Personal.

Before coming to the more prosaic task of noting down our activities for the last six months, we feel that we must take this opportunity of recording in Spike the loss that the club has experienced through the fact that two more of our best trampers have felt the call of the Old World, and have sailed abroad in pursuit of ventures new. Of the qualities of Miss Elsie Holmes as a tramper and good friend, one can only speak in superlatives—and very inadequate superlatives at that. Her enthusiasm, persistence and work on behalf of the club during past years have been very real factors in its continued success; while only those who have had the good fortune to tramp with her, will realize what a gap in our ranks her departure has left. We have bidden farewell, also, to Miss Kathleen Makay, another of our enthusiastic trampers and lovers of nature. Here again the club loses one of its good trampers, and we, one of our good friends. Such is the way of life.

To offset these losses, we are glad to welcome to the ranks of the tramping fraternity several new members. Tramps, too, both week-end and Sunday, during the term, have been well attended, and although the older members are dropping out, one by one, it is a source of satisfaction to know that there are new members coming on who will carry on in a worthy fashion the activities and traditions of the club. Finally, we beg leave to congratulate Dr. J. S. Yeates who has been one of the club's strongest supporters during the past years, upon his appointment to the Chair of Agricultural Botany at Massey Agricultural College.

The Tramps.

The club has several enjoyable tramps to its credit during the long vacation. First and foremost, of course, ranks the Christmas trip to Tongariro National Park. Seven of us fought and pushed our way on to Thorndon Station the day before Christmas. By the time Waimarino was reached, our number had risen to fourteen. We arrived at Whakapapa at dusk and soon had our tents up and the stew cooking. Ruapehu was climbed in perfect weather, on Christmas Day. Another day was spent at the Tama Lakes, a third in climbing Ngaruahoe, where we had a few exciting moments negotiating the rim of the crater on our way round to the other side of the mountain. Rain kept us in camp for a further day. Finally, stores gave out, so we set off for Otouku. Kindly Maoris gave us a lift on the top of a thundering lorry, and soon we were comfortable in camp once more—minus one of our tents, however. At Otouku the Weather was perfect. We thoroughly explored Tongariro and the Ketetahi Blowholes; basked in the sun; sat round roaring camp fires. The perilous condition of our stores drove us on again. We tramped to Tokaanu over the famous Pehanga saddle. But when we page 50 reached the township we were attacked by the ferocious species of mosquito that the natives apparently let loose upon unsuspecting strangers; moreover we could find no suitable camping spot. The morale of the party went to pieces. Some went back to town, others on round the lake; seven went back to Erua and spent a perfect two days camped up in the bush. Hauhungatahi faced us, and above her, the white peaks of Ruapehu. We swam in the river, sang choruses round the fire at night, cooked and ate tremendous meals. Soon Whakapapa, Otouku, Tokaanu, Erua were but glorious memories—we were all looking once more for taxis at Thorndon.

Other vacation trips that are also perhaps worthy of mention, are a Sunday tramp to Maymorn, where we swam in the Hutt River and collected blackberries; a week-end trip to Paekakariki, where we did little else but sunbathe and swim, and a crossing of the Tararuas from Kaitoke to Otaki, where we had glorious weather, but very little water.

Among the trips made during the term, we number that down the Upper Orongorongo River, notable among other things, for the fact that we were tramping in what was, to most of us, unknown country; that someone forgot to bring the tent; that we slept out in the rain at night; that some of the sleeping bags were not as waterproof as they might have been, and others were, that we successfully circumvented the caretaker at Wainui and finished up by walking eleven miles into Petone—a most enjoyable trip. We also number a tramp over Belmont trig, notable for its super abundance of mist; one to Hutt Forks, when, strange as it may seem to old trampers, the weather was actually fine, and after, and before, finding the Forks intact, we regaled ourselves with blackberries—some, we understand, with other fruits also, finally finishing by walking down the railway line to Upper Hutt.

Mount Hawtrey was successfully located. So were the gold fields at Teravvhiti, where we stayed up far into the night discussing matters of high import. A Tararua crossing was also attempted, but once again bad weather on the ranges proved too much for us, and so a return was made to town via Tauherenikau and Woodside. We had hills to spare—or at least so some of the party thought—on a Sunday tramp over Colonial Knob and Kaukau to town; and we had rain to spare, a good deal of it in fact—and so all the party thought—on the King's Birthday week-end trip to Palliser Bay. Though turned back by the flooded Orongorongo, the five stalwarts who braved the elements had a bright two days' tramp. If you are a connoisseur of choice language, ask the party, and specially Prof., what they thought when they were turned out of a whare in the Catchpole by the arrival of the owner and his friends.

Altogether a memorable six months' tramping.