Ruahines - Queens Birthday Weekend

Machine-read text (unproofread)

Read from the scans by software, so it contains mistakes. Typing it up properly would help blind readers: use Suggest an edit.

Ruahines - - Queens Birthday Weekend Paul MacKay After the normal Friday night trip without their packs and then pleaded from Wellington and a brief carbohyfor someone to throw their packs to drate loading session in Bulls, the them. "No problem!" said one member bus pulled off the main highway and of exalted rank. His shotput trainonto the road to Mokai Station. The ing produced some spectacularly bent long narrow road was uninspiring to billies (not discovered until dug out all except the bus driver (he called of the packs next day!). Our tents it something else altogether!!) What were up and occupants installed in no was of effect however was the view time. For a few short minutes after each time we crossed one of the climbing into the pit I listened to various bridges spanning the Rangitikei the highly coordinated efforts of and some of its subsidiaries. Gorges other tent construction firms around looking as if they had been cut with us and to: "Don't drink downstream a knife (some were deep enough to of that bend in the creek - there's a have been cut by an inebriated cardead sheep in there." From the penter with an axe) dropped sheer sudden silence I gathered a number under the bus (on the bridge!) 150 already had. That silence was my cue feet and more to the barely seen for hard work and I started stacking waters below. With only one hiccup Z's. where the bus tried to negotiate a corner that the construction company Barbara woke us next morning with a had never consulted the bus driver brew (I must teach my wife that about, we arrived at the Mokai trick) which was cue for a quick Station roadend. breakfast and away. And away we were, past the tent of the FEs who had made Twenty minutes' walk up the road and a very early start and were still in we could go no further; where to their pits munching into a month's camp? The carpark was mud and stones, supply of bacon and other goodness the ground rose or fell sharply on guaranteed to make you go green (with all sides and offered not a flat envy if you don't get any and the place. One or two intrepid souls other kind if you do!), and up onto climbed the fence on the downward the farmland that climbed up, then side and fell/climbed down the bank around to the right. A long sidle to the stream next to some flat along the bottom of the hill (straight ground. They pronounced it soggy but up from the carpark would have been fit for Tongue and Meats, so down we easier but since all of us could read went. Next task was some training we followed the marked route) and for the next Olympics. Long jump was then up steep slippery farm hillside the name of the game. The campsite to the beginning of the alpine was on the other side of the stream. tussock. On the way up we noticed a couple of figures climbing the hill- A truly amazing variety of style was side directly above the carpark. The evident. Most succeeded; yours fluorescent pink parka of one of them truly was standing on the bank contemwas a long-range advertisement of plating distances and all kinds of illiteracy but bespoke of other complicated things when the commonsense as they reached the top bank gave way, and deposited me in long before us! the drink and thereby solved my problems. As entertaining were one The farm grass gave way to tussock or two souls who jumped the water almost without warning and all of a sudden we were on the tops and into the teeth of a freezing southerly. Warm gear appeared faster than an olympic sprinter and we all stopped for a bit of fast feeding. Off we went along the tops, wondering how much fine weather we were likely to see that weekend. At times visibility was at a level when I wondered whether we'd even be able to see the bad weather! Owing to Kev's navigational wizardry we spent no unnecessary time on the top and were soon on the downward path to Otukota Hut (our proposed lunch stop). Down turned into sharply down and then just as the hut came into sight below us it turned into straight down! Just for Bruce and I, that is, for we had walked off the track and over the edge while admir- Ruahines above the cloud ing the view. Barbara and Kev, concentrating on more sensible things, kept their eyes on the ground and followed the track around the side of capitalistic greed came to their wits the steep gully that Bruce and I were and whipped the two remaining bunks. trying so hard to fall into. Teatime was a truly communal affair Finally, we came to a bluff about 40 as everyone crammed into the hut and feet high and stopped to reinstall sat on each other's laps whilst cookour brains. Barbara was now on the and eating. That culinary master, path high above the creek on the the red bearded leader of the mediums, other side of the gully. She kept discovered after stirring the mince waving at us and pointing up. She for a while that it separates a lot didn't look like she was merely being easier once removed from its plastic friendly so we did as we were told bag! Minor problems notwithstanding, and climbed back up to a perfectly tea went down, stayed down, and it good track which seemed to go in the wasn't long before we were all in right direction. The creek at the bed. (I told you it was communal!) bottom was only. about five feet wide but it looked like the tailrace from Kev was up first and the brew followa hydro dam. Bruce and I latched on ing caught most of us still in the to each other's packs, told each pit. The weather outside was even other it was easy, and walked across. less inspiring than the preceding day Five minutes later we were in Otukota and all and sundry decided that the Hut and dragging lunch out of our sensible course of action would be to packs. The river below the hut was spend the day at the hut and escape uncrossable and "reluctantly" we on Monday. decided to spend the day contemplating the nice warm fire that Kev had This sort of thinking defines who lit by accident. (I think he wanted goes on what trips obviously, because to see whether his matches were still the medium trip opted for the obvious dry or something.) and we filled ourselves with hot mushroom rice risotto, packed up and Some hours later some bedraggled created even more problems for democmediums arrived with stories of going racy with four empty bunks and still off the track and becoming bluffed too many people to fit in them. above the creek (sound familiar?) then getting beaten to a pulp by this The creek we had crossed the day tiny little creek, etc etc. More and before was a complete no-no so the more arrived until about 20 people only option was a climb straight up were trying to take up residence in a the spur behind the hut. Weather hut built for 6. getting thicker all the time, we climbed out onto the tops and headed Democracy is a wonderful system. We off for Crow Hut. A chilling southwere four and we were there first, so erly was blowing with relentless we got four bunks. They were about malice and squalls of rain, sleet and 16 and they couldn't find any dry later, snow, obscured our vision. straws to draw, so outside they went During this trip along the tops I to put up their tents. Eventually experienced a lesson that I was only two entrepreneurs well versed in later to learn and appreciate.

About an hour after moving onto the and exposure come silently and with tops I began to get the impression the noise and tumult of rain and that my brain and my body had had an storm they have you in their deadly argument and weren't talking to each grip and you never know until too other. My legs began to get slower late. If you are lucky, you also and despite the conscious exhortations will have knowledgeable and experiof my brain, nothing wanted to improve. enced companions, but don't count on Kev after waiting for me a couple of it. times stopped the party and we all put Monday morning dawned fine but with on more warm clothing. On we went, mist down to low levels. Not long faster than before but not with any after breakfast we began the climb improvement that I could feel. I was back to the tops and the final tramp also discovering the value of braces on out to the Kauwhata Forest Service overtrou as I did not have any and my Base and the bus. trousers kept falling down. My numbed Breaking out into the tops we also fingers could not pull them up again. cleared the mist and the day became My mind became rapidly more and more pure delight. Plenty of snow had egocentric, focussing totally upon fallen in the last two days. This the next step, the next.. the had now consolidated and was good and next. hard. Animal tracks all over indi- About three-quarters of an hour short cated early morning frolics by deer of the spur which is the normal route and hares and one other animal I down to Crow Hut, Kev called upon his couldn't identify. navigational wizardry again and An easy walk along the snowy ridge, sought a quick route off the tops breaking through the crust only down into the valley. slowly off the rarely (as opposed to every other snow slopes we descended. My mind step the day before) provided the seemed to be winning the argument now highlight of the trip for me. Kev as I determined to keep going despite and Barbara were ten minutes ahead of falling, slipping and stumbling. My Bruce and I. We talked as we mind seemed to be stuck in a groove followed their sharply defined bootsaying "Get to the trees, get to the prints. trees!" Thinking that the other two would Just into the bush we stopped and Kev probably not wait for us on such a put on a billy. Three packets of fine day, we stopped after a while to Refresh disappeared into the water take some clothing off and munched on and the first lifegiving warmth and a Moro bar. We heard a call and sustenance poured down my throat. looked up to see Kev. He and Barbara The sensation of new life was almost had stopped for a rest just over the instantaneous and immediately I found other side of the next snow hummock. the strength to rummage in my pack and find food. Lunch and several As a group we took off and soon came more hot drinks later I felt as if I up with Buncks who had fallen behind had just got out of bed after a bout the other FE's with a damaged knee. of fever, weak but clear and purpose- I left Kev and Barbara to their rapid ful again. descent and stayed to talk. Reaching the river below, we came to Down into the bush, we followed the the cage which was the means of spur that Kev had picked up and we transport across. Buncks hopped in hoped was going to lead us to the first and was winched across by Kev valley below. (We hoped, Kev knew who was waiting on the other side. but probably forgot to tell us.) At turn and both of them laid in to the bottom we hit the track to Crow My Hut and this time there was no acciwinch with a will (are there speed dent about the way Kev applied his restrictions on flying foxes!?). A short trip to the road ensued match to the heap of kindling and (I logs that appeared in the fireplace. tried to be smart and run but Kev soon overtook me when I ran out of First once again to the hut, our breath). Long legs have their uses routine began again shortly after however and I wasn't far behind when dark when the FE's arrived. This we reached the Forest Service Base time however there were only three. and dived into our packs for the Democracy raised its inimitable head final lunch. An enjoyable afternoon, again and it was "first in, first eating and waiting for the medium served". Rex got the floor. party to arrive, ended with a three meal and mile walk down the road to meet the A thoroughly enjoyable good bus. company made the night. I took a few An uneventful trip home ended a minutes however to reflect on my thoroughly valuable, and mostly lesson from earlier in the day. I enjoyable experience. think it worthwhile to say that: no matter how fit you are, put your warm Personnel were: Barbara Thompson clothing on in plenty of time. Cold (leader), Kev Thompson, Bruce Taylor and Paul Mackay (scribe).