Two on a Tramp - Ngatiawa, Kapakapanui, Maymorn

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TWO ON A TRAMP. Ngatiawa -Kapalapami-laymomn : 17th.19th, September The Tararua Map shows a thick red line over this route and it was estimated that it would take three hours to the top of Kapa, two or three hours to the raymorn turnoff and about four down the Maymorn Ridge. A pleasant week-end S ramping since the wea ther report was "fair to fine. i J Of the eight names on the trip list only twa of them namely ack Whitsitt and "yours truly" caught the six o'clock train to Waikanae where 'we walked to Reikorangi and down the Ngatiawa Road, a two hour walk, We camped beside the river at the end of the road and apart from the grunting and perambulations of a family of pigs OUTSIDE the tent we passed a pleasant night. Leaving at half-past nine on Saturday morning we ambled up river and wasted half an hour looking for the start of the trac k, which is shown on the map as being just beyond the forks in the South Branch, where in fact it is in the North Branch!!! However it is only a minute or so to the ridge where the blazed and disced route begins, I specially use the word route, for there is no track, If you can imagine a pile of driftwood, composed of logs up to 6 inches in diameter, strewn up the ridge among virgin bush, you will have a fair idea of what this area is like and why it took five hours to reach the summit at only 3600'!

Clambering under, over, along, between, through and around windfalls; falling, stumbling, tripping, slipping, sliding I and cursing 1::1) through mud, lawyer, supplejack and suchlike trials and tribulations we finally left the bush just below the top - and down came the rain! In a few moments the rain became hail and if the weather-man is still hail and hearty our prayers have remained unanswered, Squelching upwards through thick mud and waist high snow grass the trig came suddenly into view just ahead and as we reached it the weather cleared and the mists rolled away revealing the Southern Crossing route before us, the tops still sprinkled with white and the watery sun shining down on Otaki Forks. Behind us the long sweeping line of the coast, with Kapiti Island a dark blue mass amid the grey of the calm sea. The track dropped steeply from the trig and we followed the discs religiously since we could see no sign of a ridge and it seemed we were dropping down into the headwaters of the Waiotaru, We soon hit the bush again and continued down steeply, but now obviously the track was making a wide curve and at last levelled out in the saddle where we caught a glimpse of the ridge ahead climbing steeply upward towards the Maymorn, We were again forcing our way along a route rather than a track, getting rather tired now and Jack impossible to placate for as he put it "The river's in bed, time I was!" Darkness came shortly after the discs ended and we moved more slowly now, seeking the old blazes to ensure we remained on the ridge. At last a veritable collection of discs, neatly inscribed in white paint by the C.T.C, told us we had at last arrived at the turn off - not in 5 - 6 hours as anticipated, but in nearly ten hours. This time could easily be improved upon, for we had wasted time finding the track and had ambled, when we could have pressed on, not realising the length of the ridge, but it is thought that an average time would not be much less than eight hours. With visions of a comfortable night in the new C.T.C. hut we pressed on past the turn off, along the Renata Ridge, but the small discs far apart were almost impossible to find in the dark, and we had no knowledge of the hut other than it was somewhere along the ridge, so eventually we sought a level spot (which we did not find!!!). and climbing into our sacks made a quick meal of bread, cheese and biscuits with canned milk, before falling into a sound sleep. We slept for nearly twelve hours through a calm, mild night and breakfasted on canned milk, hoping to find water a little way down the Maymorn whieh the C.T.C. had painted on the discs was a three hour trip and so it proved almost exactly, but the only water we found was in a large puddle, nevertheless the brew we made from it was pure nectar- are you reading Dave 1 "Nuts"!!! Apart from the first part of the ridge the track was good although inclined to wander and weave a good deal, The last half hour or so, was down an open ridge where the sparkle of a stream beckoned us and lent wings to our feet. We emerged at Pearson's Mill and set off at once for the Brown Owl about six miles away, but luck was us and in half an hour we were in wjth a truck on our way to Upper Hutt, where ack decided to catch the train leaving almost immediately - but -"yours truly" repaired to the nearest Milk Bar and sank two "Shakes" in what was I'm sure a N.Z. record - See you around - I hope : "Ted,"

~20- P.S. Does anyone know for sure where this C.T,E,Hut is - does it really exist? T.D.