This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
Friday night we all started off in high spirits, with an enthusiastic singsong in the van, although there were a few long faces as we sped straight through Featherston with no ice-cream stop. It was drizzling steadily but lightly when we got there, and it was warm, So we settled down for a comfortable night in the flies while the FE's raced off to Herepai. Hut, muttering threats about emptying water tanks. ~ Saturday morning dawned grey and wet 80 we pitbashed for a while ana had a brew, while Geoff cleaned the can of dairy-whip out of his pack. At about 10 we finally’ set-off for the hut, and the first casualty of the morning was a shoulder strap on Geoff! s pack, (Not his weekend it would seem!}. ‘We got to the only creek we had to cross and it was too high and fast for most of us: Luckily‘a family group going in for a day .trip from Masterton was there just before us and they had strung a rope. across which they let us use. . From there it was a long siow griné up the hill to the hut, in rain that got progressively heavier. Geoff's pack ripped away from his waistband on the way, which was quite lucky as it turned’ out since. re could use it as a shoulder strap - more comfortable than the Original he assured me. :When we got there it was to find a full .. (overflowing even) water tank, a lovely warm hut, a boiling billy, and the FE trip. BS It eventually stopped raining, as the temperature dropped and the rain turned to snow! The seven day-trippers turned up again as the creek hadi come up even further and was uncrossable. The stew for 6 of us also fed the 7 of them, and _ there was even enough for . seconds for whoever wanted it: Sunday was chilly and drizzly, with 4-5. inches aft snow on the grounc around the hut. We sét off to retrace our: ‘footsteps while the _ FE's dropped down into Ruapae Stream for. a bit of variety. The only hazard on the way back was melting “snow: ‘falling “down the back’ of our necks (with great accura 2cy), as the ereek was not much past ankle deep again. : mo, Po We had a brew then got an early start back to Wellington, ané this time. there was an ice-cream (and hamburgers for Evan) stop. Thanks to Bruce for driving, and making en enjoyable weekend possible. ‘Those on the trip weré: Annette, Claire; Jenny, Harry, Peter, oh ‘ Peter & Geoff (plus PE’s Evan’& Bruce) P.S. ‘We decided what the ‘E'-in-FE-:stands: for but there were several suggestions for the 'F'.