Just Part the Leatherwood, Dear

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JUST PART THE LEATHERWOOD, DEAR Murray Arthur-Worsop Our goal was South Ohau to Kaitoke via It was not your standard Tongue and the Park River and Maungahuka; a gentle Meats type accommodation on this trip; stroll down some rivers, and a gallop or two slugs, one grey, one brown, a dome two along the tops, it was to be a leisurely and a club fly - almost as diverse as their Xmas trip in the Tararuas led by Paul occupants. Hughes. Leisurely yes, but read on to find out what really happened. The next day was to be the big day; up the Yeates track, Te Matawai Hut, over It was the inevitable hot summers Pukematawae and down into the morning when Murray Taylor discarded headwaters of the Park River. This us at the roadend and with a mutter, proved to be rather ambitious. mutter, and the usual whatarewedoinghere type comments we The day was again clear and sunny. The filed off or should I say staggered under climb up the Yeates was steep as expected the weight of eight days food, across the but quickly accomplished. After lunch at farmland. Te Matawai Hut we headed up to Pukematawai. But the hot sun quickly Spirits lifted quickly, carried aloft by the took its toll ) Rob was overcome by what sparkle of the crystalline waters of the we thought was heat exhaustion. We South Ohau. It was good to be away from therefore turned back to the hut. Two the pressures of the city (and lifes little tents were pitched amongst the tussock luxuries) after all. Several couples, below the hut, the rest slept in the hut. It carried away by it all were photographed was here that we had our first meal of in romantic, sun-dappled poses. Chef Jellymeat - it was actually 'dehy' mince but Austin was not convinced. The Our noble leader quickly proved himself to after, or should I say rearend, effects on be very fair and not prone to favouring his one member of our party were also not nearest and dearest; taking the easy way pleasant; peaceful evening sounds of the round one major obstacle and casually bush were liberally interspersed with the watching Debbie take the more difficult more basic sounds of humankind. route. Austin did too but she was prime entertainment value and did a spectacular * 1 NR Gi a - fall into the water. We then knew why we had invited her. % : % 7 a w a We camped in front of South Ohau Hut and waited, and waited, and waited for tea Doris is not normally quite so slow when it comes to food. The next day was wet; light rain and mist, with obvious signs of strong winds on the tops; the first rest day. The next morning Rob was still feeling sick so he and Rita decided to head back to the roadend. The rest of us played games of pick the options, and what do we do now. The surplus bags of milk powder and sugar (someone overplanned) were left in the hut and several hours later we headed up into the mist, and into the Park River as planned. But first, not long after leaving, a strangled cry rang through the still morning air. An accident? we feared, I raced on down anticipating the worst. No it was only Rob trying to tell us we (i.e. Doris) had left the axe behind! Kate & Austin Murray Worsop

We arrived on Pukematawai at noon, and The climb from the river was a bit of a dropped down into the Park River at the grovel through leatherwood. The troops saddle. Visibility was almost zero but as again muttered oaths, Debbie and Karen we descended the mist parted before our particularly vocal. Paul, the trueborn eyes revealing a truly magnificent sight; a leader, exhorted Debbie with cries of "just river valley with steep tussock covered part the leatherwood dear, and pass on slopes meandered off into the distance, a through" like some latter day Moses and scene more reminiscent of the South the Red Sea. Or to Karen, "Don't fight it, Island than the Tararuas. just go with the flow". They were not amused! We reached the bottom at 3pm after a relaxed lunch. However, where were the And then it was a "gallop along the tops", campsites we were promised? There were with Paul again leading by example and some: in the headwaters but these were too most of the rest following at a distance. open and exposed. We proceeded on down Mid-afternoon and we arrived at the river. Travel was slow, there were Dracophyllum Biv. Poring over the many large and awkward boulders. After history recorded in the logbook (it dates several hours we began to despair of back many years) including the exploits of finding a campsite. The troops muttered ex-club chief guides and others, we oaths. Paul responded. Back he came, a engaged in the inevitable debate of what relieved man; "there is a good campsite do we do next. Some wanted to stay and seven minutes down the river," he said. some wanted to proceed. One thing was Twenty seven minutes later .....? "But it clear, we wouldn't be spending New Year's really wasn't far", he protested. And the eve in Maungahuka Hut as originally name Spiderman stuck. There was a planned. The lack of good campsites campsite a few more (real) minutes helped sway the decision in favour of downstream; a small rocky terrace with moving on. plenty of room for the Dome and the fly. It was a comfortable spot. Saturday, and after an hour in the river we decided progress was too slow and that we would climb up to Butchers Knob and travel along the tops instead. We only found out later that the rest of the river was much easier we will do our homework better next time. A Paul Hughes Breakfast Murray Worsop Our aim now was to take the track down to the Otaki River from Kelleher. It was to leatholored be an epic undertaking by our party.

The track along the tops was good and All that remained now was a pleasant there were magnificent views, including a stroll down the Otaki to another idyllic nasty thunderstorm to the South East; campsite at a bend in the river above black clouds split by lightning sped Waitewaewae Hut, and then out to Otaki towards us, a frightening spectre. We Forks. The stroll down the Otaki was made fast progress until a difficult section dreamlike; the legs caressed by the cool just before Puketoro which took 30 waters, the rest of the body by the sun. minutes to traverse. At Puketoro also, the Music was provided by bellbird and the rain hit with a vengeance. It was 6pm occasional splash of trout. when we arrived at Kelleher, the start of the track marked by a cairn which took a On the final day, some sniffed home before bit of searching to find. The track was others; upon reaching the plateau, there very difficult to follow and very steep at was no holding Kate back as "Katie go the start. The long day and the steepness home" echoed offi into the distance. eventually took their toll of knees and other limbs; it was a slow descent, Paul decided to take a "shortcut" at the arriving at the Otaki River at 9pm. A few end, through farmland and down the minutes later, to our relief, an idyllic Waitatapia Stream to the Otaki River - campsite was found. very debatable! The males swam, while the women washed and changed into clean New Years eve was celebrated with clothes for the truck; and surprised some balloons and wax bombs. Meanwhile over canoeists who disappeared quickly into in Maungahuka Hut, unbeknown to us, the river when confronted with a full Geoff Crockford, Anita Catchpole and frontal. Roger Bolam were waiting to celebrate the New Year with us in style. All that remained was to find Murray Taylor and the truck and to stop for New Years day was a rest day, lazing in icecreams, veges, fruit, and Austin's the sun, washing and swimming in the obligatory diet coke. Thankyou Paul for river, and making endless brews on the your calmness and patience in all fire while ignoring Paul's pleas to not situations. The participants; Paul Hughes waste the firewood ("there is a shortage (leader), Debbie Hughes, Karen O'Byrne, you know"). There was of course a huge Doris Lampart, Murray Worsop, Kate stack of firewood remaining when we left. Thomas, Austin, and for part of the trip; Rob Fox and Rita Havell. A Paul Hughes Dinner Murray Worsop Strolling Murray Worsop