporters
    • Performance Report
    • BCT Managed Huts
  • Our Work
    • Volunteer Projects
    • Kaimahi for Nature Projects
    • Partnership Delivery
  • Volunteer
    • Apply
    • Guidelines
    • Claims, Payments and Reporting
    • Resources
    • FAQ
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Donate

BLACK BIRCH BIVVY

22/6/2022

 
Kaweka Forest Park, Hawke’s Bay – 27-29 May 2022
Picture
black birch bivvy
​Black Birch Bivvy occupies a pleasant clearing in the forest of the Black Birch Range in the eastern Kaweka Forest Park. The two-bunk dogbox-style bivouac was originally built by the Forest Service in the 1960s, and has provided an accessible place for hunting and tramping ever since. In May, a Sika Foundation team made some significant improvements to the bivvy to increase its capacity and make it more user-friendly.
 
​The volunteers included Alex Dixon, Ben Gordon, Mike Main, Brett Stokman (lead builder) and Joseph Turner.
Picture
getting started
​Mike Main reports: ‘On Day 1 we sorted all the gear in a paddock off the Puketitiri Road for Helisika to uplift in three separate loads. Ben flew in first to unhook the loads as they arrived. The cloud was low and we were fortunate to get the gear on site before it lowered even more. The rest of us drove to the Whittle Road carpark and walked the 40 minutes to the site.’
Picture
piles for new deck
​‘We spent the rest of the day trying unsuccessfully to lift and turn the bivvy around. After deciding to leave it as it was, we replaced the piles and secured the back. We dug holes for the deck piles, and poured the concrete. As the concrete needed to set overnight, we dug a new site for the toilet, and prepared the piles for the water-tank stand. We pulled down the fireplace at the rear of the bivvy, and re-installed it further away to allow for the new deck.’
Picture
Picture
decking out the bivvy
​‘The second day saw everyone keen to get on with the job. By late afternoon, we had framed up the deck and laid the deck timber. Enough timber remained for a small corner barrier at its highest point. Just before the tool batteries all went flat, we finished off a small deck table.’
 
 ‘The guys did manage one short walk below the hut and disturbed a stag not too far from the hut.’
 
‘To save costs, we had decided to pack all the remaining gear back out to the carpark. This meant some pretty heavy loads! It was a privilege to work alongside the guys from the Sika Foundation. Thanks Brett, Ben, Joe and Alex’.
Picture
sika foundation crew at black birch bivvy
​Many thanks from the Backcountry Trust for a job well done. Mike planned to return in June to hook up the spouting and affix grip tread on the deck. The next job is to go in and paint it.
Picture
deck barrier
>Go Back to Project List

Comments are closed.

    Projects

    March 2025
    February 2025
    October 2024
    August 2024
    June 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    October 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    June 2018
    March 2018

Quick Links

SUPPORTED BY

Apply for a Grant
Donate to the BCT
View Volunteer Projects
Latest News
Remote Huts Forum and Blog

Picture
Picture
Picture
© BACKCOUNTRY TRUST 2025
JOIN OUR VOLUNTEER LIST