Easter Trip 3-7 April: An Attempt into the Arnst Basin

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Easter Trip 3-7 April An Attempt into the Arns't Basin and it méant staying in the cottage for a few days myself without food, so Before I start my account of this trip I had to heey going, and every time 1 it is important to note that I was not decided I needed a rest, which was every a member of the club at this time and five minutes or so, Alan pushed me onhad only been on one other tramping wards. In some places I was practically trip in my life. I did not have all the crawling along on my hands and knees. required gear only the essentials. About 5.30 p.m. John decided it wasn't worth going on to the Basin as we were T first heard of this trip into the Arns't nowhere near it, so he looked for a Basin from John Addison, who asked me place to decend and found a scree slide, if I would like to go on a trip down to we came down this scree slide, which the Nelson Lakes, while I was waiting at was about fifteen hundred feet long, and the bus stop one night. T gave him a the rest of the way through bush. It firm NO and proceeded on my way. was in the bush that we got separated Overnight I changed my mind and let once again, John and myself met the him know the following day that T others at the lake edge about 7.30. No would take part in his trip. At this one felt much like eating but by the stage I was under the impression that time we had pitched the fly, which I was in for five days walking around covered the path that led around the lake, Lake Rotoiti. we managed to get down a few mouthfuls of stewed fruit and a brew. We We left Wellington on the "Aranui" hit the pit soon after an eventful eleven on Thursday, 7th April, at approx. 6.40 hour day. p.m. for Picton. From Picton we char- The next day was really uneventful. tered a bus through to St. Arnaud Town- We set off shortly after nine for the ship, arriving at Lake Rotoiti about Arns't forks, John took our 12.30 a.m. We slept the night in an old time while the other any motored myself on ahead. cottage beside the lake. We stopped at lake head for lunch. At 9.30 the next morning our party Here I wanted to stay once I noted that of five people consisting of John, Alan the huts had bunks in them, but once Parish, Mr. and Mrs. Nikifirow and my- again it was impossible, so about an self set off for the St. Arnaud Track hour later we set off once again for which was to take us to the top of the the forks. We had to cross the Travers St. Arnaud Range. Less than half way River many times on our way, and it our party split John stayed behind was on the last crossing that I fell in. to help me when BT needed it, which was Because of this my clothes were damp quite often, while the others went on for the rest of the trip. We arrived at ahead. Finally after about three and the forks about 4.30 p.m. in the late a half exhausting hours I reached the afternoon and the others had already Bushline. From here on I thought the pitched the fly. We had an early tea rest of the way would be easy, but I was and hit the pit. as the next morning we very much mistaken, in fact it got worse. were once again going to try and at- We were climbing up through grassy tempt to get into the Arns't Basin, this scrub and it was extremely steep. Half- time by a spur that ran up left of the way up John had to carry my pack, which forks. Alan took from him later on. After an exhausting hour of climbing I crawled The Logbook has been withdrawn on to the ridge, where we had lunch and from Smiths Creek after it was comadmired the view of the lake at a height pletely ruined by stupid and irrelevant of nearly six thousand feet. I was sure rubbish written in it. Certain entries by now that the worst was over, but in the Walls Whare book almost rehalf an hour of walking along the ridge sulted in Police action. convinced me that I was wrong. There is talk about removing Smiths Creek Hut because of damage done to I wanted to turn back, but this was it by vandals. impossible, as our food was in bulk,

The next morning we were up about pared tea. If forced down a few mouth- 6.00 a.m., it was extremely cold and fuls of food as I was hungry. I forgot cloudy. We set off not long after eight to mention that I hardly ate anything on o'clock and made for the spur. We were this trip as I didn't like any of the food hoping to find a deer trail, but there they had with them. I couldn't stand was none, so we had to rely on John to porridge, dehydated stew, bacon or anyget us to the top. This time I managed thing like that. At the end of the trip to keep up with the others and it didn't Iwas eating salami on gingernuts. After take too long to get to the bushline. tea we hit the pit early after an exhaust- But once out of the bushline our luck ing day. was against us. It was windy and start- We were at 6.00 a.m. and were ing to drizzle, also the mist was setting prepared for up an early breakfast, but this all in. We had lunch and proceeded on a was not to be as it took a lot of swearlittle way but soon stopped as it wasn't ing and on John's to worth going on. John did go on how- a.small fire praying We packed part in get the ever, and when he returned he informed meantime and going. soon after 8.00 up we us that he could just about see the started the journey back to the a.m. town- Basin, but it was too misty to see into ship of St. Arnaud. We for it. After this disappointment we sat lunch at the lake head hut and stopped continued down for an hour and took in the mag- the journey around the lake. Wea arrived nificent scenery. Finally we had to out finally about 2.30 and left make our descent much to John's annoy- Arnaud shortly after p.m. 3 after St. a ance. Coming down we mislaid our most interesting trip. p.m. position slightly and ended up in a gully which we had to climb out of, this was So next time you are thinking of gorather a frightening experience. By the ing on a trip make sure you know where time we got back to the forks it was you are going, that you have the right nearly 5.00 p.m., but at this stage I was equipment and are fit enough for your past caring about anything. We pitched trip. a tent as well as a fly and then pre- -J. O'Brien.