Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

SMAD. An Organ of Student Opinion. 1932. Volume 3. Number 1

Tapuaenuku

Tapuaenuku.

After a marvellous moonlight trip through the Sounds, and a 'bus journey remarkable only for Max Riske's incoherent babblings about the Book of Joshua, a party of twenty, with Professor Boyd Wilson as leader, and eight girls to cook, left Kekerangu homestead on Christmas afternoon with ten pack-horses laden over the Plimsoll mark, two packmen, and a determination to do or die. Several were on the point of dying, when at last appeared Coverhain, at which we spent the night. Coverhain is a wonderful subject for a painting, and later photos proved that Charlie Birks was an efficient substitute for Corot.

Arrived at the Dee Hut (a comfortable sod-wall 16-bunker), the energetic set about killing and dressing a sheep, erecting tents, and storing food. Next day, Sunday, the Professor, who apparently took seriously the general but pointed comments on snoring, erected a tent for himself, and, ably assisted by Noel Hill and Jack Smith, built a canoe for use on the Clarence.

After Tony Chorlton's party had established a bivouac at the head of the Dee stream, skirting a 50-ft. waterfall in transit, various parties proceeded to ascend "Tappy," our impudent nickname for the magnificent peak whose snow fields and shingle slides rather overawed our party as we regarded it from the security of the pleasant Dee Valley.

Emboldened by the success of the various parties, and after many references to rice and food bags, two parties, one consisting of Alice Jacobs, Bill Read and Tony, and the other of Jean Shallcrass, Mary Ewart, Dorothy Roberts, Stan Reid, Jack Smith, and Max, set out for the inhospitable Hodder Valley. The explorers returned after four days, which the stay-at-homes spent in climbing "Tappy," shooting the Clarence rapids and most of the game (except the "man-eating bull"), the former per canoe, and the latter with the rifle, and swimming in the Clarence or the dammed Dee. Alice's party had scaled Mitre, and Tony gleefully recounted how emergency rations speeded you up on the last lap, while Max's party had gone clean round "Tappy," retracing their steps over only one mile, also making a flying call on the Bluff station, and Tom Birks' party at the Branch Hut.

All too soon came the day of departure. After leaving an honours board nailed over the fireplace, we closed the door of the Dee Hut for the last time, leaving the Valley once more to its wild sheep, goats, and rabbits, who had led a troubled life since the advent of our riflemen.

We made good time out. and left Kekerangu station deeply indebted to the MacDonalds, who very kindly greeted our return with an enormous dinner; to Frank Garrett, our genial pack-man, and to his amazing "off-side," who startled us with his grand opera soli (be! canto method) and his painstaking explanation of the workings of the hydraulic ram.

Had we the space we could enlarge on the beauties of the district and the marvellous view from "Tappy," or the hunters' exploits (two sheep with one soft nose .303), whose prowess enabled us to feed right royally of Tony's unique swathing effects in costume for the road and for the boudoir; of delicious cooking by Dorothy and Mary; of how Bill Clark's record stalk was spoilt by the return of two new chums from a "hoozle," of the epic cycling over the South Island by Mildred Huggins, Puck and Jean Shallcrass;—but we haven't, so we can't.

The Prof. was once more an admirable leader, and the thanks of the whole party are due to him. His handiness with tools and knowledge of camp life frequently stood us in good stead, and the greatest tribute a grateful party can pay him is to record that all the new chums vowed it the cheapest and most enjoyable holiday they had spent.