Max Smart Memorial Trip into the Matakitaki

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Max Smart Memorial Trip into the Matakitaki Roger Cole In January 1996 three old Tongue & Meats headed into the Matakitaki to put in a memorial to Max Smart. nybody who met Max in the 60s and 170s will remember him, his strength, great ingenuity, his gentle nature. Before he arrived in NZ he was already a legend: his service behind the rebel lines in Malaysia with the Special Forces, and his return unaided from the Dolomites after breaking his back in two places when abseiling down the Tre Cima, are just two of the many tales that will be told The team heading into the Matakitaki Roger Cole for many years to come. He crossed the jungles of New Guinea and the Arctic wastes; wherever it was dif- After four hours, we arrived at Downie Hut, a ramficult and dangerous Max could be relied on to get the shackle hut riddled with mice, and strewn with graffiti team through safely. It seemed totally unfair that this not the way I remembered New Zealand. man we thought immortal should die from cancer. Next morning, we followed the track through open Max moved back to the UKwhen his wife went back to beech forest. On reaching thel Forks, we crossed the wire take over the family business. After the freedom of the bridge, and continued towards East Matakitaki Hut. was bush he never fitted back into UK life, and I decided to looking for a memorial spot for Max. We reached a flat take him back SO we could relive some of our memo- by a side-stream, with a rocky platform above the high rable trips. We postponed it for a year because of his ill- water level and hidden from the path by small shrubs. ness -Icould never accept he wouldn't get better, but It had beautiful mountain views and down the river. it was not to be. Bill Hargreaves set about getting billy sticks into the the rocky ground, and Bill Cronin and soon had the fire I wanted to leave a memorial to him in the country I going. There was a clap of thunder and the rain started. believed he loved the most. Speaking to members of wondered if this was an omen and Max was not happy WT&MC, it seemed in latter times that the area he had with the chosen position. placed the plaque in front of enjoyed the most was the Matakitaki. I had never been the fire and took some photographs. there but an old friend, Bill Cronin, had some twenty years ago, and the only other ex-club member who could With the main event over and another two days to go join us was Bill Hargreaves. He had come to NZ the year before our transport came back, we decided to go up to ileft and stayed well into the 70s, returning many times East Matakitaki Hut, head over David Saddle, down the since. This was the first time I had met him. D'Urville and back across the Mole Tops. It was already mid-afternoon and as the track petered out beyond the The memorial was to be a plaque bearing the inscription hut, the going began to get very slow. At 5.30 I figured Max Smart 1936 -1994 "Hairy as a prophet and as strong that we were still at least half an hour from the point as a horse" " Tilman. Tilman was a great explorer and where we would leave the river to start the climb up the mountaineer and didn't praise people lightly; he had snow gully to the saddle. At the speed we were going we great respect for Max after their trip to Greenland. I had weren't going to get over that night, and if we bivvied no idea where we would place the memorial but I at the river and crossed the saddle the next morning, I wanted it to be at least a day's walk in; looking at the couldn't see us getting out in time to meet the transport. map, we needed to be in the Matakitaki Forks area. Reluctantly we decided to return to East Matakitaki Hut. Tramping and Mountaineering 1997

Next morning we retraced our steps to the Forks, marvelling at the beauty of this remote valley. There were signs of footprints in places, but we saw and heard noone. I stopped at Max's spot to wait for Bill Hargreaves and think again of the memorable trips Max and I had done together many years earlier. When Bill Hargreaves and Imoved on we realised Bill Cronin was not with us, but presumed he was ahead. He seemed to be going well, and at the point where we wanted to go up the west branch, we still hadn't caught him. I dropped my pack with Bill H. and raced down to the 3-wire bridge just in time to see Bill Cronin crossing it. When reached him, he said he didn't want to go up the West Branch, so I told him to either wait at the flats where we had stopped for a brew on the way in or if he wanted to walk on slowly, to stay! by the track, and not to go past Downie Hut. As I got halfway back across the river, Bill shouted something to me, butl Icouldn'thear and as he didn'tappear too agitated, waved back. Bill Hargreaves and walked up to Bob's Hut, a perfect spot at the end of thet flats. Reluctantly, after laying in the sunshine outside the hut, we descended to thel Forks. On the first flats down the main river, 11 found a carrier bag with two toilet rolls, SO I knew Bill had been this way. Bill Hargreaves was now feeling a little hot and weary So he said he would dip in a pool at the next river we crossed. I decided to move on to catch Bill Cronin up. Just before Downie Hut, I heard what sounded like a rockfall but a few minutes later it started raining heavily SO I realised it could have been thunder. Running now Wire bridge near Matakitaki Forks Roger Cole through the beech forest to keep dry, wondered if Bill was still ahead. couldn't smell the smoke from the fire. Reaching thel hut, there was no sign of Bill or any entry said he would go back up the track for 15 minutes to in the logbook to say he had passed through. An hour where he could see a fair way down the river valley, on later, Bill Hargreaves arrived. By now the rain was tor- the off chance he could see Bill Cronin coming. rential and I was very worried. Had Bill Cronin missed the track and been climbing along the river bank; was Whilst we were waiting a ute came out of the homethat the noise of rockfall I had heard? ran back to the stead So stopped it and told the farmer the situation. point where we had crossed a sand-bank to see ifl could He agreed that if the chap was on medication and had check the number of footprints. Before, I had been cer- already spent one night out apparently lost, we should tain he was still ahead so Ihadn't been checking. But the tell the authorities and let them decide whether to start rain was SO heavy our footprints were just shallow dips asearch or give it another day. He offered to collect Bill and it wasn't possible to tell the number, size or direc- H. and when we brought him back Bill was sure he had tion. I returned, checking at the river bank all the way, seen something red moving across the river bed about but there was no sign. When I got back to the hut, it was al kilometre away. We knew Bill Cronin had a red pack 7.00 pm and as there were still a few hours of daylight SO headed back up the road to a point where the moveleft, we decided he might arrive, otherwise we would ment would intersect with the road. Sure enough, much have to assume he was svet ahead. I didn't sleep at all to our relief, it was Bill Cronin. that night wondering what Bill had said when Iwas halfway across the river. Perhaps it held the key tol his where- At a reunion at Jenny and Ralph Jorgensen's house at abouts. Next morning as we walked out to the roadend, Makara a few days later, I was able to pass the plaque I checked every bit of mud for footprints, but found back toJohn Watson with a map and Max's spot marked none. on it. He promised to go in, probably at Easter, and fix it permanently. Our transport arrived and we drove further down the road, collecting Bill H. en route to the roadend. It was Best regards to all the fellow trampers of the 60s who now 1.00 pm, our appointed rendezvous time. I was remember us pommies; we may have been a pain but keen to go to the homestead and call search and rescue you, the Club, and your beautiful country figured greatly whilst there was, still a lot of daylight left. Bill Hargreaves in our lives. Tramping and Mountaineering 1997