Labour Weekend Ōhau - Mangahao

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LABOUR T EEKEND OHIAU-MANGAHAO. Vriting tis article on the Ohau-Mangahao trip over Labour * eekend, let me say this nor 9 Mr. Editor, it vas not my idea. Barrie (Cactis) O'Donnell cornered me into accepting the frightening t sko I realise befofi start not having done much tramping, that possibly my article will lack tec.nical"polish" and some of the noted jargon used by trampers. I am nev to the country and this is my first trip rith the club, so my impressions are new I not to mention lasting. Some misinformed person told me this particular trip . was just the thing to "breakme in I and there was mich idle chatter at club night on the Thursday before about "taking it casy", "getting up late in the mornings" and all that. I confess I was naive enough to believe all this chatter and after duly placing my name on the list and being issued with a billy can I went home feeling like the new recmit after receiving his rifle. Half past seven Friday night I round the corner of the station and am confronted eith (rhat might appear to the un-initiated) the baggage of a battalion of Aloine troops. Packs lie everyvhere on the pavement, amongst which are a liberal sprinkling of ice-axes and ropes. I can only give the latter an impersonal glance - the spartans of the rope and axe world are strangers to meo After some delay We embark in the truck vith the Ruapehu crord and soon the vhole conglomeration of us moves off into the nigat. During the trip I am amazed at the number of the songs rattled off. Butch seems to knor them all and has the ability to make herself heard. Later there is talk of a, quorum vhich never materialisesat least not in the strict sense of the rord. Ve eventnally arrive at our dropping off place (the pipe bridge) and the six of us say goodbye to the rost going further nortn. I am horrified by the spectacle of most members of the party changing into shorts and Srimming trunks on this chilly night. I am yet to know the wisdom of this move or that of bringing a torch. Only Barrie, Denis and George possess torches - the rest of us are duly damned by Barrie. We set off at about eleven o'clock over a shaky bridge and head off for Ohau. The track is good for a while until ve hit some scrub. Aftcr a little specula ting on the part of Barrie and Denis who "have been here before" and trying to ralk across the tops of some treeferns, re find the track a bit nearer the river. The journev from here I consider to be a nightmare. Bos expressed similar beliêfs at the time. The sweating, squelching, swearing and tripping make it a memorable night. I find it convenient to change into shorts about half vay - a messy game when you are caked up rith mado Barrie is most helpful with his torch to guide me but at one particular point vhen light is most needed Barrie is not there and the obvious happens. L soon oick myself up again and, rith plenty of bush and mud attacued to my person, plunge forrard again. After tro hours or more we reacn the hut I- not very good time to some maybe but to me re seem to have been travelling. What a velcome sight the hut is - and inside at last the past is soon forgotten whilo re preparc and "quaff much brcr", and crash in our sl eping bags. Morning is on us all toosoon, the bright sunlight coming in and vibrating harshly on the scnses. Nobody seems anxious to shake a leg and start a fire. Eventually the two deer stalkers, vho are also staying at the hut, fill the bill vhile we murm n praises from our beds. Later we shake ourselves and prepare breakfast, Bos and Bryden devouring sausages vith a very high carbon content. Some photos are taken outside the hut and then follor S the painfil business of harnessiong up. The sun ras T arming up considerably by nov, and a little further up the river Denis and Barrie decide to celebrate someone's birtday by changing into their birtuday suits though they maintain that by rearing boots, watches and hats that they ar fully dressed. Luckily the conntry is not thickly populated though Barrie mentions something about seeing some footprints T hic. he considers belong to a female of about 5ft 6" and blonde. There is little disagreement over this and Denis reckons it rould be a brunette about 5'8"! The morning tramp to South Ohau is enjoyable and the cross .ng and recrossing of the riv r is a novelty for me thoug 1 aftrr tro hundred odd times the novelty begins to wear off. I think I am a bit short on the exact number of crossings but Bos- (237? ? !) has the correct figure having been appointed official statistician. As a statistician I believe that Bos prefers to study ra ther different figures thon those of river crossings! I soon find that - am plodding along a little slorer than the rest and from time to time Denis drops behind T ith me. ve chat about various things - or rather Denis does and I endeavour to ans er rhilst in a semi-exhausted state. Presumably he is anxious for ne to enjoy the trin or if not to enjoy it at least to survive ito At one particular by way of interest, someone comments on the droppings Epott deer. At least 1 am informed they belong to deer - I vould not have knor n this myself not having studied the excreta of animals. No doubt ST ch sights mean a lot to those engaged in hunting. A bit further on ve catch sight of tro goats - the only animals te arc to see on the trip. 1 am a bit disappointed about this as I have previously noted on a map 1 possess (obtained from te Shell Co.) that deer and pig are in these regions. I did not exnect to see herds of these crratures stampeding across the country but I should like to have caught a fleeting glimpse of one or tro. We lunch at Soutn Ohau and in the afternoon follow further up the South Ohan river and start the gra unch over the Girdlestone Saddle. This entails a bit of bush pushing and Barrie is just in his element. At one stage there are some doubts about being on the right ridge and maps and compasses are given an airing. Bos feels the need to reduce the reight of his pack and re are quite glad to share a tin of pineanple in this rorthy cause. On rcac.ing the ton of the saddle ve have a good view of Dundas (or it might be Triangle Knob). Anyway it looks big enough to be mentioned on the map. There is a steep dron from the saddle into the Mangahao and about halfvay dorn Idislodge a boulder and very nearly save George the trouble of picking his way dorn the rest of the vay. At Ithe bottom ve folloi on downstream for a vhile with the intention of reaching Avalanche Flats Bivouac for the night. There are numerous avalanches reaching down into the river but none vith any hut or any semblance of a hut at the base. Eventually re decide on a nice sheltered spot under some trees and the tents are pitched and a firc started. George is most proficient at making fires - going to great lengths to build up the spot first vith quantities of stone. Denis prepared the ster rhici takes the regulation two hours but was wellworth waiting for. Bos and Bryden have finished their meal well before ve start ours and with envious eyes tuey set about trying to discourage us T witn numerous coarse jokes. This does not impair our appetites and ve notece that both of them fell on our leftovers like Bromley Kites on a dead coolies body. Sunday morning davns clear and sunny but cold, and after breakfast and packing re set off dovn the river reaching the bivouac after quite a short time. It is a sadly dilapidated structure and we are glad to have camped where ve did. Further dorn the river there are some tricky bits vhere the pools are fairly deen and tie rocky :ides narro in quite considerably. Denis gets bisy with his camera while te are negotiating some of the trickiest parts trying not to get any wetter than is absolutely necessary. For the rest of the morning the pace is rather slov or at least Denis thinks SO and he complains that he has to out his other shirt on to keep rarm enough. These trampers! - I don't know! At one stage we had ideas of having lunch at Harris Creek Hut but somehow or other it seems to be furtier away than the map would have us believe and after stopping for lunch a bit above Barra Stream we finally reached Harris Creek hut at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. After discussing the lower Gorge rith the two or three occupants of the hut we move on again and find a nice campsite further down the river at Johnson's Creek. The decision to camp here is taken and the place becomes a scene of great activity. Barrie and Bos get busy preparing a place to pitch the tents- it turns out to be not quite on the level but what does this matter - George builds an enormous fireplace on the riverbank while Denis and Bryden and I gather firewood and prepare the stew. The most enjoyable part of the day follors when all these prepara tions have been completed and Pe are able to stretch out on our sacks in front of the fire while waiting for the stew to cook. At last I am beginning to appreciate what they see in this business. It is great to just relax after the work and the time dayine by that ster is ready FO are more than ready for it. On Monday morning wo see Bos having some more of his high carbon content sausages for breakfast. Fe get under a bit earlier this morning as we do not quite knor ohat tais gorge holds in store for us. However it is nowhare near as bad as we have been led to believe and by soon efter ten re are out of the gorge and the hills Oil either side are opening up a bit. Soon we come to the third cage across the river and Barrie goes up to fix the rope while we lie back on the river bank in the sun end ebuse him. It is not so very much further downs trean that we realixe that ve are now on the bottom of the Uppor Nol dam. There is no water in the dam and it is a scene of desolation if ever thore was. We plough our wey through sone distance of sticky oozy mud and dead trees and oventually reach the dan wall. Here 1s the ond of the road and Barrie says the trip is over nor as it is only road walking foom now on. We change. and push on down the road to the No.2 dam to link up with the Whakahaores who are going to give us a 1ift home in their truck. Bill Jones.