2009-04-15 < Tramping Reports > 2009-04-29
Tramping Reports Wednesday 2009 Apr 22 to Tuesday 2009 Apr 28
Wednesday: Jenny Lewis ran a trip to Eastbourne, Wainuiomata, with 8 members, and 1 non member. Pleasant day. They had to up the pace at the end in order to be able to take advantage of their Gold cards on the public transport.
Celia O’Neill ran a trip to Matiu/Somes Island, with 16 members, and 2 non members. Really successful day, lovely weather. Many did the island circuit walk. Sheep were being shorn that day - the first time one member had seen this. The Ranger gave an introductory talk and made sure everyone had clean boots (avoiding spread of weeds).
Weekend:
Seven members enjoyed a rain free weekend in the Ruahines over the weekend. They ascended from the Mangakukeke road-end on Saturday morning, passing through Purity hut to reach the highest point in the Ruahines, Mangaweka. They then descended to stay in Kelly-Knight hut on Saturday night to come out on Sunday morning.
The weekend rock-climbing trip to Whakapapa Gorge/Mangatepopo was cancelled due to unfavourable weather. Instead, 5 members went to Mt Kaukau on Saturday morning, and climbed everything climbable in the area of Punk Rock (three crags in total).
Seven members and one non-member enjoyed a Holdsworth-Jumbo trip. They stayed at the Holdsworth carpark on Friday night, which enabled an early start for their 7-hour walk up Holdsworth and along the ridge to Jumbo. The wind was light for the first part of the walk, increasing later in the day, and howling overnight when they were snug at Jumbo, where they found Dave Reynolds acting as warden. Return via Atiwhakatu.
Instruction:
Bushcraft 3 - the group dealt with a real-life emergency when, on the way down to Totara Creek, they encountered a party with a woman who had broken her ankle. Malcolm Cunningham went down to the creek and set off a beacon, while the rest of Bush 3 made a stretcher and stretchered the injured woman down. The chopper arrived promptly, and winched the injured woman out. Her party would have had a difficult and painful time getting her out if they had not met with the TTC party. Well done, Bush 3.
Saturday:
In the off-track exploration category, 5 members managed by good navigation to drop down smack on the headwater forks of Roaring Meg stream and back up a long spur to Pukeatua. The long low altitude ridges north of Pukeatua peak are covered in magnificent dense stands of mature rimu - a glimpse of what our original lowland forest must have been like.
Sunday:
Chris Horne's trip to Maraenui (Seatoun)-Paekawakawa (Island Bay) was a journey of discovery with some hidden places, and other well-known, in Wellington's eastern and southern suburbs. 12 members and 3 non-members took part.
Total 65 members and 7 non members
Apr 26-27 Pohongina Valley Cycle (contact Jenny Olsen) 232-7273