Tubing: Alive and Well

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Tubing: Alive and Well Lyndsay Fletcher Once again the Club scheduled a tubing trip on the Pelorus River over Wellington Anniversary weekend 1999, which I was keen to lead. As a warm up I led the Hutt Gorge day trip the previous weekend. The weather all summer had been very dry and the Hutt River was low but luck was with us, as it rained overnight and the river had a fresh flow. This enabled the fastest floating time that II have had, out of all the times I've done this trip. was on the lookout for the small drop that can be This was accomplished in the usual seven hours on a tricky to tube over. I was near the back of the group typical sunnyt hot Nelson day. Some learned to have water whenln rounded the corner and saw some off the group bottles big enough to last them through the three or SO standing on the bank and I left it tool late to paddle to- hours after lunch. Raymond suffered with blisters that day wards the shore. have a sophisticated set-up with a tube as well. All this is easily forgotten when you cool yourself that has a 20mm closed-cell foam seat anda a custom-made down with a lovely swim in the pool adjacent to Roebuck double paddle and ended travelling backwards over Hut. Unfortunately you are not able to sunbathe afterwards the drop. distinctly heard Sther cracking sound made by due to the large and hungry sandfly population. We were myl helmet as headbutted the rock at thel bottom of the lucky to have the six-bunk hut to ourselves. The rest of pool. A couple of bumps over thet following rocky rapids the afternoon we spent inflating our tubes and getting the saw me floating down the swift current towards the other gear sorted out for the following day. people who had gone over the drop as well. We had all Iwas impressed to see that most had decided to copy come off our tubes and had to recover them. Brian's and my tube designs to make the going a lot easier. Later a was paddling one oft the pools (those of you who Simon, however, was the exception. Hel had decided to go havel been on tubing trips know that manoeuvringe down a "all natural", with no seat and only a one-bladed plastic large pool can bel hard work) and had most off theg group Warehouse paddlei in concession to technology. Raymond tagging along. Ihad done this before withj just a couple of and Eval had got an upholsterer to construct al PVCskirtt tto them on previous occasions but this time a lot morel had wrap around their 20-inch tubes (this had also added to joined in as they were now getting tired. I was towing their heavy packs). Paddles of all descriptions had been about 10 off them, which was able to do due to the pad- carried in along with wetsuits. smugly observed all these dling fitness obtained over thes summer on the seven-day various designs and Iwonderedt to myself which ones would kayaking trip in Doubtful Sound. worka and which would not (nothing like experience learned Raymond Morgan, Eva Lottermoser, Brian Johnston, the hard way). Simon Wakeman, and Garry De Rose SO enjoyed thel Hutt Brian and Gary camped out under the fly. A wet fly was Gorge that they soon signed up on the Pelorus trip. not a concern as from now on the packs were going to be The weather on Friday night was SO good that we all floating as we travelled down the river camped out under thet trees at the Hackett picnic area in The following morning had us all packing our packs to the Aniseed Valley behind Richmond. This savedl having to keep them watertight for the rest of the day. I removed carry the extra weight of a wet fly soaked bya a heavy due the aluminium bars from my pack andi folded it up to siti in the next day. Except for Brian and myself, this was the thel bottom of my WT&MCI bag from my old steel frame first time in this area for the others and I had warned pack. The durability and strength of the canvas used in them that it was going tol be al long first day carrying heavy these old bags lends itself to lasting the many scrapes loads. For Raymond and Eva that meant learning that 20- over the rocks while floating down the shallow rapids and inch tubes are possibly too big, compared to my 16-inch ithas conveniently placed eyelets to help tie thel bag to the tube. Upon seeing thel low level ofl Hackett Creek, knew rear of my tube. Raymond found out at lunch time that his that floating down thel Pelorus was going to be slow. pack is not made of such durable material. The first day consisted of tramping up the well con- The river was the lowest ever, compared to all the trips structed and virtually level track following Hackett Creek that Brian and I have done. This meant that a lot of the to thej junction of Browning Stream. Gaining height, the time before lunch was spent carrying our tubes, or dragtrack then climbed upt to Browning Hut where we: stopped ging them through the rapids. The day was cloudy but for morning tea. Over Totara Saddle the track started si- warm. Gary soon learned that tying on the plastic skirt for dling a major ridge which flanks Roebuck Creek. Simon his tube with string did not last, compared to the superior very gallantly carried Raymond's tube up the steep climb method of nylon tape and buckles used by others. to the saddle as he was now suffering from his heavy Agreat time was enjoyed by all except Simon. He someload. Lunch was had at the last water supply before the hows survived without a bruised backside and soon learned Pelorus River, about 30 minutes after Totara Saddle. From thel benefit of a proper paddle in the longi pools. Close to here the track continues to sidle until the end off the ridge arriving at Middy Hut for lunch, he had thel bad luck of the when it descends 400 metres to Roebuck Hut in the Pelorus valve separating from the body of his tube. He had to Valley. resort to swimming the long pools with his tube in tow. Tramping and Mountaineering 1999

The crew on the Pelorus River Raymond Morgan He also walked thel last kilometre of river. Unpacking for We all waited for the sun to hit the valley floor before lunch Raymond learned that having a hard object posi- we set off on the last day, which had the sun shining all tioned in the pack near where itr rubs on the rocks, soon day in a cloudless sky. For Brian and this is an enjoyable leads to a hole being worn in the pack and thel layers of section of the river. Wes soon arrived at the spot where the plastic liner bags, thus soaking everythingi in his pack. To track from the roadend starts its climb over a large hill. his dismayl he did not find any sympathy amongst the rest We stopped at this point for an earlyl lunch in the heat of of us, especially his master (a worthy nickname for yours the sun. A group of guys joined us after arriving from a truly), whoj just rubbed it in every time a dry item was trip which had seen them start from the other end of the withdrawn from his well-sealed pack. Richmond Forest Park. They too were intrigued by our Simon spent the evening frantically applying all manner tubes and method of travel. This day Simon learned that of glue, patches and duct tape to save the Titanic. Remark- not having a proper paddle and a tube with a seat slowed ably it held, and he made the rest of the way down the his travel compared to the rest of us. I asked Brian to race river with only a slow leak. out in front to get to the designated van pick-up point to The afternoon section of the river to Captain Creek Hut let the driver know we were on our way. As it turned out has thel benefit of the extra flow added by Rocks Creek, he drove further up the road and stopped when he saw Middy Creek and Fishtail Stream. This allows for very lit- us. It did mean a bit of a struggle to get up thel bank with tle pack dragging and a fun-filled section of many fast all our gear though. We did this and soon went back to flowing rapids in a gorge just above the junction of Cap- meet Brian. Itwas fortunate that the driver had done SO or tain Creek. we would certainly have been late out due to this section We arrived at thel hut at around four o'clock. This gave of the river having very little water in it. us time to unpack and dry things out that had got wet and So ended another successful Pelorus tubing trip. I will to prepare for a comfortable night. Raymond was notice- do ita again as this river is such a beautiful and safe one on ably irritated by the amount of water that had goti into his which to float on tubes. Its location also guarantees reapack and the fact that virtually nothing escaped from be- sonable weather during the month of January. You do need ing wet. Again he did not get much sympathy, especially three days, however, to make it a comfortable trip espefrom Eva. A couple from Nelson and their two children cially with the first day requiring the tramp in with all the camped outside. They were intrigued with our type of gear and food. Look forward to seeing you on the next tramping trip and of course by the quantity and quality of trip and to seeing you learn what it takes to go tubing our meal that night. down a river of this type over a three-day weekend. Tramping and Mountaineering 1999