Round Tongariro National Park: Labour Weekend October 19-22

This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.

With two 11-hour days, à third 6-hour continuous day, and 6.15 a.m, starts, trippers on this excursion were left with little doubt that Brian Hunt was back in the bush. Yes, Hunty was the leader T. every jolt, slip, and bruise along the. way.. The frantic seven left Ketetahi and clambered round the eastern side of Tongariro to the Oturere Hut. They camped on Saturday night about 40 metres off the. Tukino Village access road on the eastern flank of Ruapehu before stunbling on at first light for the southern .end of the Park, Sunday night they camped near the former Wanganui Tramping Club hut (many of the huts in the area: were recently renamed by the Park Board, possibly to avoid confusion that has arisen in the past by similar sounding names) and finished the circuit on Monday by coming out on to the Bruce Road at various points. Warren Thorburn said all were impressed by the cifferent aspects of the mountains.and the. barrenness and differing colours of the desert. Typical of the weather at: this time cf the year, both Saturday and Sunday were splendid, skin peeling days, and on Monday heavy snow fell, right down toi the Desert Road The Hunty specials bumped into a former club member, Mike Wing, on the eastern slopes of Ruapehu. Mike, who was a popular figure in the Tararuas, is now baged in Auckland. Must be something wrong with the Auckland weather, he is now sporting a flaming red beard Mike Hollis, our esteemed President, led a fit trip through the Park over Labour Weekend but so far no news. Have they in fact returned from the wild uplands who knows. (Editor raving again)