Cannibal Gorge - Easter, 1968

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CANNIBAL GORGE-EASTER, 1968 After a rather longer trip than we mer and preferring a route over Harper expected, resulting from a broken down Pass. Cannibal Gorge was one of two bus (we had three different buses) and or three routes followed by the east a detour through Nelson, we arrived at coast Maoris making raids on the Pou- Lewis Pass almost 12 hours after leav- tini Ngaitahu of the west coast for their ing Wellington. greenstone, probably by a route from Nobody seemed very enthusiastic the Upper Wairau, past Lake Tennyson about leaving the warm bus (warmer and over Malings Pass, Ada Pass and that is, than it was outside) but at Cannibal Gorge. About the name of the length we all staggered out somehow, gorge, Travers wrote "on their return, clutching sleeping bags and other odds after a successful raid, human flesh was and ends. We had breakfast by the road often carried by the slaves they had and tried to be optimistic about the taken and the latter were, not infreweather, which didn't look very promis- quently, killed in order to afford a ing at all. The cloud lifted enough to banquet to their captors." Lewis Pass give glimpses of the mountains around was first discovered by James Mackay us, but the tops remained hidden. early in 1860 when looking for a direct roule from Neison to the G 2v Rvr Just on the southern side of the pass but Mackay was suffering from a poithere is a monument to the first ex- soned knee and shortage of food and so plorers of the area, which described wasn't as pleased by this discovery as Cannibal Gorge (where we were going) he might have been. as an important east-west Maori route, Travers the explorer gives a "Lambton After breakfast we walked back up Quay on Friday night" impression, but the road to the monument and then from other accounts it seems that the headed across the snowgrass towards the Maoris were unimpressed by any scenic river. There were a few patches of fresh grandeur and found the area pretty in- snow and small pools of water-but hospitable, crossing the alps only in sum- quite deep, as one of our party found to his discomfort. We entered the bush small stand of beech. As we'd been told, quite quickly though, and soon were on there was no sign of having been over our way down the 700 ft. descent to a pass until we found the stream on the river The track was wet and slip- the other side flowing down in the oppoand it seemed a long way down. site direction. Some of us started to wonder about From the mountains above the pass, coming out by a different route, but in however, there was a grand view all the end we didn't, and the climb was around, in one direction Cannibal Gorge not as bad as expected. and the mountains beyond Lewis Pass, Down in the gorge it was very easy the peaks on the far side of the Henry going. We went for some distance River, and the Ada River. And then it the river bed, but for the most part thE was half-slide, half-walk down through track stayed in the bush. It continued the snowgrass and snow back to the botto rain on and off, but was not really tom. On with of the cold. Having all day in which to get to Sunday, thoughts Ada Pass where we would camp, we baths and hotel at Maruia Springs, some stopped for lunch about half-way up of us left Ada Pass shortly after breakthe gorge, and during this time the sun fast, and although the general was briefly and the sky cleared, to have camped again on the river pan armrcur our first view of the snow-covered flats before the climb out of the gorge, farther up the gorge-it really only a few keen souls did so, the rest looked good. arriving at the hotel in 3's and 4's throughout the afternoon. At the head of the river the valley After tea there was a rush for the opened out into fairly extensive river hot baths and then on to the bar (all flats, and at the end of these was Ada that remainded of the hotel) where a Pass Hut. The quick ones soon appro- game of mini-soccer proved a great atpriated the six bunks and put a billy on traction. Several fast and furious the stove for the others, who were not were played: Wellington v. South long arriving. Iland and Wellington v. West Coast, the South The next day, Saturday, was fine and Islands finally proving victorious, probwe split up into a number of smaller ably from having had more practice. groups, covering the two main basins Àll of Monday was spent on the reopposite the hut and the itself. Ada turn trip, and a sing-song on the boat Pass, crossed from the Cannituct Gorge with our other club parties and some side, was rather disappointing. Between Hutt Valleys brought toa close a very the hut and what we decided must be enjoyable Éaster. The trip was lead by the pass, there was an area of bog and Dave Ryrie. snow grass and at the end of this a -A.McS.