Hack news from 7th April. Next Hack 5th May - please come!

HACK NEWSLETTER: REPORT ON APRIL HACK
The April hack took place on Saturday 7 April.  This month we did something different and moved down Porter Drive into the small holdings area to assist our friends and neighbours the Pringle Bay Hack team.  They are struggling to contain the growth of aliens after the fire a year ago.  In particular the area is threatened by spider gum growth, an abundance of new myrtle shoots and the spread of pines.  The work they have already done is amazing and they are to be commended on what they have achieved in the last few months.

We had a very good turnout considering that we were venturing into new territory.  Attending were: Mark and Linda Butler, Diarmuid Baigrie, Wessie van der Westhuizen, Riel Buys, Duncan and Linda Hiles, Margie Ellis, Anuta Scholtz, Mike Robinson, Geoff Harris, and Dick & Jill Lockley.  Amongst us we had 4 chainsaws which all worked flat out for the full hack period, the new hand saws which being so sharp made a great difference and the large new loppers.  The area allocated was cleared of myrtle, pines and the new growth of spider gums; plus there was considerable weeding of myrtle seedlings.  But we have just scratched the surface and appreciate that there is an enormous amount of work still to be done in that area.  We have agreed therefore to return to the area for the next few hacks to attempt to make a difference.  We would appreciate a few more volunteer hackers to join us please at the next hack on the first Saturday of May i.e. Saturday 5th May.

Thanks go to all who participated for their contribution to this hack.  It was hard work as the terrain is rocky and undulating making hacking difficult but all the hackers coped admirably.  We would also like to thank Hilgard Muller who kindly came up to the Porter Drive gate to open it to let us all through and later in the morning returned to let us out of the small holdings.
After the hack we all enjoyed a magnificent tea hosted by Stephanie and Ian Milne.  Our thanks are expressed to them both for going out of their way to provide such a good spread.

​Please note that we will not be issuing any more of the blue dye/poison in squirty bottles but will be using the new poison “Kaput” which is a blue gel substance already containing dye.  For this we need to paint it onto freshly cut stumps.  Please therefore bring, or give to me before the hack, old paint brushes that you can no longer use for painting and also small glass bottles (mustard pots with tops are ideal) for use with this new gel.
Until the next hack on Saturday 5th May!
Kind regards
Dick Lockley
Convenor of the Rooiels Hack
Tel: 0282738852
Cell: 0834543964
Email: [email protected]