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NewsSUTHERLANDS
HUT SAT 24 SEPTEMBER
The day started fine with rain forecast for the afternoon.
With Sutherlands Hut in the Haurangi Forest Park our tramp’s destination we
should be home before the rain hit. Stan, Vicki, Juliet and Ed, Barry and
Lynne picked me up on the way out. The drive up the Ruakokopatuna road is awesome in itself.
Looking down into the chasm alongside the road makes you hold your breath at
times. It is a very long way down to the bottom. There was a mean breeze to meet us at the end of the road
so we set off quickly to get out of it. Arriving at the hut around 11am we
had smoko / lunch. The sky started changing from blue to gray so we decided
not to hang around too long. One hunter was in residence, but was out hunting.
Five chooks were thawing out on the hut roof, we presumed for the dogs’ tea.
Two more hunters arrived from off the tops saying the wind was very cold up
there. On our way back up the track another quad bike with three
hunters and their unique trailer carrying the supplies passed us headed for
the hut. Near the top of the track we stopped in a warm sunny spot for
another hot drink. A pleasant tramp. Thanks to all who participated. Janet TE MAIPI TAIPOS SAT 1 OCTOBER
What is a taipo? No, not a mistake you make on a keyboard.
There are many of them along the east coast of the North Island, and they’re
steep crags with sharp, rocky tops. The word means devil. Our trip was to Te
Maipi, near Stronvar, where we walked across Bill Shannon’s farm, The Brocken,
and tackled some of these beasts. The weather was perfect – mild, sunny and
calm – and the countryside both on the drive there and during the walk looked
stunningly beautiful. David and Derek took a gentler walk on their own, and the
rest of us headed up a four wheel drive track, stopping on the way for smoko.
The climb up the first taipo was very steep and scrambly but not too long,
and the view from the top was spectacular. A little further south we took on
a bigger one, and found a spot for lunch at the top. Some of the group
cruised up another crag not far away. There was some discussion about the
best route down, all the options being in the category of possible
spontaneous slide territory. Barry threw a small rock down the hill and it
bounced and fell a long, long way. Finally we set off towards a gully and
most of us made our way down there. Stan and Janet went in a slightly
different direction, disappeared out of sight, and eventually reappeared as
specks on the top of a taipo in the distance. They reported that the small
structure we could see from our lunch spot was one of the GNS network of
weather stations around the world, with various bits of technical equipment
safely fenced off from stock. The last walk back to the cars was a gentle stroll through
picture postcard country, with lambs and a small pond adding to the ambience.
On a more practical level, Bill had a very fine outhouse near his woolshed
that turned out to be not a long drop but a flushing toilet complete with
paper. He is a friendly and obliging fellow and his hospitality was very much
appreciated. Derek and David reported that they had a very pleasant walk
through the valleys. Trampers were Juliet and Ed Cooke, Stan Smith, Vicki
Brooks, Janet Corlett, David Lawrence, Derek Wilson, Barry Kempton (trip
leader) and Lynne King (scribe). HEREPAI
HUT 8 OCTOBER
Five of
us left Carterton at 8.15am to tramp up to Herepai Hut. We started walking about
an hour later, through private land for ten minutes or so and then crossed
the first swing bridge. We followed the river edge for a while, over another
swing bridge much higher and longer and started the long haul upwards. A light rain was now falling so on went the coats. We
stopped for morning tea around 10.30, not for long because we were aware that
the predicted southerly was about to hit us late morning. We
arrived at the hut at 12.15 and had lunch. Everyone commented how clean and tidy
the hut was. It poured with rain and we only stayed half an hour. We passed a
hunter coming up to stay at Roaring Stag and later two men and three boys who
were going there as well. There was
only light rain now and again, and we arrived back at the cars around 3.30. Those who
came were Vanessa Sugrue, Ed and Juliet Cooke, and Mary and Bruce Lambert
organisers for the day. OTARAIA RUAMAHUNGA RIVER WALK 15 OCTOBER Eleven hardy souls met in the
Martinborough Square at 9 am. The weatherman predicted it would be fine but
after heavy showers overnight it was overcast and threatening. We proceeded
south to the Otaraia woolshed where we parked our cars and headed off to the
river about a kilometre away. It was fine at this stage but it wasn't long before
the showers arrived and they just kept coming. We followed the river south,
walking mostly along the stopbank. By smoko time it was pouring but
we managed to spot an empty hayshed which was a good shelter. We carried on
walking by the river until about 11.40 when we headed toward the sandhills
and home. The rain cleared about 12.20 so we had lunch in the well grassed
sandhills. Here we got caught with electric fences on a boundary fence,
finally finding a section with missing battens we could get through. The
farms we walked through were in great order with plenty of long grass,
although quite wet. We were Kay & David Bowie with
grandson Saul, Bruce Eglinton, Jenny Duggan, Mary & Bruce Lambert, Dave
Lawrence, Helen Morison, Stan Smith and Derek Wilson. |
