A 'Hunty'ing We Did Go

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A Hunty'ing We Did Go Warren Thorburn Midnight has passed as we farewell the bus crater lake deluge roared down this ànd cross the border into the Tongariro impressive valley. National Park. Forty minutes later, and into the first day of Labour Weekend, the Great expenditure of effort on the climb campsite is reached and four hours sleep out of the valley is rewarded at the top lies ahead. by greetings from an attractive young miss from the Auckland C.T.C. She appears Has trip leader Brian Hunt left the buildflattered by compliments boldly expressed ing plans at home and remembered the map? by one of our more enthusiastic members. Will a standard Tongue & Meat tent fly The rest of the party more discreetly cover Paul Cooper from end to end? Should agree with his sentiments. Evan Cunliffe stow the billy in his pack or vice versa? Is Ian Bunckenburg crack- Further on Rangipo Hut is reached. A short ing under the strain? He can only produce food stop, sign the log book, and we're a handkerchief but no tent at camp time. off again. The track continues sidling Will Ian McLean insist that smoked tea is the desert slopes and valleys running down a connoisseur's delight second only to from Tahurangi and Girdlestone. It is smoked eel? Is Warren Thorburn taking high enough at an elevation of 1400 metres notes of these scandals for publication? to give excellent panoramic views over Can newcomer Paul Richards survive three Karioi State Forest and the Desert Road days with this weird mob? Who knows? to Waiouru and the Kai imanawa Ranges. Read on. We climb into and out of the 150 metre We pass by Ketatahi Hut early Saturday deep Wahianoa Valley with its spectacular morning and reach the Central Crater of vertical rock walls running up to Girdle- Tongariro with a hot sun blazing. A magstone Peak. nificent view stretches south to Ruapehu and westwards to the Kaimanawas. Necks Lunch is taken a couple of hours after and arms are starting to cook and feet leaving Rangipo Hut and by now we're well ache with the heat. into the area of desert being invaded by Pinus contorta. Brian has actually been The descent down to a lunch stop at Oterere uprooting the pine trees while on the run. is marked by a fascinating landscape of His enthusiasm catches on and a large numold lava flow formations. Interspersed ber are demolished while the billy boils. between are colourful displays of orange, yellow and russet plant forms giving A passing schoolboy contingent is lectured spectacular life to the otherwise barren briefly on the benefits of eradicating the desert. Soon out from Oterere Hut the insidious tree as they tramp along. Their club President's fit trip slowly passes in reply of "what does it look like?" causes the opposite direction - each sweating but funny looks amongst our party. Hilarity smiling. ensues as their group disappears across the desert, barren except for the pines. A second lunch is downed at Waihohonu Hut, calculations are made on how far we need We set off again and the desert eventually to travel each day to complete the trip peters out into stunted bushline beech and the decision is made to strike out forest, the track gradually turning westfor the Tukino access road. The desert wards around the south side of Ruapehu. loses some of its glamour over the next By the time we reach Mangaehuehu Hut, section but this is somewhat compensated followed by the Turoa skifield road, we've by snow covered Ruapehu towering skyward begun to spread out along the track as the on our right. We trudge wearily to a 5 long, hot day takes its toll. o'clock camp, dinner, then straight to sleep. Some light relief is provided by the incongruous sight of a 200 metre long Trooping off at 6.15 a.m. the next morning section of elevated timber boardwalk the weather once again perfect - we stretching over marshy ground before us. discover there are easier ways to travel It even has a built-in timber seat midway these endless rolling ridges and valleys for admiring the view of Ruapehu. The of the Rangipo Desert: the trail bikes boardwalk is however a necessary intrusion have been before us! Presumably their upon the environment. The absence of riders gained access off the Tukino road. protection along other similar stretches A flock of small ground nesting birds, of marshy ground has resulted in a mess unidentified, express their disapproval at equal to the worst of any Tararua boggy our presence. track. Southward ho! We begin crossing the deep Near the day's end we finally reach the valley and high ridge country running off Mangaturuturu Hut. Tea is eaten with the the sides of Mt. Ruapehu. The Whangaehu sun setting and we 'crash' as Ruapehu dis- Valley rekindles memories of 1953 and what appears under gathering storm clouds. We must have been a frightening scene as the awake to drizzle. Two out of three fine days on Ruapehu isn't a bad average! The The tigers travel via Whakapapaiti Hut half day trip back to the Whakapapa road while those of us with less inclination via Lake Surprise, through fresh overnight head out direct for the road and the club snow, is all heads down and tails up. hut. A hot shower proves to be a great way to end a great trip!