This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper Volume 94, no 7, August 2022
Sunrise Hut – grandparents’ trip
12 – 14 July 2022
There was considerable unease about the wisdom of taking a bunch of grandchildren up to Sunrise Hut when driving conditions were so bad – gale force winds, rain and flooded paddocks. We all met up in Dannevirke for lunch and decided to trust the forecast for clearing weather.
We left the Sunrise car park in drizzle that disappeared as we climbed the hill. Everyone reached the hut in good shape but damp and somewhat cold. The main experience of the trip was wind. It shook the hut and the chimney creaked and groaned for all three days. We stuck our heads over the ridge to look at Armstrong Saddle but quickly retreated.
The kids still played outside, coming in wet, cold and dirty. The fire performed well drying and re-drying kids’ clothes. Cards were a big hit and overall it was a very successful trip.
- Party members
- Peggy (scribe) and Chris Munn with Zach, Harry, Ollie and Lucy
Lynne and Warren White (minus grandchildren due to Covid) Jim Gibbons with Jack, Eva and Zoen Sieny Pollard (who seemed to think coming on a trip with a bunch of kids was a good break from the office.)