After setting the bar high in regards to big boars and wicked footage the pressure was on to make Adventure #2 better again.  

How about more of a back story someone suggested - a reason for why you are out there. 

I thought just getting epic footage and thrashing new gear was enough of a reason until a week or so later everything seemed to click in place.  

A meeting with Steve Barclay one of NZ's leading taxidermists lead to him delivering some wicked mounts up for our new outlet store. You need a big boar above the door he mentioned and my reply was that at the cost for good taxidermy I had never caught one worth mounting!  You catch one and I'll mount it for ya he offered. 

All of the sudden the reason and purpose of the hunt was settled. We not only needed to capture wicked footage but to call the trip a success I needed a big blue boar!  

I called Shaun to break to good news about the opportunity to mount a good boar and incorporate it into the filming.....oh shit he replied you don't make things easy - I thought the focus was just on getting footage he grumbled but now it includes a big boar as well!  The pressure was on and could we do it?

One week out before driving down I knew both the dogs and I could do with a few more kilometers on the clock - especially if we wanted to keep up with Shaun and his super fit Southern dogs. 

We drove around and around the tracks with the dogs racing along getting a great workout and before long the kids were squawking to stop for a feed. Oh well I thought, might be best I do some walking as well whilst the kids have lunch. 

The dogs had other ideas and settled in near the bike looking for crusts and leftovers. "Bugger off" I said and sent them off into the bush so the kids could eat lunch in peace. 

Five minutes later with lunch gone and the kids fed, my dogs still hadn't returned. 

As I packed the last remnants of lunch away the first bark went up and I immediately thought the buggers must be chasing a deer? After all there hadn't been a pig on this place for months. 

First rule - never doubt your dogs - second Rule - If something can go wrong it will. 

With a huge scoff more barks the dogs pulled up a boar just below the bike. 

Our fitness session had just erupted into a full on pig hunt. 

After hearing a yelp from one of the dogs my heart sunk - the last thing I needed was a dinged up dog and it sounded like the pig had connected.

Slipping and sliding off the track the pig and dogs were a mere 80 meters straight down. I moved in to a nice even 2 dog bail to get a clear shot and after a few seconds of peek a boo around a punga I managed to settle things down with a well placed shot. 

Looking at the amount of blood around my heart sunk and I quickly checked over the dogs. 

The kids arrived and were buzzing as they had seen the whole thing unfold safely from up the hill further - "Dad that pig just about honed you up" my young fella mentioned, check the dogs for me mate I think one of them will have a few holes. 

Yep Murphy's law they say and my main dog was badly ripped across her back leg. 

Pressure and bandages from our first aid kit got her to the vets and 14 stitches later she was relegated to the couch for the next few weeks. 

I got the workout I needed and with 2 little kids cheering me on I tackled the steep climb out as quick as I could.

This changed everything and plans to drive down quickly evolved into flying with one dog from Tauranga to Christchurch and before we knew it I was lounging around in Shaun's Dmax talking of big blue boars and just hoping that my one little bailing dog would help us secure the trophy boar I wanted for our new outlet store.