| Group | Leader | Mentor | Tailender |
| Standards | Selwyn | Brent | Veronica |
| Alternates | Lynley | Ali | Maureen |
Distance 13.1km; elevation gain 780m; duration 5hrs
It was good to have our trampers numbering over 40 this week and I’m sure every one of us enjoyed this walk. Jen welcomed Nicholas (visitor), Andrea (guest) and others returning after travels, illness etc. A special mention here of the return of the American branch of the BTC. Great to see you back, Michelle. Two birthdays were noted, or as it was put to us, the celebration of receiving the Gold Card in one case, and in the other having had a few years’ use of it, and looking forward to many more. Thank you, Shirley and Janne.
We left Bishopdale punctually which was just as well as having to stop for two different lots of road works ate into our travel time. As always, the Stop/Go light appeared to be stuck on red and just as it seemed that we might have to send our roading engineer out to remonstrate with the truck-bound worker, we got the green light. Some dodgy passing manoeuvres by the traffic on Porters Pass made us thankful that we were in Stuart’s safe hands. Perhaps mindful of our slow progress to this point, Stuart then decided his moment had come. With plenty of visibility and clear incline ahead, we pulled out to overtake a truck and trailer combo. It seemed a big ask of our ageing bus but it proved worthy of the occasion and we were back on our own side of the road with plenty of time to spare. The only visible sign of discomfort from the passengers was the obvious leaning towards the aisle by those of us who found ourselves looking down over the drop-off to the river far below. Well done, Stuart.
Reaching our destination at 10.30 we set off with no time wasted. Indeed, at the end of the day the Alternates described their leader’s pace throughout the many kilometres as “agreeable”. You may have a job for life, Lynley. Similarly, Selwyn was familiar with the Standards’ route and very early in the day the mentor happily declared himself surplus to requirements.
The long and winding road to morning tea provided ample opportunity to catch up with the week’s news from those around us. As always, snippets of conversation overheard from ahead or behind were noted for following up later. It was a joy to walk through the bush, so much so that the uphill section went mostly unnoticed. The sign requiring us to cross the bridge one at a time provided plenty of opportunity for the engineers present to note the flexibility/strength of the structure and the deflection caused by each individual. I have been assured that this information will never be revealed – very wise!
After lunch we soon emerged into the grassy downhill sections of the track where the grasses proved quite slippery. Other conundrums were wet boggy sections encountered halfway up a hill while it being quite dry at the bottom. Well-meant advice to keep one’s feet dry by stepping on the mini hillocks proved difficult. These conveniently spaced, inviting-looking mounds were unstable and seemed hellbent on pitching the less agile tramper headfirst into the boggy mass below.
The final stream crossing, the last of four, heralded the start of a steep section of track which is as tough as it gets on any of our tramps. At least the ignominy of previous years where a helping hand is required to haul everyone up the steep-sided riverbank was unnecessary. The ever-changing path of the stream and erosion had worked in our favour. From this point the climb was hard work and everyone was pleased when we reached the plateau where a breather could be taken, and conversation resumed. When we eventually diverted off the track to wend our way down to the pick-up point, it was a nice surprise to not encounter the usual marshy underfoot conditions on this final stretch. The call to walk much further to the left than usual may have meant that we avoided it, or perhaps drier conditions were the explanation. The result was a much easier finish to the day’s walk which we all appreciated. The bus duly appeared and as always Ali and her team had sorted our boot bags from the rest, marked the section for the gear of those departing at Yaldhurst and generally had everything super-organised. The Alternates were pleased to announce that they had had a great day with nothing newsworthy to report, which we all agreed is generally a good thing.
Note to self – next year take a rubbish sack to collect the many beer bottle and cans littering the pick-up spot.
And finally – a few facts:
Dracophyllum – Hmm! After reading the various descriptions and viewing the photos on Google, I think I must have been stumbling along with my eyes shut. Not one resembled any plant that I could recall seeing. This plant is commonly known as the Turpentine Plant. It hybridises readily, accounting for many sub-species, which probably explains not being able to easily identify the ones we encountered.
Flat – This should be easier.
Land that lacks significant variation in elevation.
Only true, for short periods of time!!
Text by Jan Bw
