2004-11-03 < Weekly activities > 2004-11-17
Wednesday November 10, 2004 - Tuesday November 16
Longer Trips
Mark Casey took 4 members on the Queen Charlotte Walkway. After carrying full packs and camping the first day, they decided to send the packs (accompanied by two of the party) from Punga Cove to Portage by boat. On Sunday they all carried on - minus heavy packs - to Anakiwa. Mark says it was Canterbury Anniversary Weekend and they encountered a large number of mountain bikers, 99.9% of whom were most considerate, but Mark had to remonstrate with 3 teenage hoons who nearly bowled them over.
Although the cricket match on Bull Mound had been cancelled, Mike Wespel-Rose took 2 non-members from Denmark on a Neill-Winchcombe. (Mike thinks they went with him because they didn't know what they were letting themselves in for!) And who did they meet on the ridge between Neill and Winchcombe but HVTC members who Mike knew and who would have been in the opposition cricket team! Mike says he wishes he had thought at the time of having a play-off with billy lids and water bottles; there were 3 of the Hutt Valley members too so teams would have been fairly matched. They decided to spend Saturday night at Kime and come out at Otaki rather than go back to Alpha. The weather was just right for tramping.
Day Tramps
On Wednesday David Burson had 17 members on his E trip into and up the Orongorongo Valley on a balmy day. By the time he got back to the car park the number was down to 13, but since all the departures had been authorised (in addition to two other people who disappeared and reappeared) there was no concern.
There were 9 on what Michael Bartlett called his 'Mickey Mouse' M trip in the Holdsworth area. Some distance along the Atiwhakatu he led the party up a good untracked spur which led directly to the junction of the old Gentle Annie track and Carrington Ridge, and then on down Carrington Ridge. (Since Michael had said one of his aims was to keep off maintained tracks, they walked straight across the one leading up to the Mountain House Shelter.) After lunch the idea was to drop into Gentle Annie stream, but when - after exploring several rather steep headwaters - it was not entirely clear if the stream the party was dropping into was Gentle Annie or Carrington, it seemed prudent to return to the junction and come all the way out down the Gentle Annie track. Michael organised perfect weather for the entire trip.
On Sunday Lindsay Cameron's party of 17 had a great time going in along the old Five Mile track to lunch at Waerenga. They also went on what must be the tramping equivalent of a suburban garden tour, visiting no fewer than 9 other huts in the valley.
The same day Christine Whiteford led a successful family trip targeting fit teenagers; they went in the East Whakanui and made it out over the standard Whakanui fast enough to avoid all but 15 minutes of rain when the weather changed. Thanks to a sprained ankle, one tramper (escorted by a parent) had to come out along the Orongorongo Track.
Cycling
Club cyclists have been very active lately - Tim Kelly tells me this is all in preparation for the race round Lake Taupo and the activity level will subside by the end of the month! On Sunday Mark Collinge did an 80 km circuit from Khandallah via Porirua to the Moonshine Road (with a stop for coffee at Pauatahanui) and back along the Hutt River to Khandallah. On this stretch, thanks to glass and rubbish on the cycle track round the harbour, the tandem got punctures in both tyres; and this meant the party were caught in the rain.
Total
There were 54 members and 7 non-members, a total of 61 people out on Club trips during the week.