Kaimanawas, January 22nd - 24th

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KATMANAVAS JANUARY 22nd - 24th I decided to join the H,V.T.C. party going to this area on Anniversary Weekend (leader Harry Stimpson) for a change of scenery. With a fev gnaving doubts in my mind as to vhether the Hutt Valleyst conceptions of easy tramping coincided with that of the Tongue and Meats', I set forth vith 29 others in the H.V.T.C. private luxury landliner, colloquially known as the "Artick". After a samewhat cramped night, we were roused at same ghastly hour by the leader's mllying cry, "Get out, you lazy hounds!" Fifteer of us tumbled blearily out into a chilly dawn in the middle of the desert- a singularly unsalubrious spot. The remainder stretched themselves out more comfortably and proceeded on their way to Ruapehu for a working party on the Hutt Valley Hut, As the tramping party set off through the grounds of the Rangipo Prison Farm, various mutinous mumblings were heard, such as ,"I wonder if they have a nice comfortable cell?", or "I wonder what sort of breakfast they serve ?". However, there were no defections, the obstacle of the Waikato River vas crossed ( by means of a bridge) and the party sorambled down its banks to have breakfast. The next stage of the safari was to proceed due East, I am sure the leader hoped through hell and high water, but a very convenient cart track led us through the desert scrub in precisely that direction. Soon we met the bush and dropped down into a tributary of the Waikato, the Whitikau, vhich provided the route to the hills where we were going, The morning was glorious, the bush open and a pleasure to valk through, and the sunlit stream was clear and full of guess what? P large rainbow trout! We had one angler in our midst (vith a rod) and several would-be ones (the tickling school), and this provided an excuse for much dalliance on the way. But in spite of strenuous efforts to make the life of the poor fish as uncamfortable as possible, the trout population was not diminished by a single one, Finally Amold Heine had to remind the party that it TASN'T a Sunday School picnic, and we continued up the right fork of the Whitikau, Before long we found.ourselves at another fork where the ridge leading up to Umukarikari was located, We lunched there having taken all morning to do a three hour walk. After luncheon the ridge was tackled with much grunting and groaning, and sweat and toil, After the first few feet, it flattened out to a reasonable gradient and led through open bush camparatively free of undergrowth, except for large ferns. As we neared the tops well over 4,000 ft. the ridge steepened again, and I noticed that my progress in particular became very snail-like, However all bad things must came to an end, and by 4,30 p.m., we were admiring the panorama all round. To the north and west lay Lakes Taupo and Rotoairo, bright blue against the brown countryside, and further west the whole National Park Platecu with Ngaruhoe steaming lazily. To the east and south lay the Waipakahi Valley well below us, and across the valley the main Kaimanawa Range. The tops appeared open and reasonably easy-going given good weather, Another delight was the blue and white mountain flowers 5 the aisies in particular were blooming in great profusion. At this stage I was not looking forward to the descent into the Waipakahi, and I don't think I was the only one who vas glad when a series of tams were found vith plenty of water in a hollow overlooking the Waipakahi on the south-east side of Umukarikari, Packs were laid down from weary backs and camp established. I must camment here on the favourable impression I received of the general speeding up of stew making by the use of pressure cookers, the whole process taking only a halfhour.

The next morning was a little overcast, The eager beavers ascended the few feet up Umukarikari in the true Everest spirit, but did not see anything more than had been seen from the tops the day before, The safari set forth again about 10 a,m, down a ridge into the Waipakahi which took an hour. It seened a very pleasant valley with grassy flats and beech forest . When we reached the river, ve met two horsemen from Taihape vho had come up in an effort to locate a plane wrecked twenty years before, They informed us we were about 8 hours fran the Desert Road, With two days ahead of us we thought we could relax, We proceeded downstream for about four hours on Saturday in intermittent rain, The river narrowed to a gorge for about an hour, but only in one spot did we have to sidle, We caught up with the horsemen later in the day on a pleasant river flat covered in beech, where we sot up a rather damp camp. There was considerable debate about the use of horses as_gear by the H,V,T,C, After a colossal meal of D,S.I.R. mince, fruit salad, rice and stewed fruit, fifteen bods managed to squeeze thomselves into three tents. The next day (Sunday) dawned fine again and the party made another leisurely 10 a.m. start, About two hours travel past many deep inviting pools brought us to the confluence of the Waikato River, where lunch and a rather muddy swim were had, After much loafing about, and remarks by Amold Heine about "initating the old pigean" the party reluctantly bestirred itself. A short climb out of the bush on the other side of the Waikato brought us onto the desert agaim, Ie soon found a cart track and followed this for three hot dusty miles back to the Desert Road, the only campensation being the closeup viev of Ruapehu, Both parties appeared to have enjoyed thenselves immensely, but it was doubtful whether anyone had had a mufricienthy/atmumous weekend, as there was a rare display of animal spirits on the return journey. Times: Rangipo to foot of ridge - 3)hours Foot of ridge to Ummkarikari- 32 hours Umukarikari to Waipakahi - 11 hours Waipakali valley to confluence of Waikato - 6 hours Waikato to Desert Road -17 hours With some hurrying up, could be done in a two day weekend, provided the trout were left severely alone, and two solid nights of travel were not minded,) Tongue and Meat