This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
SIMON DELAHUNT & DANIEL HENRY
With both the Mongrel Mob and Transvestite conventions, as weli as the Nissan Mobil 500, taking place in Wellington any of the five Nelson Lakes trips seemed the ideal opportunity to leave town for the weekend. As the ferry was two hours late leaving Wellington ‘anchor trouble, they told us? we didn't arrive at St Arnaud until 1.30am Saturday. After a brief sleep the Majority were up and about by 6.30an. With all parties, except the Easy, catching the water taxi across the lake, it was a while before our group was fully assembled and ready to tackle Travers Valley. After walking a short distance, it was obvious that some party members were feeling more energetic than others and so Peter led five of our number away at a cracking pace. It was 6.00pm before we were all reunited for a filling gourmet meal and a much needed night's sleep at Upper Travers Hut - mildly impaired by the noisy hurricane which threatened to blow the hut away during the night. We sprang from our pits at a respectable hour and began our ascent to Travers Saddle in reasonable weather. However, this was not to last as half way up this vertical climb - amidst ice, slush and thigh-deep snow - the weather deteriorated to a standard close to abysmal thigh winds, hail, snow). We paused momentarily at the Saddie, both to gaze at the pleasant scenery ‘which we couldn't find!) and to allow Peter to capture the merry moment forever with his trusty camera. Coming down the other side, the terrain changed rapidly from snow to scree to bush as we entered the Sabine Valley. Lunch at West Sabine Hut was interesting enough but pale by comparison with the excitement that followed.
As we left the hut, Richard discovered that he had sustained an injury whilst descending from the Saddle, ie he collapsed outside the hut and couldn't continue. It was decided that four of our party would stay with Richard and walk out with him the next morning, whilst the remainder would tramp out that evening to Lake Rotoroa and arrange for a boat to pick them up on Monday morning at the lake head.
Sunday night we dined in style on fresh baked trout generously supplied by the four fishermen who were to give Richard and Co a ride across the lake in the morning.
Anita and Peter slept out in a tent that night as there were only three spare bunks in the hut. Consequently, they were anxious to leave as early as possibie in the morning to escape the persistant sandfiles. After a "gradual" climb up Howards Track we followed the course of the vailey round for some distance and made a much needed pit stop at Howards Hut, then along the up-and-down Speargrass track to Speargrass Hut. From there the track widened considerably and the end was in sight with only two hours march to the road.
The road itself was unsealed, dry and dusty and none of us particularly enjoyed slogging along it. Sa our intrepid leader, Anita, sent Peter ahead to arrange a lift for us. Half an hour later he arrived with a very kind family and a Campervan and we travelled the remaining distance to St Arnaud in comfort. 4s for ovr injured party they made it across the lake intact with the fishermen who also provided them with a lift to our pick up paint. The return crossing of Cook Strait was made in the ‘Arahura' - or to be more specific - the Refreshment Lounge. All in all a good trip full of surprises and a few laughs. Thanks Anita for a good tine. On the trip were: Anita Catchpole, Roger Bolam, Peter Jackson, Murray Middieton, Doug Bray, Birte Mauss, Marcus Wassman, Richard Fergusson, Daniel Henry and Simon Delahunt.