2004-09-15 < Weekly activities > 2004-10-27
Wednesday October 20, 2004 - Tuesday October 26 (including Labour Weekend)
Before the Weekend
On Wednesday October 20 Pat Crosby had 16 members (ranging in age from over 90 down) on a convivial ramble along the Hutt River Trail with lunch at Riddiford Park. From October 17 - 22 Adriaan Janse's party of three members had some good skiing on Ruapehu but, because of the weather, were not able to ski every day.
Over Labour Weekend
North Island Activity
Syd Moore led a Medium party of 6 members to the Haurangi Mountains. On Saturday they made a determined effort to bushbash their way up a spur from Mangatoetoe Hut onto 812, but after five hours when it became clear they were not going to reach Mount Barton before dark they returned to the hut to lick their (numerous) wounds. The next day they went through to Kawakawa Hut and on Monday came out from there down the stream. Their trip ended on a less strenuous note with lunch at Lake Ferry. Colin Cook took one non-member with him up Holdsworth Stream to hunt for the McGregor Falls but did not find them. (This M/F exploration was the only official day trip over the weekend.)
Family Trips
There were two of these over the weekend. John Dement led a ski trip (18 members and 9 non-members) to the TTC Lodge on Ruapehu. They had good skiing on Saturday, rain - and igloo building - on Sunday, superb skiing with no queues on Monday morning and when the rain came on again they all went home. Another group of 18, led by Howard Symmes, were based at Makomako Lodge (near Mangamaire). They did the Manawatu Gorge Walk on Saturday, and visited a dairy farm as well as the Palmerston North Science Museum on Sunday. On their way home on Monday some members also took in Mount Bruce and some model railways (Alan Wright can tell you more!)
South Island Activity
Climbing
On Saturday Hugh Barr's party of five waded the Hodder 61 times and rose early next morning to climb Mount Tapuae-o-Uenuku. Alas, wind and very poor visibility meant they (along with a party of 15 from the Wellington section of the NZAC) had a far from pleasant time and they could not reach the top. They did however go for a look over Gladstone Saddle, and - although the river was up - were able to get out on Monday.
Tramping
Three parties went south, all into the Pelorus River area of the Richmond Range; and, although this was not the original plan, all three set out from Nelson on Saturday. On Saturday both Bernard Molloy (with his M/F party of 3) and Carol Kelly (with her M party of 9) went all the way into Middy Hut on the Pelorus River. Because the weather on Sunday wasn't too good, Carol decided not to go onto the tops and instead her party explored up the Pelorus towards Roebuck Hut. Two of her party, however, joined up with Bernard and his party went over Mount Fell which Bernard describes as "a solid climb". Because of wet weather on Monday Bernard's party couldn't climb Mount Richmond but he assures me they all had an enjoyable weekend. Carol's party came out down the Pelorus, admiring the scenery and seeing an enormous fish. Meanwhile Alison Handley with her E/M party of 8 (5 members and 3 non-members) also came over into and went out down the Pelorus River. Thanks to some northern hemisphere enthusiasts - not only did Alison have with her a Danish student who enthused about swimming with icebergs before jumping into a sauna, but two Canadians who egged her party on - 7 out of the 8 actually swam in the Pelorus.
Cycling
Tim Kelly with his party of 9 members were based at Punga Cove. They went to Furneaux on Saturday, Waitaria Bay on Sunday, and through to Anakiwa on Monday. They had a good trip with muddy tracks and one broken axle! In all, though some trips scheduled were not able to run, there were no fewer than 87 members and 19 non-members on official TTC trips this week.