This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
by Mark Latina
It was about 9.00 am Saturday morning when, after a leisurely breakfast we ventured from the bus and began our tramp to Sunrise Hut under the expert guidance of Ilse Seilis. After carefully studying her map for some time, Ilse selected the route she wished to take and promptly led her party in the other direction. However, after skillfully examing the terrain (and with a little prompting from Paul) Ilse quickly had us back on the right track and we were away. It was a short enjoyable stroll up the mountain that morning with nobody other than Ilse (of course) becoming unduly tired. Around midday, when our courageous leader was questioned as to how much longer it would be until we reached our destination, she confidently estimated that we would arrive within 45 minutes. She was not wrong, since the hut lay just around the next bend, two minutes away. The first big chore was to get a fire going in the stove. This was no mean. feat since there was a limited supply of suitable burning material and a lot of energy was expended fanning the struggling flames. However, Tanya showed her skill with the fan by having the fire burning brightly within seconds of having taken up the task. With this accomplished, work began on preparing the evening meal. Ilse had arranged for us to bring enough food for a veritable banquet. The only thing lacking was ice-cream, but this was "quickly" forgotten. By the time the feast was ready for consumption the hut was full to overflowing with at least three different parties in residence. After dinner, and because of cramped conditions, Paul decided to retire to the hut’s anti-room and set up camp and spend the night. And it was just as well because even from the distance of another room, his snoring could be described as little less than a thunderous roar.
On Sunday morning Paul, Tanya, Annette and Mark set out to cross the nearby saddle and climb the adjourning. peak. The views across to Ruapehu were spectacular, but the less fit among us were glad (at this stage) that we had left our packs back in the hut when undertaking this hike. Having crossed the saddle, Tanya decided to turn back, leaving Annette and Mark to struggle up the Mountain after Paul. The struggle was worthwhile, though tiring. The walk back across the saddie was even more tiring! However, even this fatigue pailed into insignificance compared to what was yet to come. On returning prematurely to the hut, Sargeant-Major Tanya Loveard had taken the opportunity to earn her stripes by slipping a few large rocks into the bottom of Mark’s pack. As a result he was nearly dead when he finally made it back to the truck that afternoon and discovered the rocks. Yet it was all good fun and on the drive back to Wellington, to make up for the shortcoming in Saturday night's banquet, an ice-cream was enjoyed by all.
Thanks to Ilse for leading the trip, Paul for dragging Annette and Mark up the mountain and Sue, Annette and Tanya for such good company on a great weekend. Easy Trippers: Ilse Seilis, Paul Critchley, Sue Walsh, Annette Cullen, Tanya Loveard and Mark Latina (scribe).