Christmas Ravings, or a Visit to the Olivines

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CHRISTMAS RAVINGS OR A VISIT TO THE OLIVINES "They each shouldered the heavy pack slot, Lewin leads around frozen lakeand turned from the light that lay on look down at Trinity Stream. Wind the lands outside and plunged into the strong and cold. Down a gut-Lewin forest." wipes out and gashes knee. Beardin J. R. R. Tolkien, THE HOBBIT. follows and repeats. Longin trembling at bottom. Made camp at end of Thus it was that Lewin, Longin, Trinity Rain Valley. Leggin, and Beardin left the world beagain? Wet sidle, bash hind at Aspiring Station and plunged and bluffed. Aihonial made Sealy Stream into an eighteen day adventure in Oli- and down the Pyke. Up a side creekvine country with an easy stroll just like a staircase. Accidentally disturb the West Matukituki valley. The adver some of Kennicotts survey rocks in ture began to take shape, when mist stream. Get onto Stag Pass benchfell at Liverpool Biv, threatening a thanks Huey, its a mighty view from forced stay for perhaps a few days. the Pass-Ark, Tutoko and, further Not to be discouraged too early in down, a mining camp tucked away in the trip. Decided to have a bash at the bush-seems no-one knew much Arawata Saddle in the mist-Hunts slide about this one. Drop down into the firmly imprinted in the void between Barrier-stream very silty. the ears. Steep snow slope, dome, then Rain all night-Barrier flooded-a a glissade down the other side-no swirling, murky-grey mess. Rain stops sweat. Sidle under cliffs. Crash down for lunch, becomes sunny and hot. Dry grass slopes and bash down river to out gear and sunbathe. Sunny next mornthe rock bivvy in the Arawata. ing, early start up blazed track onto Fine weather? Remeakeser Off we Beresford Pass, down into the Diorite, went, relieved that no problems lay be- then to Four Brothers Pass-more fore reaching our Christmas air drop rain. Sidle around and drop down into at Williamson Flats, Christmas Pudding the Forgotten River. Pick up air drop and Leopards. Bash and sidle down to and meet some of Kev's trip, the flats, find the tins, struggle over Christmas pudding tainted but edible. to small hut on bish edge. Oaths and Longin left with Kev's mob next mornmuch cursing-pl.dding tainted with ing. Weather clears-dry out socks and white spirits and beer-even the keas make scones. Lewin and Leggin spent wouldn't touch it. next day on Olivine ice plateau. Perfect Rain did nothing to alleviate the de- weather-climb Climax. Return that jection felt over the lost pudding, neither night looking like the proverbial lobster. did rain the following day. Arawata and Another rest day for convalescing. Joe both flooded. New snow on tops. Finally left the Forgotten-in drizzle. Pit bashing-Tolkien, Robbins, and Dropped down to Olivine Flats. Found Marshall Kane. Moirs and map con- blazed track up the Olivine, and lost sulted-alternative route to next drop it, as per usual. Weather clearedworked out-no six days on the plateau dropped' into river-good travel until this trip. waterfall. Sidled, then dropped into river Brief clearance in weather midday of to make camp. No inclination to do third day at Williamsons-quick pack another half hour to Alabaster Flats. and rain starts. Wet bash over non- Got up past the flats next morning, existent deer trails to McArthur Flats. good view of Ark and Intervention. Witness execution of four hinds by Quick travel up to the flat expanse of chopper squad. Cow Saddle and down into Hidden Fine weather? For a while at least. Falls Creek. Boulder-hop down to spur Over a slightly flooded Arawata and leading onto Park Pass. Leggin blazes the Williamson River. Miracles, we Touna new track up to pass-finds blazed route a blazed track, and lost it. Bash up to ten minutes from bush edge. On to pass Pass Creek, then climbed to high. Drop with a cold nor'wester freshening and down and camp on shelf below Trinity more rain. Down into the Rock Burn Col. Midnight antics-rain, and the tent and afternoon tea with twenty-one leaks. Karori Venturers. Camped down on Pack up in mist-plod and sidle, Theatre Flats-windy and wet night. then plug up onto Trinity Coi Descend, Off down the Rock Burn-confused across neve-gasp at Andy Ice Fall by new bridge and discs which lead nopéerisc through mist. Leggin finds a where. Picked up some blazes and soon reached the gorge sidle. Climbed up onto Long, who diligently carried his rifle Sugarloaf Pass-snowing dropped down without firing a shot, Ross Leggett, to Route Burn-missed bus by half an who somehow managed to cut down his hour. Were fortunately offered a lift to pace to the extent that he was always Queenstown by an ex-Tararua. last to pack up, and yours truly, Brent Those who made that "plunge into Richardson, who managed to throw the forest" were: Stephen Lewis, the away his durries and do some hard chief organiser and Moir reader, Mark work for a change.