Sunday Tramping Then and Now

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.

Sunday Tramping Then and Now Lloyd Wilkin When joined our Club in 1950, it was VIBRANT! Its members had already built their first mountain hut at Smith Creek. During the 1960s and for various reasons, I stopped tramping the ranges, but in 1994, after retirement, I rang Bos (Duncan Boswell) and asked whether I could join his Sunday tramp over Mt Lowry. "Yes" was his reply. It felt great to get out with the old Club once more after about 35 years of inactivity, and since then I have seldom missed a scheduled Sunday tramp. ytramping contemporary from days gone by, tions was the Duckpond on the Whakatikei River, for - A I - Ron Fayle, and I attend which we assembled at Stout - regularly Wednesday Street, caught the Upper night dub meetings and more recently, have Hutt bus, alighting at Trentham to walk the Moonshine written up the odd Sunday tramp for the newsletter. Now Road to its bridge and when over that, we struck off di- I have been asked to put together a few words about agonally to the right across horse paddocks to a saddle Sunday tramping which is an unexpected pleasure to do. in the rim of the hills to the west of the Hutt River. Back in the 1950s we used to rely on public transport, A track on the other side led down to the Duckpond with usually NZR Road Services, to take us to and from our its swimming hole and sunny bank. The return trip was treks. Back then, most members did not have private over the same route to the Trentham bus stop. Another motor cars at their disposal, although about half. a dozen Sunday trip I well remember involved catching the bus young members had acquired a motorcycle each for use to Te Marua, thence tramp to the Hutt River and upon weekend tramps. What were the popular venues for stream toi its gorge, then wade it until it became too deep Sunday tramps in those days? My memory recalls to progress any further, in which case a stop for lunch Porirua to Colonial Knob to Glenside; the Plateau to Mt and return over the same route. When progress was Climie and return; Whiteman's Valley to Narrowneck stopped by deep pools, most of the party were wet up Stream to High Misty and return; Eastbourne to to their waists, resulting in the ever-reliable Don (Frank) Jackson's Track to Paiaka Stream and back via McGowan being commissioned by the rest of the group Pencarrow; Eastbourne to Pencarrow and its two lakes to unlash his big axe from the side of his square-frame and return; Khandallah to Mt. Kaukau to Johnsonville; pack and get a bonfire going on the riverbed to quickly Maoribank to Cannon Point and return; Eastbourne to dry out everyone's clothing. Frank duly obliged with his Mt. Hawtrey and return; Days Bay to Mt. Lowry to usual fire-lighting skills and gusto. The party returned to Wainui, and others. One of the most popular destina- the bus stop dry and happy. Sunday trampers on Boulder Hill Lloyd Wilkin Tramping and Mountaineering 1997

Sunday tramp lunch stop on the hills above Waikanae Lloyd Wilkin Besides scheduled Sunday tramps, there were also many River; to Mt. Thompson (near Manakau); to Field Hut; unscheduled tramps undertaken such as catching the 9 to thel hills behind Waikanae; to the Mangaone Walkway; am Eastbourne bus before tramping along the road to to the Waikanae Wildlife Sanctuary; to Queen Elizabeth Burdan's Farm in Gollans Valley, thence by Jackson's Park; tol MacKay's Crossing/Bulls Run Road; to Bulls Run Track over the hill to the Wainui River, and downstream Road/Woolshed; to Kaitoke/Dobsons/Smith Creek; to to Jackson's Farm and "The Gate". The Gentle Annie Kelly's Track/Rimutaka Incline; to Kaitoke/Twin Lakes; to track led to the gutbuster and to Grace Stream (known Mt. Holdsworth; to Wairongomai River; and to Battery then as "the Catchpool"), thence up Clay Ridge and Stream. Additionally, there are a host of tramps around down thet five mile track, crossing the McKerrow Stream thel hills of Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Wainui, Makara en route, for a brew-up at the river. The return trip was and Porirua that without the private motorcar would be over thes same route to Jackson's Farm to catch the 3.30 most difficult to accomplish. pm bus from The Gate to Woburn Station. To do that, onel had to move at speed and on one such occasion, the Cancellations because of lack ofi interest? Absolutely nil. writer was accompanied by thel late: Snow Williams, who Cancellations because of bad weather? Very occasionadvised that if one's socks should disappear down inside ally, yes, but usually we can get a postponed Sunday trip one's boots, the proper thing to do was to simply ignore away on the following weekend but with reduced supit and carry on! port, owing to some punters having made other commitments for the date of the second attempt. Irecall another unscheduled day tramp which at the time was of classic proportions, when thel late Tom Lawton ac- No report of this type on Sunday tramping would be companied by Stan Potter, set off to "get fit for Christ- complete without paying tribute to the Club members mas" by cycling from their homes in the Hutt Valley to who unselfishly give their time to organise a schedule of the start of the Whakanui, tramping into the Sunday tramping including venues, dates, starting times Orongorongo River and then downstream to its mouth, and leaders. Today that task is handled by Dave and Dot returning over the same route to Wainui, and then cy- Catchpole. Previously, Don O'Brien did the spadework. cling back to their Hutt Valley homes on the one day. All of us, who over the years have been in regular receipt ofthe Tongue & Meat newsletters, know the tremendous What then is Sunday tramping like these days? Well, for contribution that one person in particular made to the one thing it has changed remarkably. Gone is the reli- organisation of Sunday tramping, including the transition ance on public transport to get you there and back, for from public transport to the use of private vehicles in trip nowadays trampers generally arrive and leave again by organisation. I refer, of course, to the late Mrs Karin private motor vehicles. This means that the range of Boswell. Her contribution, put simply, was immense. Sunday trampingi is extended to more distant locations. Today, Sunday tramping is alive and well in the hills Fori instance, from 1994 wes scheduled Sunday tramps to around Wellington and beyond, and thank you to the the Waiopehu Ridge/Ohau River; to the Panatewaewae Club for the opportunity to write on the subject. Tramping and Mountaineering 1997