This text was read by OCR from a scanned newsletter and has not been proofread yet, so expect odd characters and mistakes.
Have Been ... Luxurious
27-29 August 1999
riday night at the ferry terminal, having dashed after work and picked up a very heavily laden Fit tripper on the way, and my punters (all three of them) are present and eager for a weekend at Nelson Lakes. I was keen too, especially as there was reported to be good snow conditions on the top and a “high” centred over the country guaranteeing good weather. We’re almost in the Sounds before Jennifer realises it’s not going to be rough (her biggest dread), and the map has been studied and the first of the luxury options declined. No, the troops did not want to stay in St Arnaud for the night under built shelter with coffee/hot chocolate in the morning. And once at the roadend, no they didn’t want to sleep on the veranda of the “facilities”. They wanted to sleep under the fly in winter, beneath the beech trees. Day dawns as beautiful as promised, and we watch the Medium party and a number of skiers head up the track, while we stay snug in our sleeping bags. There’s the background noise of a helicopter, and the skiers appear to be carrying very little, and it seems we have an option of putting our packs and/or ourselves on the helicopter for $15.00/$30.00. Were the troops keen to ride in a helicopter? No, they wanted to carry their packs up the hill the Fits had gone up in the dark last night! So up the hill we wander, Andrew fitter than he expected despite all that warm beer he’s been drinking. We leave our packs at the second shelter (well, I left mine, and had my lunch carried for me, and the others-took-daypacks),-anc-carried-on-upto- watch the skiers and have a close encounter with a kea. Mt Robert ski field looked very enticing — wide snow bowl with a good base, several rope tows and very few skiers, despite it being the Club Champs. Cost per day for a visitor is $12.00 with an additional $14.00 to stay in the lodge overnight. Definitely a cheap weekend’s skiing for those interested. Then back down to collect our packs, Stewart creating environmental art on the way by capping the poles with snow (this artwork being almost immediately defaced by teenagers going the other way), and along the spur to Bush Line Hut. The skiers we spoke to claim it’s haunted, but we had a very pleasant stay, cosy with the fire lit, a three-course dinner (these easy trippers carry vast amounts of food) a “bar fridge”, and games of 500 by the light of one tiny candle and the judicious use of head torches. Sunday lives up to its name and is also wind-free, and we wander down to the lake and along to see “Whiskey Falls” for lunch. The bird song is remarkable and the slow process of regeneration of bush easy to appreciate in the section burnt 112 years ago. At this point, if we could have got one of the two cellphones being carried to work, I believe the troops would have succumbed to the luxury of a trip from the end of the lake back to Kerr Bay by water taxi. Instead we make great progress back to town on foot (not even keen to try to hitch a lift from passing motorists while on the road), lured by the prospect of Jelly Tip ice creams. Back at the meeting point, we discover it’s possible to have a shower — more luxury, this time taken up by some of us. Everyone reassembles and it’s back to Picton and time for a pizza while we wait for the 2130 ferry. It seems that every party has had an equally enjoyable escape from Wellington. Thanks to Andrew, Jennifer and Stewart for their good company and enthusiasm. These people deserve to be members of the Tongue and Meats! PS. The trip photographer used slide film, so you'll get to see highlights on the big screen as well, and I gather I’m to be present to help interpret!
WIT&NMC September 1999
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Sally Greed