Northwest Nelson in the Sun

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Northwest Nelson in the Sun Karen O'Byrne 6.15 am on Boxing Day saw the We camped on the third evening troops all gathered at Wellington in the Spey and on the fourth Airport in the only display of day travelled up it in gloriously morning punctuality observed fine weather. We were aiming during the trip. By the end, for Lake Aorere that night but the trip leader's nightly cajole as not everyone was accomplished "up at X time, away by Y time" = at rock hopping we didn't quite had become a standard joke as make it and camped 500ft below the troops by and large got up the lake. When it came to Bunks - when they felt like it and left turn to fetch water he tried sometime later. a new approach and practised the immersion technique. The As the plane circled over Nelson lagoon that he was practising prior to landing, we could see in was some distance away from that it had been raining and our campsite and the sound effects the steward's sardonic invitation, that we heard even at that distance "Welcome to sunny Nelson" gave suggested that perhaps this method us warning that the weather was of getting water was not one not doing the things Nelson weather we should hurry to copy. is renowned for. By 11 am we On the Friday we covered the were at the start of the Heaphy short distance to Lake Aorere. Track and "The Hughes 1983 Xmas On arrival at the lake some of Trip" had begun in earnest. us sat in the sun and admired There was no escaping to Mt the view while others went looking Maunganui. for a campsite. When a suitable Our destination for the first site had been chosen the group day was Perry Saddle. Paul reunited and there soon followed (trip leader) had intended us a little flurry of energy expendto camp out but in the pouring iture as two of the "gentlemen" rain a major concession was granted decided that two of the ladies and the troops stayed dry inside would like to go swimming. Perry Saddle Hut. The track The third lady wisely decided there was about 6ft wide, climbed that this was the ideal time approximately 200ft a mile and to move on to our campsite on was in such good condition that the saddle. The rest of the it could not have provided a day was spent indulging in predomcompetitive entry in the recent inantly non-active activities. pothole competition. One of the tarns was converted into a bath that afternoon and On the second day we went across with the addition of billies the tops and camped near a tarn of hot water we were able to under Gouland Peak. We woke on the have a good wash. The Aorere third morning (Wednesday) to Saddle Hilton was not as comfortfind the weather had deteriorated able as previous campsites and and at times it even snowed. On I at least imagined I was sleeping this day the troops showed a on a roller coaster. It was distinct lack of enthusiasm for at this time that some of us moving and if exemptions had began having serious doubts about been granted for "wet weather the integrity of our trip leader. days" then we would probably We used an imaginary line between have stayed put. Bunks was the tent poles to decide whether not quite so keen to pit-bash people had the prescribed amount as the rest of us and toiled of room within the tent. When nobly to cook brews and breakfast it was pointed out that the trip on a fire which Paul had told leader and his wife were occupying him he would never be able to more than their half of the tent, light because of the weather. our beloved trip leader promptly Once breakfast had been consumed, relocated the tent poles. On lunch followed on quickly, and this evening Claire struggled as the team had already demolished at length against the three their day's chocolate rations pillicks she had the misfortune there was little else to do but to be sharing a tent with. pack up and move on. Justice triumphed next morning when their tent suffered a major We had intended to travel along structural collapse. the tops to Lake Aorere but because the weather was not conducive The desire to reach our food to tops travel at this time, drop on schedule led us onwards we opted to travel up the Spey. on Saturday. Fortified by the best breakfast of the trip, At Roaring Lion Hut we met three Claire's rendition of Mac-cheese, people who had flown in for two we crossed Centre Mountain in days of fishing, hunting and abysmal weather and dropped down elbow bending with the greater into the Beautiful. The trip proportion of their time probably across the tops provided yet spent on the latter activity. another opportunity for me to One member of the group explained add to my growing photo collection that he flew in because "at 44 entitled "Claytons Panoramas". he could no longer walk the places To be eligible to be included we could". in this collection, a photo must have mist as the predominant Our food drop was intact and feature, it must be taken at that night Xmas pudding and a a reasonable altitude and in bottle of brandy were enthusiastica place which would have afforded ally devoured. magnificent views had you been there 24 hours earlier or 24 It was about this time that the hours later. freedom from the strains of city living began to have a noticeable On New Year's Day we headed down effect on the troops. In a the Beautiful. Rock hopping "how to put up a fly demonstration" in the Beautiful proved to be one senior club official got even more of a challenge than confused and any resemblance rock hopping in the Spey for between the final result and a those of us not very adept at conventional fly was coincidental. it. As we travelled along the river I couldn't help wondering The next about the perverse nature of day, Tuesday, was yet the individual responsible for another rest day and all the naming this river. Early on team, except for our intrepid in the day we met a party of fisherman, spent the morning Hutt Valley trampers and exchanged pit-bashing behind the tent's pleasantries. They told us sandfly-proof mosquito nets. where they had found the best Mosquito nets do a wonderful fishing spots to be, but despite job keeping sandflies out until this inside information our insome idiot leaves them open. trepid fisherman was unable to (Guess who?) provide us with fresh trout. When our fisherman returned, intrepidity rating still high, We camped a couple of hours upsuccess rating zero, he found stream from Roaring Lion Hut his SI leeping bag had been practisand next day strolled down there. ing levitation and was now several 1 we Spey River, N.W. Nelson Paul Hughes feet up a tree. As if that Late in the afternoon of our wasn't enough, little gremlins second day at Salisbury Lodge had used his gear for furthering the place filled up with fellow their knot-tying skills. trampers. As there were more people than bunks and as we weren't Wednesday was onwards to Karamea quite ready to face the crowds Bend where we camped a few minutes just yet, we shifted three minutes from the Bend along the Leslie. down the track and spent a very Strange gravity forces were found pleasant evening camping out. to operate in this area. Murray's dual-purpose sun-shielding red By now the team had put up the scarf cum oversize handkerchief tents 12 times so one might have found its way up a tree, the reasonably expected that we would trip leader's sleeping bag found almost have perfected the techits way up an even bigger tree nique. Sadly this was not the and the fisherman's sunhat, seen case and a serious construction by several reliable members of fault became obvious the next the group on the ground soon morning when the trip leader's after our arrival, was found tent collapsed on its dozing up a tree adjacent to the trip occupants. leader's sleeping bag. On the final day we walked out Over the next couple of days to the road-end at Flora Saddle we made our way to Salisbury where the team donned their Lodge. Along the way we were cleanest clothes in readiness treated to a re-enactment of to greet the world again. the Falklands war with Chris and his bowl on opposing sides. Those on the trip: Paul Hughes It is said that history repeats (leader), Debbie Hughes, Chris itself, and sure enough, the Garton, Murray Worsop, Claire outcome of the re-enactment was Douglas, Ian Bunckenburg, Tom similar to the outcome of the Halliburton, Karen O'Byrne. original war. Chris's bowl broke apart and sank. Celmesia Flowers Jack McConchie Rolling tussocklands, Kaimanawas Jack McConchie