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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 10, No. 5. May, 7, 1947

Wet - No Fish

Wet - No Fish

A group of thirty hearty vagabonds from the Tramping Club spent Anzac week-end at Waitewaewae. The trip was very well organised—even I had to carry a tent. Harry Evison as leader prepared a very comprehensive list of instructions. Everyone obeyed these and took no prunes, sheets or nighties.

Those who are not familiar with this particular track may be interested with this description. The track is relatively easy to follow once you have found the beginning, but some of us were rather hazy about the beginning—the girls hitched a ride right past the turn off. Part of the track follows an old bush tramline, which is easy to follow if you don't slip on the wet sleepers or fall through and break your neck. Some of us tried that, too—no casualties reported. The track then follows a stream up, crosses a plateau and goes down the Arapeto to the Otaki river. A few minutes' paddling—if the river is low enough—brought us to Waitewaewae bivvy, where Do McLeod and Lister Paul had the welcome mat out and a billy on the fire.

First half of the party arrived about 5 p.m. Friday night. By 10 p.m. the second half began to arrive with the news that four of their number had camped for the night half-way along the track—don't ask me why they didn't arrive till 8 p.m. the next night; how should I know?

Some of our more energetic members decided to climb Mt. Crawford on Saturday morning. They came back rather early and reported a beautiful view of mist and rain. Saturday evening saw us all round the fire singing and telling yarns—both new and old. Harold Gretton tells me confidentially that the singing was of a particularly high standard—he should know. Maybe we could record a few more of the men for Extrav.

Six o'clock saw some of us up and getting ready to move back to civilisation and Extrav. rehearsals. On the trip out it rained, as it can rain in the Tararuas. Still, who's worrying about a little rain, or even a lot of rain? I had a very happy week-end, and came back to respectable society thoroughly convinced of the virtues of double bunking and all other good things connected with the Tramping Club.