Totara Flats Trip

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TOTARA FLATS TRIP Our trip started on Friday night at stay there for Saturday night as well. 8p p.m. when the bus, absolutely laden After lunch some of the more venturewith Tongue and Meats, departed on its some members of our party decided to journey to a well-known weekend haunt go back to Holdsworth Lodge. -the Tararuas. We also had the company of three C.T.C. members; they had That night it turned quite windy and arrived about three minutes late to find claps of thunder echoed around the hills that their transport had gone without like distant rifle shots. We were thankthem-and one of them happened to be ful fo- a roof over our heads even the trip leader! However, judging the thougl it was crowded and wondered noise coming from all quarters by the what the rest were doing at Totara bus, I would say that the majority of Flats. Everybody turned in quite early. passengers were definitely TONGUE and We lay back and listened to the Hutt MEATS. Valley boy named "Sniper", whose Because of the various stages of fit- stories about Whinnie the Pooh-who? ness amongst party members, we de- -I thought you knew! kept us in hyscided to split into three groups: one terics. group was to go to Totara Flats hut on We had a late breakfast next morn Friday night, ancther group to Moun- ing-many thanks to Neville B., who tain House, then on to Totara Flats on kept us all supplied with hot brews. The Saturday, while the rest were to stay at Hutt Valleys left shortly after 11 a.m. Holdsworth Lodge for the night and on and those people who curse themselves to Totara Flats hut the next day. How- for leaving gear behind need not worry; ever, things don't always work out as here is a list of but a few things which planned-or so we were doomed to find they left behind: one tent, one billy out. clearly marked H.V.T.C. (they took one We awoke next morning to find that of ours in exchange), one pair of jeans it was raining hard. The C.T.C. trip with a $5 note in the pocket, one members, also heading to Totara Flats, of puttees, one bootlace, two mugs, nE decided that it was too wet for them tea and one jar of butter. -they were going to spend the week- Shortly after lunch our Totara Flats end at Holdsworth Lodge. In true party arrived, with the news that one of Tongue and Meat spirit, we decided to the cables on the cage that stretches on regardless" ("into the valley across the Mid-Waiohine River had ard death rode the six hundred"), but fallen off while Stephen was in the cage only while the going was safe for all (to quote him, "I thought all my birthtrip m.mbers concerned. The first party days had come at once"). The four releft the lodge at about 9.15 a.m., while maining members could not cross the the others cleaned up; 9.40 a.m. saw river, so they announced their intenthe remaining few leave the close-to- tions of following the river downstream home comforts of the lodge and prepare and crossing somewhere near Greytown. to start the climb Gentle? Annie. At about 2p.m., after ensuring that "You're mad! Moun get all wet!" said the hut was clean, we headed back down a C.T.C. girl-and she was right! via the river track along the Atiwhakatu on to Donnelly's Flats and Holdsworth We soon reached the Totara Creek Lodge. It was here that we learned of turnoff. The water was swirling around Brian Goodwin's accident in the midour puttees in a desperate effort to beat Waiohine, so we all donated our spare us down to the creek. We were only food to the rescue members. We inabout half-way down when we met three cluded the Hutt Valley's + lb. tea. of our earlier starters coming back up. At 4.30 p.m. the bus arrived and as They had been unable to cross the creek. previously arranged, we stopped at the With regard to river crossing, there's a Greytown Post Office for the four boys certain saying that goes "when in doubt but nobody was there. We were fordon't." So after a ten-minute dis- tunate that Murray Hall recognised the cussion, we all decided to head back Runciman bus and came over with an up the track and on to Mountain House. offer of assistance. While he drove his We arrived at our destination just car along the side streets to see whether after one o'clock, to find the hut full; the four boys had been able to get a party of Hutt Valleys had spent Friday across the river, the rest took advantage night there and decided that they would of the stop to fill their hungry stomachs.

a Photo of Blue Lake taken by Stan Boyd TOTARA FLATS - continued from page 4. About an hour later, Murray came Easton, Janet Duff, Val Brown, Stephen back with no news of the four, so, once Simms. again we were homeward bound. Mountain House-Denis Taylor, Footnote: The four did eventually Yvonne Gillies, Dave Minard, Warren make home-but that's another story. Thorburn, Robert Dickinson, Des Fal- Those most honourable members of con, Howard Manins, Liz Lee, Nicki the trip were: Totara Flats-Robyn Furket, Margaret Riordan, Jan Dick, Burnette, Dennis Wilkinson, Morris Mol- Lynette Sellars, Neville Taylor, and ler, Mike Snadden, Tim Stern, Peter Glenda Hill. Lang, Richard Fogel, Lois Dyer, Annette -Hadnelg.