This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
March 23-25 Only one mystery trip ran - the Medium led by Mike Hollis, which typically became a Fit. The trip was supposed to be in 1904 style but most, like Mike, found that virtually every item of equipment and dress contained a synthetic not in keeping with the theme. Ben Lee, however, swapped nylon shorts for corduroy and Dave Wills left his pit at home. Mike says that whether this was because the pit was made of nylon., and dacron or because it would not fit into ‘the "miserable" little pack he carried was not known, Red line country was needed so the mysterious six mysteriously ‘sloshed their way up Gentle Annie. A high sidle led above the Gentle Annie Saddle before they dropped into the east branch of Carrington Creek. No real problems so far, except sandflies which were not on strike, and struck; - Mike says ‘the west branch was "dead easy" with a , gradual climb to a very low saddle and the track above Totara Creek. Saturday night was spent in Totara creek (rather a wet spot Mike??) and the stew took 2% hours to cook (now wé know why). The spices were paprika, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger (sounds like the main course was mixed with desert). Apparently Dave. was a little cold during the night, curled in his parka!: : Sunday morning the mystery I men. passed two creeks heading up towards Mountain House. To their surprise, they came out 700 feet above I the hut. Sticking to their guns (and other things), they avoided the main track and descended a creek without waterfalls to Holdsworth Creek. The final "Piece de resistance" was to have been the Atiwhakatu Gorge but the river was in flood so the track was used. Mike says the trip was a mixture of grotty creeks without the challenge of a decent waterfall. Those mysterious people: Mike Hollis (leader), Warren Thorburn, Kevin Harvey (1904 special), Dennis Hole, Ben Lee and Dave Wills.