This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
It was a good feeling walking up the Tauherenikau leaving the televised soap opera war behind. The scudproof flies were erected and proved to be totally effective as not a single missile broke my sleep, they even kept the rain out. We wandered up the valley for a break in the newly renovated Cone Hut. It still has a certain bushy charm without appealing to the rats like it used too. Before long we'd stopped at Totara Flats where we dripped into our sandwiches before cruising up Totara Creek on parts of a newly cut track.
Despite our best intentions of stopping for the night in the Atiwhakatu we decided that Mountain House was too cosy to pass by. A lone tramper took one look at us arriving and immediately began packing, despite the rain and failing light. We hadn't even taken our boots off before she was bolting out the door. Somebody forgot to mention that she would be invited to pig in with the rest of us when the dessert got made. Her loss I guess.
Friends share everything, and so it was that Roger tested his friends by offering to share his feet-mangling boots. Miles was the only one of us to admit to being Roger's friend so he wore the offending boots and even the occasional smile. Rumour has it that they are still talking to each other.
The sun showed it’s face for half an hour while we wandered up the Atiwhakatu, but alas by the time the sandwiches were eaten at Mitre Flats, the rain had come back. Even Miles put his coat on this time.
Cow Creek Hut was a cosy fit for six of us inside and three in a fly, then four more arrived, then three, a whole bunch, a tribe and a dog. The six inside bailed out to brave the elements in the flies where Doctor Brian performed surgery by torch light on assorted blisters, boils, by-passes and brain transplants. In the morning Brian the Doctor met Bryan the Dog and they soon became inseparable friends. Parting was a protracted affair with harsh words spoken. Brian the Tramper was on his way up to Cow Saddle and Bryan the Dog was wanted elsewhere.
A pleasant boulder bash up the Ruamahanga to Roaring Stag, a quite bite to eat, then a stroll over the hill to Putara. The excitement came to a crashing climax in a Carterton dairy when Andrew ordered a hard-earned ice-cream. Overcome with joy, he flaked out cold on the floor. Fortunately a Doctor was on hand and before long Doctor Brian pronounced Andrew alive. Maybe it was the thought of somebody wogging his ice-cream that brought him around.
Thanks to Captain Jolly Roger and my fellow wayfarers and wanderers, tree-huggers and navel gazers.
Punters: Debbie Hughes, Kirsty Woods, Brian Hunt, Phil Lake, Andrew McLellan, Miles Davison, Graeme Curwin, Roger Bolam and Matt Comeskey.