The Chief Guides Go Tramping

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.

The Chief Guides Go Tramping NW Nelson The Chief Guides past and present A steep 400 ft climb onto Kakapo were Kev Thompson, Jack McConchie, Spur, where I met the boys for Neil Woodrow (leader) and Ian morning tea, was the start of Hadfield. We stumbled out of a great Easter Day. After an the bus at 2 am and lost no time hour of grovelling in stunted in our search for a campsite beech, we stopped at some damp in Takaka's main street. The moss where we extracted enough church porch looked promising dirty water for a brew. We ate but being Good Friday already 'Tararua biscuit' Easter bunnies we settled for the Kindy verandah which added to our enjoyment. where Kev, missing the latest Breaking out of the bush to gently addition to the family, soon rolling tops, we strolled along made friends with the pet rabbit. in more sun before camping at a tarn off the side of the spur. A couple of hours sleep, followed by a bowl of muesli and a short Monday was fine again as we knocked play in the adventure playground, off the last of the long Kakapo we were soon on our way to Flora Spur (about aslong as the Southern Saddle in a taxi with the boot Main Range) and climbed onto overflowing. Somehow the taxi the Peel Range. After a long managed to grind its way to the photo stop we dropped down Myttons 3200ft saddle, much to the relief Creek and into the Cobb. Lunch of the already hungry team. was followed by sunbathing and Arriving sombrely at Mt Arthur another swim for Neil and I, Hut an hour later, Kev and Neil much to our strong friends' amusethrew their packs down a bank ment. Racing off up the Cobb in a successful attempt to cheer motorway I lost my rearguard up Jack and I. Climbing out position when Jack stopped to of the bush, we cruised along put on his running shoes, twisted in glorious weather, running his ankle, fell in a bog and out of rabbit jokes at 10.30 stopped to put his boots back am and passing through the saddle on! between Winter Peak and Mt Arthur. Lunch was held on a bench above Ellis Basin before sidling on along good benches and the odd face towards the hostile looking Twins. "Neil-I-never-fall-over- Woodrow" succumbed to muesli staggers and took a boomer gutser fall! We camped in a basin just off Paddy Ridge. It was the only tops site we had found with water since lunch, after sidling the Twins on huge marble terraces. After an early breakfast we set off up Paddy Ridge and sidled back onto the Arthur Range. I strolled along at the back, sighting the boys occasionally leaving a tarn or rest spot until we met for a dry lunch just before Baton Saddle. Leaving the sun we dropped steeply Dragon's Teeth, N.W. Nelson into Wilkinson Creek through Jack McConchie lawyer and wasps to the Leslie River. There Woody and I swam while our dirty friends continued to Karamea Bend. Sharing the We reached the luxurious Fenella hut with a rowdy boozing bunch, Hut with its five star toilet, we got little sleep but slipped watched some kids eat meals three away early after accidentally times as big as ours, and went dropping packs, boots etc. off to bed leaving Jack discussing bunks and whispering loudly. geology with Jane Forsyth. Tuesday morning Jack proudly showed us through the mist to Adelaide the results of his negotiations: Tarn where we crammed ourselves two Easter eggs, four sausages into the small hut. and a lemon, all swapped for our surplus marge. Kev feigned disgust as we packed and left. Thursday was another Eric (half a day) as we passed through the Climbing onto Waingaro Peak and Needles Eye, waited for the mist into the sun, we ambled round to clear off the awesome Dragons to Lonely Lake. Jack detoured Teeth and worked our way to Green up onto Kakapo Peak for a view Saddle. After another sunbathing and didn't get one. Later I lunch we dropped down to Boulder found Kev with staring eyes, Lake. Jack, energetic as usual, throwing rocks at a tree. We did a side trip up onto the Lead lunched at Lonely Lake while Hills while the rest of us lazed we memorised a route over the around talking to sandflies. Anatoki Peaks to Adelaide tarn. Closer examination of the peaks Waking to more fine weather, and imminent weather deterred we climbed onto Caesar's Knob us so we bashed down the steep and followed the Haupuri Range side of the ridge to the Anatoki to Mt Christmas, sidling the River. odd peak on the way. Dropping through the rubble and stunted After this ordeal Kev's behavioural beech, we bashed our way down change became more noticeable to the Anatoki River via the when he began calling his 'mates' western most spur which offered names. Jack, seeking to comfort relatively good travel all the him, asked what he should do way. Bowling across the river, with the sausages. Kev suggested we scrambled up the opposite throwing them in the FLOWING bank to the Pack Track and strolled river which Jack, loyal to the out to the farmland. end, duly did. Ten minutes of fishing with a long stick by Waking to rain for the first the dry sandshoed boys recovered time, we donned PVC's and trudged our prize intact. Offering to out to the main road, phoned eat Kev's sausage to save him a taxi and cruised off to Nelson. the shame, we were told U.Y.D.C. Pleased to see him back to normal, we succumbed to another night's Waiting eight hours for a plane sleep. at the weather-bound airport gave us time to reflect on an Wednesday was a bit of an Eric excellent week's tramping. Thanks as we followed the Anatoki up to all involved. to a saddle and then wandered Ian Hadfield Spaniard (Aciphylla Colensoi) Relaxation in the Bush Neil Woodrow Chris Garton