A Green Christmas 1970

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A Green Christmas 1970 It was decreeth that on the 24th day views, particularly of the centre of the of the 12th month of the year A.D. 1970 gorge. a group of 36 persons should setteth out After four hours' tramping we made uponeth the landeth andeth embarketh it back down to the river for lunch; thath thish phtooey! We got on the not as eventful as the day before. Conferry! Everybody in various states of tiruing the river we came to Theatre sobriety. Morning of the 25th dawned Flats and the big rock bivouac. Here bleary, or fine, depending on the night we found two hunters using the camp; before. Off ferry on to Railways charter We decided to push on to the other end bus for long trip to Queenstown. Here of the large flats, especially after seeing we picked up Elliotts bus, charter again, several mice around the camp. A stop for the final leg of the journey, 40 miles was made for the night on the true up past the head of Lake Wakitipu to left bank, almost at the end of the stay the night in cabins on Dave Miller's flats. Good weather again. In fact the farm, nine miles from Glenorchy, 9 p.m. good weather stayed with us except for Except for Joe's barehanded (actually the two rest days at Olivine Flats on he used my boot) fight with a raging pet January 2nd and 3rd, after that the possum the night passed uneventfully. weather ranged from overcast and The next day we were taken about humid, to perfectly clear and sunny half an hour up the Dart River on the again towards the end of the trip. back of Dave Miller's truck, our packs following later by tractor and trailer. 28th December: The river was very cold and after an This was a late start (about 9.30 exploratory crossing by four bods, we for the airdrop on the next a.m.) crossed in two groups of five on poles about one hour river. From flats, only at about the widest point, just below up the small Chinaman's Bluff. Even so, the water pass going over to the flats we tried to was up, to some of the shortie's chests, the airdrop, with the aid of Joe's and cold! It took us half scope. When nothing was FIRCE about an down to the flats spotted, hour's stamping to thaw out. About half the trip for a closer a mile back down the true right of the search was achieved in very short time. Dart brought us to the mouth of the Thoughts of having to go back for Rockburn. Across the river and a short supplies! However, the drop was there stop for lunch while Joe, Bill and Ron alright, fairly close to the bush edge between them did the old get-the-billy- and a swamp. We made camp on the just-boiling-then-tip-it-on-the-fire trick. We next flat about 15 minutes away. The drank lemon drink. Another hour's day was a scorcher, but the river, comtramp up the true right of the Rock- ing straight from the Park Pass Glacier, burn brought us to a small flat at the was too cold for swimming, so we threw start of the main gorge, our camp for Barbara in, and sunbathed. A C.T.C. the night. Everybody turned in for an party led by Jack Mahoney passed early night after a very pleasant day. through, casting envious eyes at the sunbathers. 27th December: 29th December: Next morning we managed to wake A late start for what looked like an Lynn after only half an hour's effort, easy saddle. Not very high but too a record for the trip. Everybody up and long. The sun beat down on our necks away by 7.30. We were not sure how for so long I began to feel like a bass high we had to climb to get around the drum. The scenery reminded us very gorge, SO wanted to it over with much of a western movie. (I'm dead early in the day if ponsisde As it turned certain I saw John Wayne ride by. out the track was good, although we Boy, that sun was hot!) A scrubby, had to climb very high. Good blazes rocky descent on the other side stayed except for one spot about two hour's with us most of the way until Alabaster into the gorge where the track climbed Flats where a stop was made for the steeply to a new level. Some tremendous night.

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1st January: square miles available, why oh why pick the same spot! It has been said A slightly cloudy day, and another by someone who knows that Barbara 7 a.m. start. We were getting used to was so embarrassed, she blushed all this now and even Lynn was awake by over. 8 a.m. Reasonable sidle all the way down, with the last three-quarters of an hour being spent in the riverbed. The 6th January: airdrop on Olivine Flats was soon located and we camped on the true This was an easy day through pleasright. ant bush down the Hollyford. The little Homer Saddle was good and provided 2nd/3rd January: fine close-ups of the Darrans. Both rest days with weather, low cloud and drizzle. Poor time was 7th January: mainly spent in eating, reading, eating, sleeping, eating, fighting and eating. We We continued down the valley had a bit of extra food in the airdrop. amongst terrific views and scenery plus too many tourists. Then we hit the road. A stinking slog down to Gunn's 4th January: airstrip. The girls survived by conning Away at 7 a.m. for Forgotten Falls. some guy to take their packs down in A sidle most of the way, until we hit his car. the bush at the Pyke end of the River. Here the going was tricky over bush covered boulders. Try as they might, 8th January: Joe and Paul could not get a certain noisily screaming female down into a Away at 6.15 a.m. for the Harris 12-foot hole, between two boulders. Saddle. This was a four-hour slog straight up. We stopped part way up After a lot of searching, we found for a fight with the Keas and three a campsite for the night. It turned out rounds of "Ying Tong Iddle I Po", to be very windy with the result that much to the consternation of the someone's tent (not mentioning any C.C.T.C. below us. Beautiful views from names) fell down in the night. Does Harris Lake. Here we had some group somebody ned a bushcraft course? photos taken. From the lake it was Olivine falls were worth a visit, and about one and a half hours' walk to provided some good photographs. the valley end. The valley is beautiful and looks as though it has been designed with tourists in mind. Excellent use was 5th January: being made of a swimming hole at the end of the road when our peace was We continued down the Pyke to Lake interrupted by the arrival of the bus Alabaster. A long plod which was a bit with a load of tourists. Arrangements boring. A pleasant trip around the lake. were made to take us out and across At no stage did we use the track, but to Glenorchy early. Unable to resist waded out into the lake. The water was the subtle attractions of the pub, we pleasantly warm. At the end of the lake got stuck into the grog and a slap-up the tourist track started. People every- meal. where! Here we met a semi-starving Christchurch Catholic T.C. party. They Many thanks to Paul for an excellent had left most of an airdrop behind as trip. Members were: Paul and Lynn they could not be bothered carrying it! Green, Joe Pemberton, Jenny O'Brien, We camped near the track just past Alan Parrish, Rosie Chittenden, Barthe Hollyford Tourist Co. Hut. Later bara Wheler, Ron Fayle, Peter Sakey, that evening Paul and Barbara clashed and Bill Rice. while trying to do their own thing in their own time. Out of the hundreds of ARAB's ARMPIT