The Return to Penn Creek

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THE PETURN TO PENNREK. Nov. 5/7th. Along with 18 other "serdines" Ellon Slattery, wella Hobbs, Laurie Noiison and Terry Moore headed for the Open Weekend at Otaki Forks - a. typo of trip we would like to see frequently on the schedulo. We ground our way up to Fiolds in company with Barry and Loigh (an astounding type who composes, AND SINGS, songs while on ths Field Track), and after a brov vont to bed about 1a.m. Saturday, the breekfast cooks slept until woken by Leurie stating that broakfast was ready - good old Lauric. The provieus night's threat of rain did not come about - the sky was overast but the weather lookod good. Whilo cating we toyed with the idea of doing a Southern Crossing, a Neill-Hinchcombo or going to the Tararua Peaks but decided to carry out our original intention of Ponn Creek to the Gorgo and then the attempt up the track on the true left of the river to Weitewaowae. "le loft about 8 as scheduled and tremped up on to Table Topo Then Wella, Jim Dawson and I went down Penn after the Club's Southern i.nFebruary we headed approximately East off the flat on Table Top until we hit Penn and then followed down the Creek, the all inclusive time for that trip being 4 hours. This time we took the ridge which runs off approximtely North from the top of Table Top intending to follow this down to the Gorge and reckoning on a saving of about an hour on our time. It was not to be. Soon we were wrestling with the scrub. Creeping, crawling, sliding and barging our way through - oh, that axe hendle! After some considerable time we came into the first of the taller trees where tho going was a little easier and evontually found oursalves in Penn Creck - well away from the Gorge. "Invintor" Noilson iod navigatod a bit wrong but wo did not hold it agsirst him 23 WG cond not hevs done any botter ourselves. ie sterto! boulder-hopping, rock siimbire, Wr ding and fording down the Cresk, storping on rcuto for lunch, while Ellen's two diie 11 the wotor providod the mere ur103 with S.ae addod amusemont, Perr Crock ias sone really beautifui scenery to ctfor any who do not Tiad a scrub push to see it. T.10 rush and roar of the water; the gootis lapping by the edge of the doop, qaiet pocl 35 the thundor of the sipgor water! 11s contrasted with ons pleasant inkle of the smali oncs; all sut hermingly in smei: borges and tLo nore opon strei.hus whore the Crouk bed widons, te chole surrounded by bush covernu hills gashed lu plecos by lorgo alipso After lwish we kopt on down stream nd evorturlly came to the Gorgo - traveliing time from Fields (oxcluding onlj the lunch spell) ws almost 61 hours - owing to that we do not recommend this routo to any other Penn Croek bound trampors. it the Gorge to our Amazement - and more to his - WG sce Pod "ilno. He was beund for Vhitomaewe.o too - only honling thero via the Gorge Track 11 the way - and te hed quite a job convincing him that he was only nt Penn Croeko The time waS now about 3pom. end aS WO knew it would trke at loast eight hours up the track we turned in the last part of our programme. We had a look t the track, following it for a. little wey, andicre Elad thrt we were not trying to go along it with packs co I would dvise anyone trying this track to carry slashers. We started mking camp in an idyllic spot. We were tho proud possessors of our own little sandy bonch fronting a large pool; for cur "boudoir" Wa had a small platonu - well sheltered ty troes - the "flcor" covered by forns. We built our camp fire with he plentiful supply of dry wood, mede a brow, and then strotched cut for a glorious sun bath. Loter on we propared our stow and fuit while Rod also cookod up some sago - unfortunstoly by the time it WC.3 ready the rost 0? 1s had gorged ourselvos to repletion and could not parteke of it, After tea WG tried ecling in the big pool and geve two of the inhebitants a horriblo shock even though we could not quite suceed in lending them end then sat round the camp fire until 9.30 when we turnea 12 to be lulled to sloop by the sound of the river. Saturday's bronkfast cooks were going to rise at 6 to i get breakfast and after being awake at 5.30 woke again about 7.15 to find the fire on - Laurie again . we pulled out about 8.45 and linked up to cross the river. On the other bank my toss into the shallows now provided amusement. We started off elong the track which is certainly a bit "hniry" in parts * particulerly where it crosses some of the shingle slides which go right down to the river hundreds of feet bolow. You get glimpses of the river which almost make you wish that you were swimming down its (from that height) quiet beauty instend of grinding your way up and down, crossing shingle slides and circumavigatinevigating win dfalls. Wio had plenty of timo to spare so did not set too fast a pace and on coming on to tho plateau out of the bush line we stoppod for lunch bofore pushing on to the Cottngo to meot the rest of tho party. So out to the truck where amusement was provided for all (bar the perticipants) by the spilt billy of tea that had been so painstakingly prepared by Jim Dawson and Co. Into the truck with four more than we ceD me up with until we dropped Johnny and Cyril off at Oteki loaving the "comfortable" numbor of 24 for the trip to Wellington. We all (even Ellen in spite of bruises and scratches) agree that it was a grent trip. iro thore any volunteers to try another now route down to Penn? WG hove one alroady picked out for our next trip to that well a worth - visiting area. T.M.