Tauwharenikau Open Weekend and Upper Tauwharenikau Gorge Rescue Party

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TAUWHARENIKAU OPEN WGBKEND AND UPPER TAUWHARENIKAU GORGE RISGUE PARTY March 4-6th (and 7th.for some). At the last moment through lack of the necessary permission to go to Hutt Forks the trip was switched to Tauwharenikau - wor se luck you will see as the tale unfolds. Off on the Friday night and after picking up the Hutt bods we were 19 strong in the persons of Inez Bluck, Diana Collings, Betty Evans, Mary Lowe, Joy Parsons, Betty Brewster, Agnes Wells, Vera Morgan (T.T.C. who had missed her Southern Crossing Truck), Keith Garbutt (Leader), Walla Hobbs, Trev Walsh, Stan Kinder, Dennis O'Neill, Ian Hindmarsh, Wesley Secker, Dave Lowe, Cyril Jacquard, Barrie O'Donnell and Terry Moore. An innovation on this trip (and a very pleasant one too) was the presence of Dave's mother, Mary Lowe, wh. I hear, had her training in Otago tramping areas. Arriving at the foot of the Puffer most of us were still clad in "Longs" and sandshoes and we proceeded to make camp and put on a brew while Betty E.,Wesley and Cyril pushed on to Smith's. After the brew we eventually got to bed with a marvellous star-lit night enveloping us a who wants to sleep in huts? Not long after lights out Jim Dawson passed on his way to Smiths, to be followed later by amini-turs procession of 'Varsity and Boy Scouts. Blucky had to be forcibly restrained as the Boy Scouts went through. At 7.30 next morning (exactly on schedule) we left the four "Piking Hikers" and made off up the Puffer. At the top Ian headed off for Cone, while Inez, Diana, Joy, Mary, Betty Bo, Agnes, Vera, Walla, Deve, Barrie and I struck off on a fair animal track through scrub and a few patches of bush towards the Power Lines. We stuck to the ridge all the way with frequent comments of"just over the next rise," to spur ourselves ono On reaching the Power Lines we followed up the wide track to the top obtaining on the way good views of Wairarapa, Lake Wairarroa, the Aorangi Range and some funny toy cars crawling up and down a miniature road over the Rimutakas. Where the Power Line track started down hill to Featherston we struck back through the bush about due West to the top of the ridge gfollowing an old blazed track through fairly open bush before striking down a ridge running about due North. En route we found first of all the peg for Block 1 and later found the peg for Blocks 11, 111, and 1V. Have you been along Block 1 Track? We have! After some more ridge travelling we struck off down a fairly (too) steep spur running down to Smith's Creek. En route we crossed a small creek and just to add interest Dave followed it down while we ploughed on through bush followed by a swamp and hook grass, eventually finding Smith's about 10 minutes from the Hut which was reached 8 hours after leaving the foot of the Puffer. At the Hut we found the "Piking

Hikers" and Jim and Cyril; Betty E., Wes., and Ian having gone to Cone. This trip was really pleasant and our time is no indication of the time it could be done in.. We had beautiful weather and did not feel like, or have the need tos hurry, so we took it fairly easilyo From the top of the Powor Line Track there is a broad open ridge running off about North East straight down to the Lower Tauwharenikau Gorge. This route we hear is most likely more practicable than the one we took as on reaching the gorge at the base of the ridge there is a good ford to the trueleft of the river from which runs a good blazed track almost to the crossing at Smith's Creek a well worth trying some time. The remainer of Saturday afternoon was spent in swimming, sunbathing, preparing tea and later on before tea a running fight of the "Cowboys and Indians" variety with zest added by the use of the "Pirates" swords from the Hut Opening. Rod Milne arrived in about this t ime. After tea everyone settled down for a while but not for longo Soon a lively dispute arose between those who wished to (or professed to) sing "I'll Give You One-0" and those who didn't ant it sungo Another item of interest was the attempt to cut Cyril's "perm" - we still don't know how he got in the top windor: to hide on the top bunk from our booby trap over the door; and we must here place on record en amazing fact a Cyril had enough food for at least two people: What happened Cyril conscience? About 9.30 or so, things quietened down (maybe through exhaustior) and everyone hit the sack, Just before 10 p.Il. Walla and I decided to sleep out so we took our gear and went to our Hut Opening camp site. At 10.10 just as we were dropping off to sleep two torches flashed at us and Deve and Rod appeared. They pouncod on us to drag us out of our bags. At 10.15 before they had barricaded the Hut door properly we barged in and had a right royal donneybrook, until we went back to bed at 10.30. Sleeping peacefully at 12.15 Walla and I were woken again, this time by Keith and Deve with the news that two 'Versity runners had arrived with the news that a Tararua party hed struck trouble in the Upper Tauwahrenikau Gorge. They needed help to bring out Kath Jamieson who at that time had a suspected fractured pelvis through falling down a twenty foot bank at the foot of the spur before False Spur running off the South Beehive.Barnor 3:rclays.nd Dudley Jones had run out - Dudley to Cone and Barney to the 'Varsity Camp. We decided to leave at dawn the same as 'Varsity but after a few minutes spent in talking it over after Keith and Dave had gone back we changed our minds so Wella and I got up, went back to the Hut and got the boys up, Cyril last ofcourse. I hear that Stan considers he was shanghaid into this affair - Keith woke him saying "How about you * will you be in?" Stan with thoughts of food and food alone ofcourse said "yes." Anyway, we were soon all up and packing while Barrie made a fine job of the breakfast for us. Gear was cut to a minumum and you should have seen the results we obtsined by pooling our food: At 2.10 am we started out. For the first twenty minutes or so our ranks were glad with song but soon everyone just tramped - I for one hed no energy left over for singing. (0.K.,I can't sing anyway - so what?) Arriving at the 'Varsity Camp we stopped for fifteon minutes to get the gen. from Barney as to exactly where the Tararua party was camped - Barney in* cidentally looked a wreck at that stage. After getting our directions we pushod on again arriving at Cone 22 hours out from Smith's. Here we stopped for an hour having a brew and a second breakfast while we also got Ian up to add to our ranks making then a total of eleven, (Walla, Stan, Keith, Trev, Cyril, Rod, Dave, Jim,Dennis, Ian and I.) At 6 amo we left Cone and started up the gorge. The air was cold, the river colder, and clouds boiled around the "tops" urged on a by a gusty unpredictable wind which made itself felt more and more as the day wore on in its sudden whirling bursts when it got trapped in the valley confines. On and on and on up the river. Ian and I were playing a private game of "leap frog" as we went. Ian was faster than I but took a few wrong routes at which stage I would catch him ups then he would pass me again and we would start the game back at the beginning. Just after 9.30 we found the Tararua party making their way slowly down river, Kath being supported by John and Adele as she walked. We immediately had a brew and food while John, Walla and Cyril went back for the three packs taking 15 minutes to cover t he ground which had taken the other threo an hour to go over. About 10.15 we started off again down river. As it was not now necessary to carry Keth whose injuries were not as serious as suspected Walla and I stayed with John while we sent the rest of the boys back to try and catch the truck a which they did although it had to be held up for 14 hours. it this time Barney arrived on the scene with Ron Ellis, Bill Cameron and two other 'Varsity boys and Mick Robins and Cameron ? who had been at Cone on a shooting trip. All these bods stayed with us and so the slow trip down river really started, Kath being - assisted all the way and it seems to me a few people were anxious to help Adele over the river crossings too. Incidentally, have you seen what the well dressed tramper wears on a gorge trip? (modelled by Barney and Ron - watch that shirt tail Ron! ) At Neill Stream we had another boil up - and what e boil up! We had no tea - ours and the Tararua Packs had been taken down to Cone by our boys a end so we had a mixture of hot water, milk, Caremello chocolate, and anything else available. It still went down well though : We decided here that it would be better to make a stretcher and so hasten the pace a bit, so 8 stretcher was made with a sleeping bag cover as a seat. Personally I don't think I would have liked to sit up that high when crossing the river but Kath didn't seem to mind. The stretcher was heavy and we were blessing the fact that Kath was a fairly light weight as we struggled over the rocks. WHY aro there rocks in a river? By this time the weather was quite fine apart from the clouded tops and the gusty wind, the river was now fairly warm and if it hadn't been for the soro shoulders we should have quite enjoyed the trip. Some distance from Cone Kath tried walking again and she cer" tainly got along a lot better than previously. I think thatthe stiffness must have been vearing out a bit although it was still pretty painful for her I although she did not say so.) About half an hour from Cone to saw members of the Tararua Rescue party coming through the bush so promptly put Keth back on the stretcher and made out as if we had beon carrying all the time - fine efforti A little later a Tararua bod came along with a pack and started saying something about having some food in it gosh - that food went fasto On arrival at Cone we found an excellent stew ready, plus real service laid on; two minutes after our appearance Isabella Murison thrust two plates at us- complete with cutlery too. The stretcher arrived at Cone Hut at approximately 6 p.m. (iy timos at this stage are not guaranteed as corroct - I was not very interested in looking at my watcho) Shortly after we had had our tea Walle and I started packingo Wo collected all the food that the rest of the boys had left for us and then we found that we were short of one or two things e not all food. Barney Barclay however, did a good job of "scrounging" for us, so when WG left we were well equipped with torch batteries (we were even offered two torches), milk powder and pipe tobacco for Walla. We arrived at the 'Varsity Camp about 8.15 where we proceeded to give them all the food we did not need as they were staying in to help the next day. We had decided that with the thirty odd Tararuas present our help was not required. 'Versity gave us a brew and food and so on the urge to go on to Smith's for the night, was ended. We slept in the 'Varsity Store Tent, trusting souls, letting Walla and I sleep withtheir food. During the night the tent seemed to be flapping about a lot so it was no great surprise when we awoke reluctantly next morning to find a strong wind pelting rain at us. Bill Cameron woke us at 6.30 a.m. for brenkfast provided by 'Varsity -thenks boys a much too early after an 18 hour day the previous day and just over 21 hours from rising to retiring again. However, we were appreciative of the bre-kfast, and Aileen, your hospitality was appreciata too. At 7.45 a.mo we pulled out from the Camp in steady rain which grew worse as we proceaded. Dropping in at Smith's Hut we found the fireplaco under about half an inch of water - the join in thaad guttering over the fireplace must be attended to promptly - and/a small amount of food a we didn't have much food left to have anyway. After a quarter of an hour, or so, we put our Parkas on again and made our wet and delorous way out over the Puffer to Andrew's Farm where very welcome sheltor was taken in the Barn. We pitied the Tararua party earrying in such conditions, but comforted ourselves with tho thought that if it had not been for 'Varsity, shooters and.W.T.M.C. Kath would most likely, at that moment have still been stuck somewhore up the Upper Tauwharonikau Gorge with the river rising very rapidlye a horrible thought. After changing at the Barn, we stayed there shivering (Oh - why did I snd my shirt out with the girls to save weight?) in partially wot clothos until Mick and Cameron appeared in their jallopy to give us a lift to Lower Hutt. With all duo respect to tho car it could not be called a pleasant ride although ofcourse, it wes bettor than boing fully out in the rain. Walla and I were in the back with four packs, one dog and quite a. few sundry items, whilst the wind an rain blew in ovor 50% of the windows. Arriving at Quinn's Post we mado a halt to taste the whisk y. we had been talking about all the way from the Bern. No Whisky: still Brandy will do us and so a couple of quick ones made us feel a lot more cheerful. Cameron, on getting back into the car said that it was the funniest tasting whisky he'd evcr sampled - much to our amezoment. So at last Lower Hutt - where the other three lived. The final straw of the week end was the comment of one small boy ovorheard as I went across the road to a bus stop - soaking wet, cold, unshavon and clutching a slasher in one hand. The comment was - "Look at that man, Mummy, has he boen CAMPING! I reached town at 2 p.mo and so home by taxi for a hot bath, dry clothes, FOOD and wonder of wonders - sleepo Thanks go to all our boys who so promptly answered the cell whon assistance was thought necessary, even though upon errival at the sceno of the accident the aid we wore all prepared to give was not neododo It was a fine show - and in about two years time we'll be able to say quite truthfully (then) "Gosh - that Tauwharenikau Gorge rescue was a GREAT wook end wasn't it?" T.M.