Waimate: the wallaby shed (2)
The Canterbury town of Waimate is situated just inland from the South Island's east coast.
It's reached via a short detour west when travelling on S/H1. You can't miss the turn-off: it's indicated by this distinctive shed!
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The reference on the shed is to Waimate's well-known population of Bennett's wallabies (or the Red-necked Wallaby). These were introduced from Australia for sport, and now live wild in the local countryside.
In 1870 a Captain Thomson brought several wallabies from Tasmania to Christchurch. Two females and a male from this stock were brought to Te Waimate and, in 1874, were liberated into nearby hills where over the years their numbers have increased dramatically.
Wallabies now range over approx.350,000 hectares of land and their numbers are so large they are considered pests.
They have little disease and by avoiding their only predators (man and dogs), they can live up to 15 years.
In NZ, there is no seasonal restriction to hunting wallabies, meaning generally they can be hunted throughout the year.
Waimate: the wallaby shed (2)
The Canterbury town of Waimate is situated just inland from the South Island's east coast.
It's reached via a short detour west when travelling on S/H1. You can't miss the turn-off: it's indicated by this distinctive shed!
=====
The reference on the shed is to Waimate's well-known population of Bennett's wallabies (or the Red-necked Wallaby). These were introduced from Australia for sport, and now live wild in the local countryside.
In 1870 a Captain Thomson brought several wallabies from Tasmania to Christchurch. Two females and a male from this stock were brought to Te Waimate and, in 1874, were liberated into nearby hills where over the years their numbers have increased dramatically.
Wallabies now range over approx.350,000 hectares of land and their numbers are so large they are considered pests.
They have little disease and by avoiding their only predators (man and dogs), they can live up to 15 years.
In NZ, there is no seasonal restriction to hunting wallabies, meaning generally they can be hunted throughout the year.