This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper in November 2005
Table for nine at the Blue Room
Blue Range Hut Gourmet Dinner
28- 29 August 2005
You have to start these kind of trips properly - Saturday morning’s first stop The French Baker in Greytown for pastries and coffee.
Setting off from the roadend at Kiriwhakapapa, who would have guessed those nine ordinary looking trampers were loaded up with preparations for a fivecourse extraordinary gourmet dinner in the hills?
First the hard work - a two and a half-hour climb up to Blue Range Hut; we hoped to find the hut empty- and it was.
Our fire lighter John McIvor set to work building a blazing fire in the pot belly and soon had the hut sauna-like. We were appreciative of a good pile of dry wood left by the recent work party from Masterton Tramping club who have obviously spruced up the hut and left it looking wonderfully….blue.
After wood collecting and fly-pitching we dressed for dinner. Gone are the trampers, out come the pearls, fishnets, silk headscarves, berets, bow ties, togas, fluoro gear.
Our head chef Mademoiselle Vicki Wogan has been busy in the kitchen laying out all the ingredients for the gourmet delights, which have been masterfully
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It is an evening of heavenly delights as we savour each creation, with wine and fun between courses. Finishing on a rhapsody of chocolate (lovingly created by assistant chef, Pip) surrounded by a rapturous raspberry sauce.
With Karen and Desiree, John and Colin leading the singing and Dorothy leading the dancing, we sing and dance through the decades of the twentieth century.
A wonderful weekend thanks to Vicki and all those on the trip who made it such a great time.
Trip members: Vicki Wogan (leader), Dorothy Sole, Pip Newton, Jim Peebles, Desiree Turner-Peebles, Karen Turner, Colin Silva de Simas, John McIvor, Merran Lewis (trip reporter). in the club for