This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
HARRIS CREEK HUTTRIP 11-13 JUNE 1993 By Kara Lipski I was expecting the Duchess, so didn’t click when a car drew up at the agreed Levin stop. Wayne, although not officially on the Easy trip had volunteered his car after the club transport got canned. (More about the result of this decision later on).
After a lengthy drive into the Mangahao Dam, we set up camp along with the Medium trip outside the hut below (7!!!) the Number 1 Reservoir. (What a trusting lot) A leisurely start next morning set the tone for the trip in. (We took 3 1/2 hours and many breaks to reach the hut). No sooner had we ensconced ourselves on the lower bunk than Jez's Medium group descended upon us. We all descended into a Slothful afternoon and had to drag ourselves out to cook dinner.
It started raining in the early hours of the morning and one look atthe river indicated what the trip out would be like. (We underestimated that). The river was half way up the large boulder on the river bank (and fast disappearing) that had only had-its feet wet the previous day. The track between the hut and Dick Creek was a case of "walk on water". Dick Creek was impassable and the Easy's decided to retire to the hut. (Two members of the Medium group had crossed the creek further up but by the time they arrived back at our spot, the creek had risen so high that their packs had to be ferried over on a rope. Meanwhile, we're back on.the hut porch enjoying a thunder storm (Ben, put down that axe!). Someone made the observation that we were in a tin hut! Our boulder was now well under-water and by the time Jez returned from ferrying packs and fly across the creek, we had decided to stay put. We re-retired to our pits and Ferrida quickly went into hibernation.
By 1pm the rain had stopped and the river was dropping. (Our boulder was once again showing its waistline and we decided for another attempt on Dick Creek. This time it was easily crossable and it was now only a matter of reaching the read end befere Jight-failed.. We-made-geed-time-and-the stragglers reached the-cars-at-5.30pm-to find seen eee ees broken windows on Wayne's car.......... and personal gear missing.
Jez's van was gone, but that mystery was soon cleared up when the two “let's get across the creek" members of the Medium group returned with reinforcements. Apart from this major downer, the trip was very pleasant. What a pity the "Duchess” couldn't have been used.
Punters: Wayne Stevens, Ferrida Curwood, Grant Bernard, Ben Nicholson, Kara Lipski (Leader and scribe) _ ce Aa ae ME Ge