Off the Beaten Track in the Tararuas

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.

Off the beaten track in the Tararuas November 12:14, 1971 Brian Hunt Owen Cox Paul Milsom Andy Haines Mark Long Lindsay Cuthbertson (scribe) An uneventful Friday night trip by with us as they came through on their kombi to Otaki Forks and continuation way down river to the hut. on foot to the Plateau campsite was the Over breakfast, next morning, Mark start of this "Hunt Special". did his utmost, without success, alas, to The six of us left the campsite on a reform some of Mr Hunt's mannerisms sparkling morning at tabout 6.30 to of speech and provided considerable tramp down the Plateau Stream to its amusement for the rest of us. confluence with the Otaki River. This Reports of pools which would have to took about 24 hours of easy travel with be swum provided to be unfounded. and the only waterfall of note being easily an hour after leaving our campsite we sidled, although Andy chose to jump, were at Neill Forks Hut. Here Paul and getting rather wet in the process. Andy decided to continue downstream A swim with the trout and refresh- all the way to Walls Whare. The rest of ments at the Otaki River and then we us took off at a fast rate up the very were on the long haul, via Pakihore pleasant Neill Creek and in the head- Ridge, to the Main Range. The weather waters area Brian led us up a promising was still fine but the wind was strength- spur. This took us up to the ridge and ening and parkas were donned for the track between Neill and Cone just as traverse of the Tararua Peaks. The Max and Lynn were coming along. Fears descent of the ladder provided a new of a bush-bash through the dense coverand exciting experience for three mem- ing around Cone were banished but we bers of our party who had not been this were very much surprised at how quickly way, before. Lunch at Maungahuka Hut we had come up to the track. We conat about 2 p.m. was most welcome. Re- tinued on to Cone and here it was turning to Maungahuka Peak we had a decided that owing to the deteriorating look down our proposed route to the weather we would stick to the track and Hector River and wondered if it would miss out on our planned route down "go". The spur turned out to be very Clem Creek. We made a fast trip down easy with no bush-bashing involved. It to Cone Saddle and on to Walls Whare steepened considerably but cautious where Paul and Andy were shivering in choosing of the route dropped us to the front of the fire. As it was then only river near the junction with Tarahanga 1 p.m. we enjoyed the unusual luxury Stream. A further ten minutes or so of a few hours in the pit, listening to downstream brought up to a beautiful the rain and drinking brews before the little grassy flat which provided our kombi arrived at 4 p.m. campsite about 5 p.m. An hour or so later Max and Lynn enjoyed a brew LINDSAY CUTHBERTSON RETURN ALL GEAR TO THE GEAR CUSTODIAN!