Spring bulbs for Frank

 

Kevin Whitelaw is in Wanaka today. Fresh Spring flowers for Frank, and a beautiful message on a stone that reads:

To my uncle Frank with love Louise. " Beyond the Skyline"

Thank you Kevin, looks like a beaut day down there... enjoy!

55th Anniversary Frank and Johnny

June 01 1965

Frank Erceg

John Cumming

Gone most definitely not forgotten. 

Frank loved wild flowers, he tied rata blooms to the grill of his Land Rover, and always had a jar of fresh flowers in his cabin on the Arawhata. Managed to find these, but slim pickings this time of year out the in west Auckland bush. 

Johnny Cumming

Frank Erceg

Bro's n Arrows

A morning session at Full Draw Archery in Christchurch. Carl's there most Sunday mornings practising with Frank's 1960 Ben Pearson hunting bow. I always go when I'm down and really enjoy it. This time we managed to get Peter along for a try out on the range.

For more on Frank's bow, and how we got it from Bill Henderson, read the post from 29 May 2017,  it's a great story. 

Please visit:

fulldrawarchery.co.nz

for more info on the club.

My target chart

Carl bombing my photo

Peter with Frank's bow

Carl, Peter and me, at Full Draw Archery in Heathcote, Christchurch.

Huts, hunting and writing ... including Nolans Hut

Kevin Whitelaw and Hamish Menzies keeping the memory alive. These images are from their trip down to South Westland, December 2018.

Tomorrow, June 01 marks the 54th anniversary of Frank Erceg and Johnny Cumming's death. Thanks Kevin and Hamish for allowing me to use your images for this post, and great to have some of Kevin in there, he's been there from the get go supporting the Frank Erceg Project. Kevin is passionate about recording our hunting past and it was nice to receive his latest publication in the mail last week:
New Zealand's Hunting Legends Book 2, available to purchase at: https://www.rodandrifle.co.nz/store/p6/legendstwo.html#/

Nice mention of Frank and Vic on the Keith Richards tribute page.

So last Decemebr and the text comes in from Kevin...

"...going to South Westland Friday ..might have another Frank day. "

And they did.


Check out the post from July 2013 for the first Frank day. Here's a photo from that one:

Frank Erceg Day 2013

Reliving the Dream. Kevin outside Nolans Hut. December 2018

And the memory lives on. Hamish Menzies garage. Great poster, wonder if Ken Tustin has seen it : ) 

Reads: This hut was erected August 1949 by Terrence J Nolan and Jack Burke. Tools used 2 axes, 1 cross-cut saw 1 Hammer. Built with Heart of Totara.

Wow what an amazing record of the hut build. (Just click on image to enlarge). Graffiti on the wall beneath the window and partially hidden by table with portraits of who built the hut, all the tools required and the date.

Hut life, crackers and cheese, and don't forget the whisky !

Nobby Norris hut in the Okuru River Valley opposite Franklin Creek. South Westland.

Some good meat for the freezer here.

Nolans Hut, link to Doc Site:

https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/west-coast/places/whataroa-area/things-to-do/huts/nolans-hut/

https://tramper.nz/6497/nolans-hut/

Nobby Norris Hut with some great images:
https://bogholesandbuckethats.com/2018/06/24/norris-hut/


Images on this post: Copyright Hamish Menzies and Kevin Whitelaw 2018.

Family

In May, Carl and I visited cousin Allan Erceg. We looked through some of George's memorabilia. And a very odd carving Frank Woolf gave to Allan - a wooden leg by Frank Erceg. I could imagine Frank sitting in a hut, perhaps it was pissing down outside and bored out of his wits; as he whittled away he found the shape lent toward such an undertaking. 

We talked about family and shared stories. And of course the visit included venison steaks for lunch! Here's a selection of images from our afternoon:

Me with one of Frank's rifles, brother Carl and cousy Allan.

Looking through some of George Erceg's albums

Leg carved by Frank. Note charred section on front, looks like Frank Woolf may have saved it from being firewood. The writing in felt pen was done in recent years by Frank Woolf. 

Allan's daughter, Xanthe, holds up one of her grandfather's ribbons. This one dated 1970. George's axes still kept in their original  case.

I recall as a child, we took family trips to Hanmer Springs and watched uncle George in the Axemen's Competitions. The highlight for me was the thrill of seeing him scale the vertical log and inserting the jiggerboards to reach the top. If you ever get a chance and haven't seen these men in action, its a must see experiencing these shows.
For more on the Axemen association and their history in nNew Zealand go to:
www.nzaxemen.org.nz

Allan's son Tom, continues the Erceg tradition of hunting. His first helicopter trip with his dad on venison recovery. Awatere Valley, Marlborough. 2017.

 Fledgling hunter... watch out, here comes another Erceg! Tom's Grandad would be proud. Awatere Valley, Marlborough. April 2017.

Allan and I talked about his work, and that he's back doing venison recovery,  and the only Erceg in our immediate family of our generation who's worked in the industry employed as a professional hunter.  Allan divides his time between venison recovery and his work in the timber industry. A combination of his father's passions for hunting and chopping wood! He's definitely his father's son through and through.

Tom Erceg, the next generation of Erceg hunters. Clarence. Marlborough.

Monach of the Glen painted when I was eighteen. 

One of the reasons for the visit was to retrieve a painting I had gifted to George many years ago. As a teenager I took up oil painting, and I'm not sure what possessed me to paint Landseer's Monach of the Glen. But I did. After completing it, it seemed fitting to offer it to my uncle, and was displayed proudly in his lounge for many years. It now hangs in my writing studio alongside Frank's stag and Gordon's photo - and how prophetic it seems all these years later, that here I am writing a book on Frank and his brothers and deer hunting, and that this majestic animal is now such a huge part of my life.

Gordon Roberts RIP

Gordon Roberts passed away on January 28, age 83. Will miss our phone calls and all the great conversations had over these past few years. He was always so passionate and supportive of the Frank story and it's sad he wont get to see the book done. And doubly so as this year I'm into it, with other work done I now have the space to write the book.



This post is from 2012 ...Rest in Peace Gordon.


The last few weeks I've been looking through Gordon Roberts books, the New Zealand wildlife photographer. His quote on Frank being the inspiration for taking up photography is in my first post. In both books Game Animals of New Zealand and High Country Four Seasons Gordon mentions Frank in the introduction. 
I've interviewd Gordon, he's a wealth of knowledge, very passionate about the project and one of my key people for answering any questions I may have  on the finer aspects of being a hunter turned wildlife photographer.

In the introduction for Game Animals Gordon writes  how he spent a winter's night in the Hunter Valley with Frank and Wattie Cameron. At that time he was early on in his hunting career and hunting professionally for the New Zealand Forestry Service. That night in the hut a discussion started on stalking and photographing wild animals. Gordon maintained all one needed to be a good photographer was to be a good hunter, Frank and Wattie weren't in agreement on this. Camera skills and other attributes came into it.
Gordon soon realised all this with his early years photographing wild animals, but he persevered and also got a lucky break when he was employed as a guide for John Johns the NZFS senior photographer.
He told me his hunting skills and knowledge of tahr country helped him to get the job and working with John set him on the path that led to a successful career as a wildlife photographer. He also said he never forgot that night in the hut with Frank and Wattie and the lively discussion they shared.

I especially love the photos of the tahr in Game Animals, I love all the photos! But my favourite is a shot on page 111 of a bull tahr. He's a very handsome specimen, and is looking directly into the camera, his thick coat swirls about his chest and a ridge of bristly hair sits up on his back, maybe these are indicators that he's clocked Gordon?
The captured movement of the coat adds a dramatic contrast to his fixed gaze and the craggy rock face setting. Its a sublime photo and I find myself turning to that page often to study it and immerse myself in the various textures and atmosphere.

So right now I'm fascinated with these animals, especially after some You Tube searches watching them run up and down unbelievably steep  mountain sides with ease. They are true masters and mistresses - love the nannies too - of their lofty domain.

Gordon says photographing tahr is the most demanding due to their challenging alpine habitat and he decided some years ago to focus on these animals. (P8 introduction Game Animals).
The last section of the book shows this commitment to securing stunning shots of tahr in some unbelievably difficult situations and locations. Viewing these fine photographs with many shots showing heads turned to the click of the camera or the animals displaying a posture that indicates they are sensing something just beyond the bush line. I feel as if I'm right there trying hard not to be heard or scented. Stunning.

I borrowed both books from the library, so if you want to see these great photos and haven't they shouldn't be hard to find.

I mentioned the Tahr image to Gordon,  he sent me a signed photo. Soon to be framed and on the wall!

NZ Outdoor Hunting 80th Anniversary Issue

NZOH 80th Anniversary Collectors Issue October/November. Available in many bookstores and supermarkets, with my feature article titled: Strange Finds Myths and Legends of the Outback and Wilderness New Zealand. Where I shed light and peek readers curiosity with tales of: the sightings of Big Cats in Canterbury, a skeleton found at Cavern Head in Preservation Inlet, Ken Tustin and the elusive Moose of Fiordland, and the Lost Ruby Mine of the Olivines and more...much more. 

Also on Page 46,  Frank Erceg makes a great profile opposite  Gary Johnson in a then and now comparison with gear and hunting weapons from Frank's era to the latest contemporary equipment around, with great photos of them both doing what they love and in Frank's case past tense: what he loved. Was really awesome when Gary contacted me to suggest he use Frank as the person for the reflection of how it was for trampers hunters back then compared to now.  

Go buy your copy now!!!!