The Beautiful Lake Rotoiti District

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TIM BAUTIFUL LAKE ROTOITI DISTRICT. This Christnas Laurio Noilson has onticod a perty to acconpenyhim into the Lako Potoiti - IIt. Travers arnao In 1940- tho Ruc Sac Tranping Club complated a tripin this vally including a climb of IIt. Trevrrs. -Lrurin discloins any intention of going alpinist but wo prosant oxcorpts from writtenaccounts intho brlinf that many nore should visit "Tho Brautiful Leko Rotoiti Pistrict." Th- perty boatrd to Nlson and-fron thrre went-by bus through Richnond, Makofinld and Bolgrovo "past-the porfnctly squarc-cut Bon Navis, Ovor Spoonors Rangoo From this is obtrinda fino ponorama-of thr country travollod through, with Nolson away in thr distancr. Bryond tho crost, thr hills aro plentnd-with young trocs, and lot us-hope that in tho yoars to como thoy will broak the prosent nonotony of bero hills. On Wo Went-through Tlotupiho, crossing"the Moturka Pivor twoor thror tines; then a stopat Korore, whoro a good dinner Tas Servod. ThenTophous = and-then Lako Rotoiti"eudd-nly eppeared. -Hravy clouds Woro hanging in thr direction"w had to tak, and Wo anticiprted a ducking bofore tho night was Ovoro Tho lako itsolf was as smooth as 2 nirror. Clouds which hung half-way down the hillson cach sidn of tho lako WoTo slowly lifting, and I wondored what Rotoiti had in store for us. All but two of tho party had comp from W-llington, and I think all w-T-impressad with thrir first vinw of the lekr. Storos w-Tr"unpacked and Wr boerdnd Mr. Stratford's launch, IPolianca', which was docked out with bunting. Hr."Stratford is justly proud of Rotoiti, and tho boys aloft know whon som point of intorost was bring passed by tho listing of thn launch. On tho lafthand sido of the lako-the bush comrs down to tho wator's ndge, and tho source of thr Bullor Pivor ison tho right-hann sidre- Half-way up, -tho-loko on this sido was fairly baro as arosult of a firesomo 13yoars ago which-burnt-for 3 Wooks, finally bring subdund by rain; but troes are starting to grow again. -Rotoiti is 2,000 foet abovo Soa lovol. Th lako is nicoly Srt with stnop bush-covered-hills to thr mast and "est and tho Travers-Valley to tho South. With-hoavy loads-wo took about-thren hours from thr hrad of tho lrko to the spot whore Wo pitched canp." Loter thr same distrnco took loss than ono hour. "ho canp was pitchrd in bnoch bush (ell the bush in tho valloy is bonch) nrar sone grassy flats. Tho noxt day, Christnas Day, was sunny, and Wo had timo to apprecicto-tho numbors and varinty of bird-lifo in this valloy. He had Soon paradise duck tho dey boforo end-thry Woro Vory connon. Thoy illustretnd-for us tho brokon wing stunt by which thry attract onomios atray from thrir young. A fow gray duck woro Sonn.- Koas woro ofton hoard and sonotimos sien, and kakas Wore oftrn hoard screnching as thry flow by. Boll-birds Wore Vrry plontiful and Woro a roal dolight to liston too sang all day-1 long and gavo a chorus-in tho orrly noEne ing. Tuis Woro fairly comnon. A fav yollow-heads Woro Sorn and onn or two fantails and groyerbl-rs. -Tho bush wron was overywh-re, but I did not Son tho 'riflenan'; and I saw just two tontits. - Tho bird Wo sav nost was tho friondly robin. Thoro was always ono, or a pair, round our camp Snarching for insncts. Thoy would como Vory closo, hopping on to logs in thr firoand on to our boots and in botwoon our logs. Thoy Woro not tho lrast bit shy. - Fivo of thr boys-took provisions and mado-a baso camp-high-T up the valloy, fron which they climbad Mt. Travors. Thoy loft a littlo bofore nid-day (this was on tho Monday) vith food for about four days. "hontho food was sorted out thry found thrydid not havo nough for four days, so thry hit on a schono to como in rach night tirod-out and go to bod without toa - but it didn't work." "ritos Hax Roborts, "A littlo past tho Arnst-Gully Wo obtain-donr first vioty of Ift. Travers and bofore long Wo got a porp at Hop-loss and up thr Hop-l-ss Stroam. Tp to horo Wo-had bonn crossing munrrous grassy flats, but Wo soon entored-tho bush and followed a blazed track made by Goverm-nt doer cullers who woroopereting in thr district. To cenpod about 5p.n. ettho junction of tho Tra- Vors Stroam with ths Trevers-Tiver. It was raining noxt day, but in th-oft-rnoon, We wont up a bunp of about 6,000 ftr and-mot a snowstorn on top. -Thoygrow hugn Vogotablo shorp down thrres TE measuredonn woll over 9 foot long and about 4 fort widr. "iodnosday startod wot, but showed signs of cloaring lotor, s0 wo all loft it 11a.m. to try Trevors: Twenty minutes tookus abovo tho bush lino up thr Trovors Strram. TE escrmed storp tussock and shingle slopos to rock, whore-We hrltrd for a nibblo of biscuits and aviow of-Littlo Twin Prak through mist but whon camores camo out tho prakhid itsolf and Wo saw no morco To wont on up stoop but pasy rock and scroe to thsnow at about 6,000 Ft. From horn was an rasy clinb up sterp snow to a Iow prak,-and thrn over rock to a highorbunp which Wo know was tho top by a trig end P tin of provious asconts. It wasnow 3p.m. and snowing, so aftor photos and chocolate Wo dopartod. wo clissaded down tho snow and-did our best with tho seror, and errived at canp somowhoro about 5p.m.

On Thursday (a porfoct day) wo Sot out to concuer Littlo Twin. HowoVer, it prosrnted nothing but shorr rock faces from our side; so Wo had a loolround and saw tho obvious way up, but it was too lato to attompt it thon. "hilo this"clinbing was in prograss th--ronpindor of the perty was onjoying itsolf in 2-loss strenuous" manner. Hilda Holland Tont back to Nolson to work brtween-Christmns and Now Yrar. -Sho writrs, "At twenty to six Wdnosday norning, thr lako was sproad with fog liko a finn woolly blankot, which slowly cloared-end vanish-d. Looking back fron thr launch, tho snow-topp-d"hills across tho hoad ofthe valloy inspired a dosirs to Sne tho lako in its wintor dross. This ms"of"coursnjtfipe-hoturstbaform-tha-clihblng party startod up Trav-rs,-On Sundayou four of-thr party wont around-tho lako to son-Wniskey Falls. Tho falls are in thron tiors, tho lowor one fallingebout-130 ft. in a mighty showor of sprey which splashod some 25ft." Laurin intends clinbing out of tho-hrad of the vally (about 6,000 ft.) and down-into-the Sabino following this to Lako Potoroa whoro ho hopos to pick up Don Collings and procood "across country" to Lako Rotoiti Baso Camp. iergaret-Soulsby is leeding tho mein trip to Lako Rotoiti whrre tho party will bo basod and-indulgo in "short tramping and climbing trips." wo hevo hrard from rolisblo sourcos that tho area will bo considerably populatad - thr Tererua, Manewatu, Auckland, Brooklyn and Paua Clubs will all bo prosent. Mannors Stront on Friday night!