This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
A group of medium trampers turned up at 7? p.m. At the grey platform nine'of the station: And the van that was waiting for them.- "We're ready to conquer that. river" al (or so their brave leader had said}. . 2 "Stuff you", they all yelled with conviction” "We just want to crawl off to bed."
Two hours and many yawns later Sch Salk fend They appeared tc have reached the right: pif ake But, "this doesn’t look right" said :-the leadér With a rather red-tinted face, a "Cos driving around in the darkness They'd missed the turn-off by miles "Be a little while yet ‘till bedtime",s° at Said the leader with cheesey-type smiles,"
Reaching the Ohau roadend, : >. They. were itching to hit the track aS SESS 2h “I've warned. you all", said the leader, §.. :» "So now's your chance to -turn back®. ; 7 : But the mediums, fearing nething .- = ees Plunged on into the trees —- + 369 With wheezy possums, their torches failing And mud poods up to the knees. Camping at Ohau shelter 78 There was fun to be had by‘all - . ¢ 5. =) it “iy A friendly nocturnal possum and Barry ¢ They really had a ball. ei * The rest of us had to content ourselves i at With a murky looking brew -; a After which the iights went out I el Tila In the flies of the medium crew. af: hy a
Next morning the genuine trampers , “— They were up at the crack of dawn ale, .,While. some communed with nature, Me aj Others had brekkie on. the lawn. i at : Then. they all left for the Blackwater, oe ee Ep That mythical legendary place 7 -é And slipped and slid ub: the river eps 4 At a most uneven oace.
At 10 o’clock they reached the spur Up which they had te climb And despite the moans of pain They reached the top in record time. With rumbling tums they now dashed 3 Full pelt to Waiopehu Hut for lunch a And after a lengthy search for the door eee They entered and sat down to munch. %
Afternoon was spent in confusion Which was the right spur to go: down? The elusive Waiopehu carner Was simply not to be found! A faithful sheep was heard to bleat “Where the heck are we going?*
"Search me“ cried the worried leader Her bushcraf= not really showing.
But tired and fed up and mutinous The. mediums stiii biundered on; When next they glanced round behind them The leader and Catherine were gone ae They had fcund whac Looked like a spur Leading down to Makaretu stream The. others then quickly joined them’ And once more were: a thampien' team.
Like those possessed: with the demon ™ °- "2 They, bashed through the bushes with zeal ~* Threxugh mingi-mingi, supplejack, ponga To them it was new ne big:deal. ’ They groveiied down the edgé cf a cliff fate _ Hanging onto the scrubby their teeth!: Ever present the’ thought of a cruel: death Dashed on.the mosey poulders beneath. © Thought the leader, we've droped off the’ ‘spur As they reached a small scrub~ccvered stream I So they sat down to gobble scme scroggin Before continuing on as a team. le Slippery boulders, netties and Hoekgrass vA Were now the name cf the game . ' "My dear comrades“ yelled the leader "Aren't you just thrilled that you came?” Emerging at last from the long ordeal ey Of slogging and Diglocedi as with the trees The mediums were ready to hit the pit And grab a few much needed-2z’s. . ahr But the evening was spent round a campfire Gulping down meat they had stewed : ial And talking about meaningful topics ~ = *' Such as flamethrowers and-’Rodney.S.Rude. ‘ Next morning they were not so eariy ~ of eet 10 a.m. tc be quite precise - ie. a hee But ail that remained wes to stroll down *t he stream So sleeping in late felt quite nice. In the warm pleasant sunshine they travelled Being cooled by COMPARLSOT y MEWELME - Richard Fergusor tried to avoid them The team should have just oulied him ini aot
The brave troops got to the farmland Where they cut across to Poads road The Avis van was waiting and » 3 2 They were eager to Lighten their load. . There is a desp moral to this baliad and If you understand what I meen ; You reaiiy should know what you're in for = Before you tackle the Blackwater’ Stream. -
~ Thanks tc ait who participated: Michelle & Barry, Dave, Noel Pepoereli, Catherine Croucher, Richard Ferguson, Lorna Chinn, ‘Susan Fry).