This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper Volume 92, no 7, August 2020
Ngaio Gorge, Tinakori, the Crows Nest
Wednesday 1st July 2020
After a false NON start, ten stoic members of the Tararua Medium Group, having stared down the intimidating weather forecast and the leader's messages cancelling the trip, set off on a tramp from Ngaio Town Hall (NTH).
We tramped through Heke Reserve and Trelissick Park, emerging at Hanover Street to ascend Weld Street for morning tea at 'John's Place'. Thank you, John. Given the forecast, we had discussed our exit strategy and anticipated getting to John's Place and then possibly having to retrace our steps to NTH. However, the weather still seemed OK so we embarked on an 'Ahumairangi Crossing'. That worked out OK, so we chanced the walk over to Karori Cemetery via the Albermarle Reserve bush track, thinking it likely that we would return to NTH via the lower tracks through Wilton Bush. But there was still little wind so we headed up Johnston Hill to the Skyline, survived a couple of minor southerly wind gusts and came down at Bell's Gully to return dry-as-a-bone to NTH.
- Party members
- Linda Beckett (leader and scribe), Robin Chesterfield, Trish Gardiner-Smith, John Hill, Diane Morgan, Penny Salmond, Peter Smith, Alison Stephenson, Christine Whiteford, Peter Whiteford.