Duoriwa: In Search of the Lost Lake

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"DUORIWA" In Search Of The Lost Lake Among trips we plan there are those did not hear me. The first pale fingers we would like to do, and those we would of dawn found us attempting to cook like to "have done". It had long been breakfast in the sack, that is, we weremy ambition to "have done" the Oriwa not the breakfast, in the sack. The Ridge. In vain I search for keen types breakfast was outside after being flung to share the pleasantries of this ridge through the tent door, with Germanic with me. Members of two clubs I ap- oaths. proached could be classified according 0705 hours. Wading through subto: 1, have done, and now know better; zero waters that defied all natural laws 2, don't want to; 3, will if I can't find an by remaining liquid. On our way to excuse not to. An earlier attempt at a Waitewaewae Hut we came within Soloriwa last October was quite liter- "touching" distance of a young billy ally "a washout", and I had compromised goat. At the Blue Slip we took a short with the Gable End Ridge. But then I cut via the river and continued up river found another who, having done it once to the Forks, and then up the moderbefore, wished to prove that the first ately steep, and at first, easy bushed attempt was no fluke, by repeating the ridge, stopping at hourly intervals for performance in reverse. One, Henk a two to five-minute breather. (Possum) Bertholet. After lunch we reached the land of Whilst our enthusiasm was still fresh horizontal trees, where lawyer and we chose the next "evil ski weekend", young beech entwine, and the verdant so as not to clash with a tramping trip, fern grows in profusion, as it did in the fortunately a weekend when the T.T.C. pristine forests. From various points were running a trip into the Otaki area. along the ridge views unfolded of the When we approached the Tararua leader Main Range, and soaring above the and explained our plans, he agreed to let "Main Range", the snow sprinkled tops us swell the Tararua coffers with many of Girdlestone, McGregor, Arete and shekels, provided we paid in advance, Dundas, an altogether novel viewpoint. and notified the S.A.R. before disappear- We had little opportunity to be bored, ing into the never-never, adding his logs to climb over, or under, rotten logs doubts that we would succeed. The to collapse through, greasy logs to fall weather on Friday, 24th August, left us off, dense foliage to crash through, in all in similar doubts, and the forecast was a glorious feast of gymnastics. Mother most pessimistic. The Tararuas looked Nature showered her love upon us, pasin sympathy upon simpletons who had sionately embracing us with her clingno more sense than to go off on hare- ing lawyer vines, and the sun shone brained schemes, and let us off lightly from a clear blue sky. What more with few instead of many sheckels. could you wish for, apart from an Henk was of the opinion that the Tara- armchair, a pair of slippers and a teleruas were unsociable but I proved to vision set? him they were only shy. When they The most densely matted area was old realised that we were really quite harm- Flat Top, at the southern end, elsewhere less, they talked, so much so that we we found the bush no thicker than along found ourselves at the Otaki Forks, the Gable End or Kapakapnui Ridges, when we should have turned off at the except that there was no track. Except bewareofthebullsurvivorswillbeprosecuted in the dense area mentioned we saw sign bridge. We piked out of the Otaki of deer, and two deer in the flesh. crossing and camped under a bright 1745 hours. Reached a tarn. These starlight sky. We made a brew using are arranged at convenient hourly insome asbestos trees that were available, tervals, and camped near the summit of asbestas we could. Notoriwa (which is not Oriwa). 0430 hours. I was awakened by Another cold night. Next morning being kicked and greeted "Good Morn- we were away at 0800, and an hour and ing". The air outside was extremely twenty minutes later we reached Oriwa. cool. I muttered something about Soon afterwards we were breaking ice people who suffer from insomnia, but off the tarn at Oriwa Lake Hollow. The Henk, who had fallen asleep again track marked on the map exists in imagination rather than in reality. As bush, and look at those funny orange on the day before we took turns to blobs of fungus on the tree trunks! lead, the leader being changed as for- We arrived at the farm at the same fit, when he failed to select the best time as three shooters, the only other route. We argued with leatherwood, party in the area, were striding across snowgrass and turpentine, three very the paddocks, and they had a car with obstinate fellows, to reach the summit two empty seats. At Paekakariki we of Waiopehu, for a view in glorious arrived at the station just in time for Tararuavision, that made the effort the doors to close behind us, and the worthwhile. In 25 minutes we were at platform to pull away. Waiopehu Hut, in all 12 hours and 20 Does any reader have a billiard table minutes from Waitewaewae Hut, not and a tomcat in exchange for a pack and including our overnight stop. a pair of boots? What luxury to travel through vertical -NORM CLARKSON. *