This shot shows the location of the gorge relative to the pond. You can see where my car is parked on the right. The pond is below that, and the interesting rocks are below this picture. The gorge featured in the last outing is on the left. There is another road to the left of that, but to drive from there to where my car is parked, you have to go all the way back up to Polemi. The pond is really cut off.

Anyway, I wanted to see where the track in the field went, so I drove down it until I arrived at this rather unpleasant stagnant pool, next to the stream.

Mid-way through the field a track went down to another pool, which was a bit more picturesque.

These dates show when the Water Inspectors visited. I believe they use spray to keep down mosquito numbers. You can see that they visit the area every other week at the moment. So presumably the track through the field is created by them for their benefit only.

Well, hunters would also benefit. I saw a number of shotgun shells as I explored the area here, and it got me thinking. In the Press the hunters were saying that they were environmentalists. Now, my initial reaction to this was to laugh. But think about it. Outside of the Water Inspectors and strange photographers, pretty much the only visitor to this sort of area will be hunters. Nobody else cares about it. Admitedly, that is because it is hard to get to for the average person. I certainly wouldn't want to drive down here in a town car, and especially not in the winter months when parts of the tracks must be quagmires. But when all is said and done, the only people out here appreciating this remote beauty, are the hunters.