Anzac Weekend - Ketetahi Springs

Machine-read text (unproofread)

Read from the scans by software, so it contains mistakes. Typing it up properly would help blind readers: use Suggest an edit.

ANZAC WEEKEND- KETETAHI SPRINGS Once in a while you get the oppor- over by the roaring primuses could be tunity to go on a tramping trip which is heard such mutterings as "I'm still the different, from the word go. Even the ugliest in the club" and "There's transport was unusual, in that we nothing wrong with my liver!!" Meantravelled in a luxury tourist-type bus, while there was some skylarking going with a white-coated bus driver and a on in one of the tents. I couldn't help loudspeaker system thrown in. but smile to myself as I dozed off to We were dropped off at the start of sleep. It only seemed a moment later the track we were to follow, about half when I was awakened by Norm calling way along the National Park-Turangi for the plates for the first course. Road, during the small hours of the During the night it had started to rain morning. After spending the remainder quite heavily, with the result, of course, of the night camped about five minutes that some of us got a little wet. Dave from the road, we set off for Ketetahi decided we should stay put for an hour Springs on the northern slopes of Tonga- or two. So we listened to the giggles riro. coming from the tent across the way, for half the morning, as the seven or eight On reaching the thermal springs about within its walls jostled for, what I was midday, we had our lunch, surrounded later told, a reasonable bit of room. by clouds of steam belching forth from Later the weather showed signs of liftholes in the rock and pools of boiling ing, so we broke camp and made our water. A few took advantage of the down to Mangatepopo Hut. We had way warm given water running close by to bathe up any ideas of either climbing their feet. As the weather was rather hoe or going back up on to Tongariro Ngauru- for cold, with a strong wind blowing, we did a bit more of a "look around". not stay as long as we might have, had However, as it been fine. Mangatepop was full of schoolboys and we had the O.K. of the We pressed on up Tongariro, with our booking officer, we made our way across pace becoming more of a slow plod the to our hut on Ruapehu via the Chateau, nearer we got to the top. There we found where a stop was made at the bistro for a world of desolation-a flat, barren milk shakes, etc.??? desert of scoria rock and dust, shrouded Thai night on Ruapehu was in swirling mist. A world without any a rather different manner to the spent in vegetation or other life-a strange world, night above Mangatepopo. previous a that and for reason, an interesting one. scrumptious tea had been consumed- After Through the mist we made our way seated at tables, the evening was spent across the plateau, dropped down into reading and listening to the radio and a great basin, then a slow trudge up a various other diversions-including spur out of the basin past signs indicat- watching some of those who had been ing such places as "Emerald Lakes" and taking dancing lessons recently, showing "Red Crater". We then descended a long us their footwork. spur which led to the south crater. We The next had ideas of camping there the night, but day-Anzac Day-was wet on finding there was no water anywhere, again with poor visibility, so, apart from we pushed on along the floor of the a few games of table tennis, there wasn't crater to the saddle between Tongariro much activity until the time came to and Ngauruhoe. clean up and make our way down to the Chateau where the bus was waiting to We camped that night just below the take us back to town. saddle. While the tents were being My thanks go to all who took partpitched fairly close together, our meal in particular to Dave Capper who was of stew was being prepared and cooked "skipper"-for making this a thoroughly over primuses as there was no wood for enjoyable trip. a fire. Some retired to their "pits", while -Ron Fayle. =U