No Christmas Dinner for Dale

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NO CHRISTMAS DINNER FOR DALE Anita Catchpole There was no Christmas dinner at home for Dale this year, the first time ever, and this is what we heard all the way to Kuripapango. I here were great moans as the occupants that "there's room on the somefood andhung a leg of venison in packs went on, and up to Kiwi floor". Daleandllookedalittleconfused thesafet forourreturn. Theweatherv was Saddle Hut we climbed. The weather as there were three of them and six very hot SO it was hard work walking was hot, thet hill steep, andlwas soon bunks. We were going to camp out along the tops. Les shot another deer devising saddle bag designs as Khan, anyway, SO it didn't worry US. en route and Precious, the hunting alias Precious ran past again without pooch was so tired hel lay down next to even panting. One of the hunters was dressed up in itandwentt to sleep. Rex accusedmeof camogearfromheadtotoe. Imentioned turninghimintoasofadog; hes shouldn't Eventually Dale andlarrived at thel hut, that the guys were sitting out on the leave me home with him SO much. very glad to see it. The boys soon ridge in the direction he was heading discoveredwhythepacksweresoheavy and he replied, "Well, they won't see Dale and Paul headed off to do some as Christmas dinner was prepared; me". Dale andis sat down andwatched fishing when we arrived at pre-roasted chicken, spuds, peas, his progress along to where the guys Ngaawapurua Hut while Rex, Khan, gravy, wine the works. andl I were banished downriver. The next day dawned fine, with lots of Next morning saw a gourmet breakfast talk about fishing and hunting. We "Been here ofvenisonl backsteaks, eggs, andbaked headed down to Kiwi Mouth Hut and beans (gourmet for thel hills, anyway), spliti intot two groups. Les and Rex went which sent US on our way to Harkness downKiwiStream: whilel Dale, Paul, and four days, Hut, thenontoTePuke. Wemetafamily wentoverthetops. Wesoon discovered II group at Harkness Hut who couldn't that the stream was the quickest route shot two stop laughing when they saw Precious but wegoigoodviews.onyway, Les and with white zinc on his nose and dangly Rex arrivedwayb beforeusandles even bits (worth $250 per side). Theyinsisted hadimeforaswimenroute-involuntary on taking a photo SO people would though. were. As he approached, they said believe them. "Nice day for it, and he replied, "Been After lunch it was fishing time. Rex, here two days, shot four". You meet After lunch we climbed up to Te Puke Khan, and I were soon banned from some unsociable types sometimes. Hut for the night. Next day saw US fishing near the others as Khan kept saunteringofftoMangaturutu Hut. Paul swimming after the spinners. Nothing As the afternoon wore on Rex and CO. spotted a deer and joined the death was caught that day. headed back out to glass the slopes, squad. Dale and I left them to it and along with the other two hunters from arrived at the hut just before it pelted There was fierce competition in the the hut. Rex and Paul sat up on the down with rain. The guys arrived about fishingnext daybetweenDaleandPaul. same ridge again and watched "Mr fourhoursl later; they must have: set the The rest of US opted out as the river Camo" grovelling around in the scrub. record for the slowest trip between the crossings were getting too dodgy and Every now and then he would stop and two huts. It normally takes about two we would have had to run to keep lookthroughhisbinos; hehappenedto hours but they spent the entire day ahead of these two. So Les, Rex, andl look in Rex's direction, so Paul and Rex gettingthereandstill arrivedinthe dark. went for av walk up the Manson to spot gave him a wave. He looked really deer. All we saw was Dale and Paul annoyed then and stomped off. Rex Wehaddecidedt to delay ourNew' Year's getting further and further up the spottedadeerontheotherridge, dinner dinner until weg gotl backtol MansonHut. Ngarurorol River. Wereturnedtothehut for the next few nights. Theyeari just wasn'tgettingofftoagood and found the champion fisher was start for Dale; first Christmas then New once again Dale. The fish tasted very In due course the guys came back to Year's! nice too. camp. "Mr Camo" arrived just before them and stomped through our The next day dawned fine and we The next day dawned fine again and it campsite, making lots of obnoxious decided it was time for al bit of walking. wasdeciredahuntingdoy Wed climbed statements. Wewent viaVenisonTops, then dropped uponto theMansonandjust: beforet the down to Rocks Ahead Hut for some top, spotted our first deer. Dale and I The next day the chopper arrived, more fishing so much for the walking! wandered off andl left the guyst toi it. We bringing our food drop, and whisked No fish were caught SO it was venison arrived att thel hutt tol be informedt by the the hunters off home. We stashed for dinner again. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING a Ngaawapurua Stream, Harkness Valley Paul Driscoll Itwas another hot morning for the walk We needed pegs for our noses the next Gathering momentum with the added back up onto the tops on the 2nd andi it day due to the combined effects of weight, Les landed on his backside at turned out to be my day for spotting baked beans and roast venison the thel bottom ofthebank andKhan calmly deer. First Khan rounded one down the previous day, but it jet-propelled US on stepped off and continued on his way. trackt towards me; don'tknowwho got our way back down to Kiwi Mouth Hut. the bigger fright, me or the deer. Then Dale spotted several fish, swimming spotted another one up on thet tops. I Soon after climbing back up onto the lazilyin theriver, butv twe wouldn'tlether gave this one a warning shot, and we tops, the windrose andi it began to rain. stop to cast a line. The crossings were spent the next two hours crashing We donned our parkas, and not to be becoming increasingly deep and swift, around in the scrub making sure that left out, Khan was helped into his new and once or twice Dale actually ended hadn'thit it. We eventually came to the raincoat. Feeling very proud of himself up off her feet as we all linked up to conclusion that we had been a tad he strutted off down thet track, stopping cross (with Khan on Rex's shoulders). optimistic as it was probably over 400 briefly to give an almighty howl. metres atleasti towhereithadbeen. We Cameron Hut was a welcome sight and gave up and continued on our way. Paul tried to do an insurance job on his wel knew we were close to the roadend fishingrodi but we contact searched the when a large group of people arrived Eventually we arrived back at Manson scrub and managed to locate it. When not long after US wearing jeans, and Hut; no obnoxious hunters there this we reached the bottom we headed carrying huge trout rods. time. After polishing off a large tin of downriver to Cameron Hut Khan was baked beans for lunch (Khan devoured getting abit tired as the river was quite The next day it was back out to ten tux biscuits a new record for him), cold dand getting swifter and swifter. Les Kuripapango and off to Taihape for a we spent the rest of the day relaxing in was making his way downriver through burger. Everyone decided that themost thes sunandpreparing our delayedNew ther manuka alongt thebanks ofthe river, frequent statement on the whole trip Year'sdinner roast venison with allt the and as he clambered down a bank he was "Khan NO !!" and this year Dale trimmings and Christmas pudding to suddenly found Khan, the Maharaja, sayssheisn'tmissingoutonhert mum's follow. hitching a ride on top of his pack. Christmas dinner! TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING