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Heels 1966

Mid Finals Trip — Oct. 1965

page 17

Mid Finals Trip

Oct. 1965

Two inbociles, being overse to swotting, decided to up sakes and hie away to Totare flats just before finals, hitch-hiking being in vogue as a [unclear: means] of transport they agreed on meeting at the bottom of Ngaio Gorge at 6.30 the next morning. Tthey [unclear: had] both turned up by ten past six, so the appropriate digit went into play forthwith.

Eight rides and four later they found they had reached

Eight rides later and four hours past, they found themselves [unclear: g[gap — reason: illegible]wping] up to hangaturiri Valley. By the time they had reached the end of the road it was (a) midday (b) raining (c) they decided that road walking was an inferior form of exercise. Undeterred by the precipitating dempness our two twits forged ahead up the right fork [gap — reason: illegible] the Mangturiri for 20 minutes and thence up a discussed bulldozed track into the bush. The ridge this was on was followed for high on one hour, where vast plethora of gleaming discs suddenly appeared through the scrub. These were dutifully pursued even when they turned a sickly green and led us down to Totara Creek, an hour later where much wind and water, suitably mixed, become most apparent. This necessiated using the N.Z.F.S. cage across the raging Waiohine. A 20 yard stroll landed us in the clean, unoccupied. Totara Flats hut. Two axes were immediately pressed into service and before long a tentative effort at a 'square' fire which lapsed, quite inexplicably, into a pyranid fire, was blazing vigorously in the hoarth. Too vigorously, I might add, so ten was more conveniently cooked on the optimus. Some time in the middle of the night a hectic war with the resident wildlife ensued..... The usual platoon of rats began calisthenics on the rafters. Patience, like my shorts, was wearing rather thin. A blistering fusillade of curses rang out. Silence for 30 minutes, until an infernal possum started starking and choking on the wood pile, which swiftly reveived another piece of wood. Ext possun.

The next day was a mixture of sun and rain. Abandoning the but at 10.00 a.m., they made their way down the eastern bank of the waiohine to Sayers Hut, which could be mistaken for a pile of neatly stacked firedwood.

Four hours and ten miniutes later, after some bush - bashing, the road was roached, in brilliant sunshine at the other end of Seyer's track. Three hours and five rides later, our heroes were home, ready to face ye olde swotte wunce agen.

-Peter Radcliffe.

Party-Peter Radcliffe, Nick Whitten.