Trip Account for Wainui-Moonshine: Or Wakatikei Revisited

Sun. 2 Oct.

Only 6 of the 18 who put their names on the list assembled at Paekakariki stn, at 7.40 a.m. on that damp windy morning. After 15 minutes walk along the main road, we bk until we emer ged onto the open scrub covered summit of Wainui (2365') 25 years in each direction. At this point John expressed a hope that this would be the last time we would know where we were foracks. After elimbing for three quarters of an hour, We entered the bush and followed a rough bush trac several days. But it was not to be, as visibility on the correct ridge, until it stopped abruptly at the Wakatikei Stream at 11.30. One looking back we were amazed lunch and the party's spirits were considerably raised with (a) improved weather, including some sunshine, (b) John after lunch we climbed steeply but of the stream and much to John's disgust we found ourselves on a well worn and blazed track which led us but onto the open hills at the back of Moonshine.

The only form of excitement in the afternoon was the sight of the two of the numbers including in a spirited form of combet which left several one foot lenths of rotten wool stream over a large area. On coming out into the open we [unclear: com]sumed some more of same highly prized liquid one person had carried. We then followed down a [unclear: spur] past the line of power pylons and dropped down a steop bracken slope to land in the Wainui stream (literally, Yor most of us) at 3 p.m. After walking for an hour along a rough farm road we arrived at the fins our way home.

Party; John hodes (leader) Tom Clarkson, Kevin [unclear: Pearce], Alan [unclear: Radcliffe], Peter Radcliffe, Nick Whitten.

'Where the clouds can go, men can go; but they must hardy men.'

-Andreas Meurer.