Invasion of the Nelson Lakes Bunnies

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Invasion of the Nelson Lakes Bunnies Andrew McColgan ( - HI MuM! GEORGE &-THE TEAM ADMIRE THE VIEW DURING LUNCH This trip, like most other he scene at the Picton end off the Amenities included hot and cold crossing was no less daunting. running water, believe it or not. Ican trips to the Mainland, began Throngs of irate trampers and other personally vouch for a comfortable holidaymakers jostling for position at night's sleep, although not everybody as they usually do in utter the baggage carousel; the inevitable will share my sentiments. long wait for your pack to arrive, and organised chaos; people the uncertainty off trying to identify your The morning dawned fine and clear, arriving very late, fighting their packo amongst other packs that lookt the picturesque, you could say. I knew it same; the race through the masses to was a bad omen of things to come. way to the front of the queues, the waiting drivers, onlyt to find half the However, I did not expect things to go punters are still unaccounted for, and askew quite SO quickly. At breakfast, trampling asunder all those the other half have already departed. of all places, my primus decided to There are, of course, always those who flame around the tank outlet valve, who stood in their way; lose some gear, or their long weekend much to the wide-eyed dismay and foodrations. The demands on aleader anxious cries ofthe other punters trying grabbing their boarding are numerous, not to mention needing to cookl breakfast at the same time. The to have nerves of steel and an easy- remedy for this came in the form of a passes, making a mad going "she'll be right" attitude. Leatherman tool; for all those not dash to the gangway, familiar with a Leatherman, it is a very The destination of St Arnaud was expensive, up-market type of Swiss and leaping on as the reached in double-quick time due to Army knife. the driving abilities of the taxi drivers, ferry is pulling out; a typical not to mention al heavy right foot. The The second of the many mishaps that night was spent at the Hilton, also occurred on this trip centred aroundmy WT&MC trip south. known as the St. Arnaud public shelter. camera, which quite suddenly and TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING without warning decided not to wind It was during the rest stop on Travers The next day dawned fine and clear on anyt film; however, after some gentle Saddle that the second incident and the remaining rabble of my everpersuasion it finally decided to accept concerning my camera occurred. It decreasing group set off for Sabinel Hut anew roll of film. happened as I was about to take a with the intention of heading out via well-composed shot of the saddle and Speargrass Hut. Meanwhile, a small Finally thet trip got under way, my knees the surrounding mountains when a splinter group ledby Nick Gyde headed buckling under the weight of my four- small buti irksomei insect, affectionately up to Angelus Hut. The main group day pack. Due to the pleasant, sunny known as "GEORGE", made his plodded on along the banks of the weather conditions, I ignored the appearance on my lens at the precise Sabine River, through some advice of more experienced trampers moment that I was about to press the breathtaking beech forest and nice, and decided to head around sunny, wide open clearings Lake Rotoiti via the Lake Head HMM. MAYBE THE - NAH. : OR THE NAH accompanied by the evertrack, instead of taking the OH DAMN ! I KNEW I SHOULP HAVE continuoushum of funcountable water taxi to Lake Head Hut. wasps. This proved fatal to my original BOUGHT THE ULTRA PLuS PROFESSIONAL g plans for this Easter weekend Somet three-quarters of the way tramp. down the track pop, went ( another tramper's knee. After With the trip now well under G;0 the further distribution of gear, way in what could only be and my pack getting heavier described as perfect tramping instead of lighter, I decided it conditions, Lakel Headi Hut was wast timet for group consultation soon reached for a quick stop. at Sabine Hut. It did not take Some even stopped longer to much convincing for the other try out at bit of kite flying in the members of the group to gentle breeze, and a bite to abandon the revised trip route eat. The mention of the word of the original trip route. Right bite brings me to the wellat the moment the group mentioned subject of those aO reached a consensus, the Nelson Lakes sandflies, and ferryman miraculously soon the famous "Nelson appeared is that a coincidence Lakes wave" was mastered by or what! Before long I had everyone. arranged both thet ferry tripand - the taxi pick-up, and now the a - John Tait Hut was reached only thing left to do was wait. after a long, flat, peaceful wander up the Travers Valley, CAPTAIN G IZMO PONDERS BRIEFLY With time on our hands and the accompanied by the birds, the ON WHICH ATTACHMENT WAS DESIGNED rumour ofaf fast-moving, smelly bees, the sandflies and a TO DEAL WITH THE CURRENT S ITUATION. bunch of trampers coming couple of hundred other down the track, it didn't take a trampers all heading in the same shutter release and capture the scene Sherlock Holmes to deduce that this direction. Otherwise, it was really for all time. Consequently, discovered was Don Goodhue's mob. This was peaceful. that George was actually wandering soon confirmed as I approached their around inside my lens, and further campsite, only to be greeted by a It was at John Tait Hut that my party shots revolved around George's green, fumy haze and a swarm of suddenly shrunk: one member twisted movements. berserksandlies. Better luck next time his knee and couldn'tcarry on, andfor guys, if you want to upset me in my another member thet trip was too hard After a pleasant stop for lunch, a toe- pit; you might try sneaking up forl her after having just finished a night crushing descent of the other side of downwind. shift. Fair enough too, ifr not just a trifle Travers Saddle brought US to Sabine inconvenient. Forks Hut, but not before some The ferry trip across Lake Rotoroa was spectacular views of Mount Franklin ini itself exciting, butt for those who have Thet following day dawned rather damp and its associated ridges were been to Sabine Hut and thought the and overcast, and the mere thought of obtained. For the real trampers a very sandflies there were a problem, then carrying extra food and party gear over pleasant campsite was foundamongst you thought wrong. I can personally Travers Saddle made my knees buckle. thet trees, less than thirty second's walk vouch for the sandflies at Rotoroa itself However, Travers Saddle was soon from the hut. For the rest of the wimps, as being very adept at the art of conquered just in time for lunch, and the hut seemed a better spot to spend extracting blood from human beings. contraryto all predictions,ldid not lose the night. Too hot and stuffy for me As for the rest of the trip, well that'sjust my ringpiece going over the saddle. though, and I retired to the outdoors the usual mundane story. This might not have been the case, for the fresh air and sandflies, and to however, if the saddle had been escape an over-aggressive Kaumatua Punters: 18, 16, or 13 I've lost count; attempted from the other direction. tramper. too many to name. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING