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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 23, 2010 22:34:49 GMT 12
While I was at Wigram, in the spring/summer of 1992, I was selected to go on an exercise which was specifically for deploying people from the base who were not attached to operational units that went on exercise often (ie PTS with Wise Owl exercises, etc) so lots of Admin, Accounts, Suppliers, and mechanical bay staff went along. It was a really fun camp with lots of activities like abseiling, rock climbing, camping by yourself for a night in a hoochy, etc. We had a schedule of things to do and were in teams, and it all seemed to be run by the PTI's, who woke us each morning with a thunderflash thrown into the tents. My tent had all Tech Squadron guys there, and I rememebr Sean Eccles was one of the tent mates who kept us hugely amused with his comedy routines, plus I think Virgil Claire was in my tent too. And there was a bar tent and lots of sunshine and great atmosphere. Am Iroquois was deployed on the camp too.
Now, the place where this happened was I believe called Fox Creek, and I am wondering where the heck that is. We left Christchurch in a bus and drove about three or four hours, and all I know is that we stopped halfway there for a pie at a little village called Oxford, which i assume is North Canterbury.
The venue, we were told, was not defence land or conservation dept etc, but was in fact a farm owned privately, by a couple who enjoyed having the military stay there and apparently the farm (or station as the South Islanders tend to call it) had numerous RNZAF and Army exercises held on it, and perhaps Navy too.
I'm keen to find out where this place was, as I never saw it on a map and wonder just where the heck were we at. Does anyone know? Did anyone else here have an exercise there?
The only other clue I have is about a year or more later the place made the news because a massive wild dog was roaming the couintryside and was killing sheep. The Army had sent in two or three specialist snipers who tried for a mnth or so to get it, and had no luck. I have a feeling in the end they got the SAS in but I don't know if they ever got the dog.
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Post by strikemaster on Nov 23, 2010 22:55:31 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 24, 2010 10:00:31 GMT 12
In Westland? If that's the right spot, I would never have guessed Westland. Thanks!
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Post by steveh on Nov 24, 2010 17:41:43 GMT 12
Dave, if the Foxes Creek you remember was the same as in Strikemasters link, would you have remembered going over Arthurs Pass? If your memory of Oxford is also correct, then I doubt Foxes creek on the West Coast is the right one. My NZ Atlas shows a Foxs creek north of White Rock,as a tributary of the Okuku River which in turn is a tributary of the Ashley. I seem to remember the story of the sheep killer dogs & snipers as being in North Canterbury which would also tie in with this & your memories of Oxford. Steve.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 24, 2010 17:49:44 GMT 12
Yes, I thought it was North Canterbury. It wasn't raining for the week we were there so it can't have been in Westland. I definately don't recall going through Arthurs Pass, but it's a long time ago.
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Post by strikemaster on Nov 24, 2010 18:24:27 GMT 12
This is interesting; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston,_New_Zealand I wonder if Fox had anything to do with the naming of Fox Glacier? There might be a ton of places named after him, making it that little bit harder.
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Post by beagle on Nov 24, 2010 18:54:01 GMT 12
when you said 1/2 way through a 3, maybe 4 hour bus ride, I knew it was either a slow bus or you took the long way around to Oxford. If it had been over the coast they probably would have flown ya over.
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Post by phil on Nov 24, 2010 19:24:10 GMT 12
There's a Fox creek just north west of Rangiora, seems a more likely candidate.
If I can get google maps to load I'll post a link.
It runs into the Okuku river.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 24, 2010 20:29:24 GMT 12
Beagle, maybe it didn't take that long, not sure, it did seem a long way though. I will scan the handful of photos I have from the camp in the next few days when I get to a scanner.
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Post by steveh on Nov 24, 2010 21:36:07 GMT 12
Beagle, maybe it didn't take that long, not sure, it did seem a long way though. I will scan the handful of photos I have from the camp in the next few days when I get to a scanner. You sure your watch hands weren't a bit blurry at the time Dave? That can sure affect ones perception of time. ;D Steve.
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Post by Bruce on Nov 24, 2010 22:09:07 GMT 12
Its not the "Eyre River" where Auster NZ1703 Crashed on Army Co-op exercises is it? (wreckage is still there somewhere)
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Post by agile on Nov 25, 2010 15:20:05 GMT 12
Its not the "Eyre River" where Auster NZ1703 Crashed on Army Co-op exercises is it? (wreckage is still there somewhere) As noted by Steve & Phil, there is a Fox Creek which runs into the Okuku River NW of White Rock, which in turn is NW of Rangiora. The Eyre River is a tributary of the Waimakariri, quite a bit further south towards Christchurch. I have ridden the Eyre from the Waimak confluence to Oxford (pretty much the whole length of it)on my adventure bike a couple of times - no sign of Auster bits (alhough I wasn't looking) , it is pretty well developed with dairy farms both sides most of the way up. Surprising that wreckage would still be there, it's pretty accessible.
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Post by agile on Nov 25, 2010 15:36:02 GMT 12
It occurs to me that going through Oxford is not by way of being the most direct route to that Fox Creek, however, as from Christchurch you would go via Rangiora and Loburn (about 50min from central Christchurch). So perhaps there is another one. According to TopoMap Pro, there are 6 in the South Island, but all the rest are in Westland or Golden Bay.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 25, 2010 18:38:59 GMT 12
I guess it's possible the farm called Fox Creek has no actual relation to an actual Fox Creek. I'm surprised no-one else here knows the place if the military used it regularly.
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Post by beagle on Nov 25, 2010 18:40:43 GMT 12
Can ya remember what sort of pie you got.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 25, 2010 18:43:07 GMT 12
Oxford Pie maybe ;D
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Post by Bruce on Nov 25, 2010 18:49:07 GMT 12
It would be realistic to go there via Oxford and the Ashley gorge from Wigram - it would avoid having to go through the city.... (I'm not a local but I did drive through that area exploring on Holiday a few years ago!)
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Post by beagle on Nov 25, 2010 19:54:34 GMT 12
You would get a real flash tasty pie there now as thats where the infamous Jo Segar resides.
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Post by agile on Nov 26, 2010 7:21:48 GMT 12
It would be realistic to go there via Oxford and the Ashley gorge from Wigram - it would avoid having to go through the city.... (I'm not a local but I did drive through that area exploring on Holiday a few years ago!) You would avoid the city, but end up taking twice as long as the road through Ashley Gorge, Lees Valley and over the Okuku Pass is seriously windy and rough, and has rather a splendid ford over the Okuku River. No doubt all grist to the driver's mills though. It is a favourite with the local adventure riders - and I have seen several people take an unplanned bath in that ford. I was through there a fortnight ago, as it happens.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 26, 2010 10:50:39 GMT 12
Here are the photos I took (that I can find) Tent lines (not the mountain bikes for one of the activities, also the fire siren and the fact we were allowed a mix of civil and RNZAF dress by the looks) Abseiling The helipad
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