"Tirotiro Knob" Weekend

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"IT-RIT DONK", Wockend 14:10:52. that is "Tirotiro Knob" spolt backwords and is crossed on the way to Foilds. The soun. of his boots ies away in tho bush and so too the Irish tang on tho brooze, for wO had partod from Jack noar the Cottage. Soon to be crossing the swinging bridgo and to be winding our way up Juiil lidgo. This track starts quite cloarly, only to diffuso itsolf in bracken and grass until ono strikos the top of the first bumpo sut I had a good look at it upon that particular wookcnd and thoro is a rcally fat shoop on tho right hand sido going in wich :. ifficult to miss, Fori, Luigh an anon were in that order ED TO silontly climbod to the top eni not 1 to our satisfaction a disc nailod to a fallon trunko Tho objeclive that night was Fioli Hut and tomorse W for my part was in the lap of tho rods, but had somo idca of going up to Tararua Ponks and 'ropping down via Ponn Greok to the Otaki Gorgo. The othor two? They wuro hoping to mako an carly start (arf! arfl) to traverse the Moin Rango to Mt. Cravford and drop Cown to Waitowaowao vhere the main party would be. That party was lod by Frank McGowan and thoro'll probably bo a serious article in this issuo about tho trip, He soom to have got bushec, or et loast off trock in lis ono au prosent so I'l1 hurry back to whore I loft thom cati oranges, just past the "wator" sign. This was the only stop on the way up and aftor Fori hed plastorod and blastod a Olistur ve rocommonced barking our shins. Iori boing in tho ioad surprise.. two door on the track noar the hut, but had no. riflo, which just goos to provo the old proverb that "opportunity nuvor striko in tho samo placo twico." Our breath mado vapour trails es WO climbed into to "sacks" and it was Loigh's maidon voyage in a brand now 20 bolow. Hori's subconscious mind wakoned him at 5.30a.m. but aftor a briof survoy of the tops Couided to give it another hour or so to SOC if the clouds lifted. Thc bright sunsh inc cloar out to the soa id force the Prossure up onough for us to stand outsido Fiolds and gazo across at rawford vith its sucdon swoop down into tho Waitowe.own.o 1 Otaki Foyks. It was carly in tho climb up to Dennan that morning that I eciced for two reasons to Co the Grawford trip with tho othor two, onc boing tho hoavy cloud about the ranges anc the othor that I onjoyec thoir crmanyo (Whois scratching whoso back : or do thoy owe you monoy or somothing Potor? a Ed.) It was also on the vay to Donnan that a lively liscussion upon the subject "whothor through ovolution our young would ovor be born with boots on", was nipped in the bud by lack of brcatho The dcor up noar West Poak wero vory casual almost as though awaro that WO woro unarmod, and the intonscly yellow alpine daisios do much to brighton the inclined track. On top of Wost Prak lato that morning WO could sOo the lain Rango strung out in luaps and bumps bofore us for what was to bc tho last time that wockonc. Now thoroughly in his cloment Hori creckod along tho tops in the load stopping overy hour to tako nourishmont from his socrot supply of Brandyballs, and nono of us boing T.T's. thoy wero always wolcomo. We hain't gono far along the tops boforo onco again tho clouis rcally camo doun and a chilling rain was mixod with the wind blowing hard from tho South-cast, At Yoatos wu had a conforenco anc Gocidod thoro and thon on Kai Kai so vith backs to tho wind we sat and ato. The only scnsiblo thing now to do was turn back, no ono likos to admit dofoat but wo were all fooling the offects of the weather andl nono rolishod a night on tho tops undor t osO conditions cvon with the Drandyballs. I now fecl a littlo sorry for disturbing the sloop of an opossum which was sholtoring undor a. bush up thore. Tho vay beck moent climbing West Poak from tho Bast; so that's T it's called West Poak. hat did Winston Ghurcl 11 say in 1941 about "so much boing owed by 8o fow?" 5 € yway I was novor more lad to soo a hut than whon I oponod thct door on which is incongruously writion : A. R. Roborts 1924-39, Kilbirnic. by Anon.