A Mystery ?..... Mediums

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

: tA How far can you go on $15.00 transport allowance? Otaki Forks was eliminated as we sped out over the Rimutaka 's. well at least the driver -had been informed! Deposited in the dark we were still none the wiser, nobody reçognising, the unfamiliar roadend. : A. lot of scanning of maps and muttering - it must be Mikimiki. Alex remained silent!! Flies were soon erected in'an orderly line and the 'mediums! dived for- cover: The daylight :of Saturday revealed all, it was Mikimiki and our Trip Leader gave us a quick run down for the day's activity = a saunter up to Te Mara, then over to Mitre Flats. Starting up the Mikimiki Stream it. wasn't long before we turned right up a stream towards Te Mara. After about an hour of slipping up the istream bed and being fed up with wet feet we decided: tot tackle the bush. So with Alex out front with compass at hand we took a right hand spur "straight up". Barbara kept us on course from the rear and by midday we were eating lunch in a cloud on top! Continuing to bush bash we made gradual progress along the ridge top, pausing for our every so often to admire the views of the Thrée Kings and Mitre. Over Bruce Hill to lookout point, and with good navigation (I mean how could we go wrong!!) we headed down the spur our now thirsty bodies greedy for the water below.' The wait wasn't too long às a "Lusty" cry echoed through the bush from Stuart.. he'd found a wee stream halfway down. Refreshed we" tumbled down the rest of the steep incline to Waingawa Stream and 6pm saw us at Mitre Flats, the F.E.'s letting 15 weary bods pass silently by! . However nothing was now beyond us and a quick compass bearing meant we soon homed in on their freshly brewed brew! Supper of stew soon became a delicious cassorole thanks to Barbara's mystery ingredients. Then heavy rain sent everyone to cover. Stuart spent half an hour finding a: superior fly site which still managed to get wet!! Sunday morning saw a rather higher Waingawa and despite the lack of "brew in pit" we set off reasonably early. Now where oh mighty mystery leader.. well. there's new track over Pinnacle Ridge to the Atiwhakatu River. So off we plodded buried beneath parkas and made good time getting to the Atiwhakatu Hut for lunch, A brew was duly made and the F.E.'s appeared! they can smell out anything! Then a couple of hours along the Atiwhakatu Track saw us at Holdsworth' Lodge by 3.30, Prue having an additional soaking on the way - just to wash the mud off?? ::: Thanks Alex for tetting us know where wei were and where we were going : a great trip.. TC Alex Gray (Leader) Stu Lusty Anne Greenwood Eileen sioan Prue Coakley- Marion Griffiths (Scribe) Craig Harman Andrew McDonald Martin Brown Peter May Ian Wightwick : Andrew Fraser Karen.o'Byrne Barbara Thompson Eric Emmett ./2