Ruahine Crossing

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RUAHINES. Anzac Weekend. With Athol Roberts as leader Butch Marshell, Joy Parsons, Rob Jamieson, Bill Rice, Stan Kinder, Snow Williems, Barrie O'Donnell, Phil Phillips, Rod Milne, Terry Moore and Bruce Owens (H.V.T.C.) set off in a rather cramped fashion in Harry weeds truck at 7p.m. on the Friday bound for Onga Ongao e stopped for food in Palmerston then on through the frosty night. hen we tur.ned off the wain road Harry, his relief driver and Athol played a game among themselves with a road mep to help them for some considerable time but eventually in the wee sma' hours we unloaded ourselves at the site of an old sawmill on the banks of the Waipawa River and clambered as swiftly as possible back into our bags plus covers on the frort covered ground. e got avay after breakfast about 8a.mo in deteriorating weather and plugged seemingly forever up the leipawa River. Touards the source in the waipawa Saddle the going naturally became steeper and when just for good measure our leader took us walking on top of leatherwood meny were the hard remarks cast egainst him. I was a bit further back but I hear that Sten didn't really appreciate his Trepper Nelson pack at thst stage. On the saddle we crouched for some time trying to shrink avay from cutting fingers of the wind but to no aveil. Cold - brghhh. Athol decided instead of cutting around the tops and coming down into Rangi Creek to camp that we would cut down the other side of the saddle to Jaikamake Hut for lunch and take stock of the weather from there. Neer the hut Rod spiked himself in the thigh with his ice exe and so (not without pleasure) we had an enforced rest at the hut. The afternoon wa.s spent in getting wood and preparing food while later on we were joined by 3 deer cullers, they seemed a little surprised at times by the variety of songs that were sungo Sundey we started out around 8.30 in very overcast weether and before we had gone far up the aikamska Stream we were in fairly heavy rain. Over the saddle (easier said than done) and down the other side to Rangi Creek passing through the first bush for the weekend. we had a short spell before starting down the creek and all those silly people who hadn't put on parkes etc. before did so then while trying to smoke wet cigarettes. ve followed the creek down for some way and then started going up a. tributary, Iron Peg Creek which wa.s as rocky and steep es the others were. A short distance up VG found an overhanging rock shelf and repaired there for sholter and "lunch" a i.0. mrching rations. While we sheltered and shivered we could see the creek rising before our eyes - it seemed like inches at a time and I am sure I have never seen any river or stream come up so fast before. After some time and just as we were preparing to wind our dolorous way on up the creek the rain stoppedo Then, vory faintly and for just a moment, the sun shone. What a glorious sight. We postponed our departure for a few ninutes longer to h-ve another smoke and try to thaw out by singing "rounds" with great gusto. On and on up Iron Peg Creek until we finally hit the saddle below Iron Peg itself then on and over Iron Peg at a height of 5,565ft. The weather now wa.8 nuch better although there was plenty of mist eround and just to meke sure of our correct ridge Athol took a compass bearing - and then found that the map had no Poles marked on it - a very useful sort of map. we took the correct ridgethough and got down to Purity Hut just in the bush line in clearing weather where we had a late lunch and a brew. After thawing out we pushed off again for the road. Athol, Bill and I were last to leave and just as we were going there arrived on the scene two shooters who told us they'd had a beed on the first three of our party coming down the ridge. They said they'd looked just like deer (meybe it's Stan's Trepper Nelson pack that does it) but knowing we were in the area they had checked up through field glasses first. The mud down from Purity Hut on the track is very affectionate - if you leave a foot in it too long I doubt if you would be able to re-claim it when you wanted to move on - but in spite of nll that we made fairly good time down to the road and our quarters for the night in a wool shed there. Bill, Berrio and I didn't like the smell much so we pitched a tent near the camp of some Manawatu Club bods. We were not long out of the sack that night and woke in the morning to intervals of rain. re eventually left, still in rain,about 10.30 and so home again with a stop for food at Palmerston North. On the way back all except Athol agreed that they'd enjoyed their last trip to the Ruahines, but, I suppose we'll all go again some time. Certainly the country is entirely different from any thrt the Tararuas have to offer. The trip done by us could be easily done from Wellington by a fairly fit party in an ordinary weekend. T.M.