Nelson Lakes for Easter

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Nelson Lakes for Easter A chaotic atmosphere prevailed for Another beautiful full moon was hinthe last few hours between leaving school ing like a floodlight and the scree slopes and getting on the ferry, and after suc- down to the basin on the slopes of the cessfully smashing the wharf we had a hills looked mighty. calm trip to Picton on the Aranui. Early to bed that night to escape the Looking up the lake that night was cold and the next day to a fine mornfantastic; the moon seemed to travel in ing. But al was not to be. By 9.30 we a long path down the lake and the moon- were nearly ready to go and "Hughie" light turned the scree slopes of the started trying to send it down at the mountains into snow. demands of Paul; once we reached the There were 15 of us on Gary Lund's tops he succeeded. It wasn't bad rain but medium trip and after the oldies on the the wind was cold. By the time we trip got steamed up we were able to reached C.C. at 6,100ft it had begun io leave by 9.30 on Friday morning. clear. By luchtime we were above the Not long after leaving the camping Arnst Basin. A good bump was seen in site we began the climb up to Mr. St. the distance that offered a spur to the Arnaud. The weather was fine and sunny Travers. and we got some good views of the lake We reached the bump and only two of at various points. Once above the bush- us near the front remembered where to line we were greeted with a line view stop. Murray was already over the next until the "crud" came in. On the top, peak. Off down the scree slopes and we Neil, Gordon and John Caldwell went soon reached the bushline. To me the down to some nearby tarns for water, bush had looked a deceptively small and we had a brew and lunch on the top. patch I it took us 23 hours to reach the Surrounded by "crud", parkas on, we river. were off towards the Arnst Basin to our Lynn practised the assassination of the first night's camp. President a couple of times on me on the The weather cleared and we had some way down and by the time we reached good views and easy travel along the the bottom I began to fully appreciate tops, but we were destined not to reach the dangers faced by the presidency. the Arnst Basin and night found us An excellent bacon stew was eaten camped in the basin at the head of Six- that night in a pretty good campsite. Mile Creek. A good primus-cooked stew After another floodlit night the "crud" was served up that night. Brian had gone came in in the morning, but an hour to sleep and we couldn't find out whose later the finest day of the trip began. The bowl was missing, so he missed out. party split up into five. Two people

SKIING TRAMPING CAMPING SPORTING SPECIALISTS SKIING TRAMPING SKIS HIKERS' TENTS BOOTS SLEEPING BAGS POLES GROUND SHEETS BINDINGS PACKS SKI CLOTHING BILLIES ALL ACCESSORIES SPIRIT STOVES PARKAS J.F. GORDON & Co. Ltd. 25 LOWER CUBA STREET WELLINGTON PHONE 41-715 Charlie Anderson John Conway CAMPING SPORTING TENTS FISHING RODS GAS STOVES TENNIS RACQUETS BARBECUES SQUASH RACQUETS COOLIBARS BADMINTON RACQUETS GARDEN FURNITURE SOFTBALL BATS GROUND SHEETS SOFTBALL GLOVES TENT POLES WATER SKIS FOOTBALLS SKI HIRE SERVICE stayed at the camp to look after things, Out to St. Arnaud by 2.00 and the bus four of us went down to the lake and was there by 3.00. We arrived at Picton found some mushrooms, Neil went out at 5.30 and had an hour to fill in. to St. Arnaud for some cigarettes, Mur- A good trip back to Wellington on the ray and Den went to Upper Travers, and Aramoana and suddenly the shortest the rest went up to Angelus. long weekend I have ever had was over. Jeff and I were supposed to be cooking It was, to use a Milsom original, a the stew that night, it was dehy it's "fancredible" trip. funny the way that "stuff" affects some people. Those on it were: Gary and Tiare John Shorland and three Hutt Valley's Lund, Paul and Lynn Green, Ron Fayle, came down that night like a lot of starv- Neil Carey, Gordon Kemp, Dennis Hole, ing ravens, but life's tough and those Murray Taylor, Brian Proffit, Ron Walguys went on being hungry. ter, Jeff Churchill, John MacMillan. John Monday dawned fairly good and by Caldwell (N.Z.D.A.), and me. 10.00 we left. It was a fairly good trip down the lake apart from the wasps. RODGER POWELL