Clubnight August 2015

Tuesday, August 11th, 2015

With a combined group from NOTMC and North Otago Search and Rescue, our guest speaker was David Ellis from Earth Sea Sky, outdoor performance clothing specialists. Ephraim Ellis, David’s Great Great Grandfather worked for the Kaikorai Valley Woollen Mills and from there his son Arthur formed Arthur Ellis Ltd in 1913. They manufactured mattresses followed with bedding and Arthurs’s son Roland Ellis was first to manufacture sleeping bags and these Fairydown sleeping bags became world famous thanks to Ed Hillary’s Mt Everest expedition and the 1958 South Pole expedition in 1958. Murray Ellis, an engineer, was a member of the South Pole expedition. David Ellis and his wife Jane established Earth Sea Sky 25 years ago and they concentrate on the design and marketing of their clothing and contract out the production to four NZ firms. They are driven to make the best performance outdoor clothing therefore comfort, warmth and protection are the key elements in their layering theory. For comfort, clothing needs to be dry so any skin moisture needs to be absorbed by the first layer of clothing and readily evaporate, Bi-component Polyester is ideal. The second layer is the heat trapping layer and Polarfleece is ideal because it releases moisture quickly. However Polarfleece is not wind proof or waterproof so the third layer needs to have this function therefore the jacket acts as the protection layer. Earth Sea Sky supplies clothing to Antarctica scientists and support crews, Westpac Rescue Teams, DOC and the NZ Police Peacekeeping Force in the Pacific Islands.

Club Night July 2015

Monday, July 20th, 2015

North Otago Tramping and Mountaineering Club Meeting 13^th July 2015

The Wednesday Walkers enjoyed several trips this month including Otamatapaio Valley, Earthquakes Area, a Papakaio farm, Totara Estate, Moeraki and surrounds plus Burnett’s farm at Kauru Hill.

The NOTMC members enjoyed a trip to Orbells Cave near 3 o’clock stream. Eight members completed a 6 day trip of the Abel Tasman Track with brilliant weather and they particularly enjoyed the history at Separation Point in which the hut was over 100 years old.

Maurice Gray, a member of the club, spoke of his involvement with DOC volunteer programmes. A DOC volunteer programme can be a week, two weeks or as much as 3 months long. Maurice spoke about a recent 8 day voluntary programme at Port Pegasus, Stewart Island.  Gold was discovered here in 1882 and later tin was found within the black sand which became more prominent than the gold. Consequently, sluices, a dam, a post office and a 4 km tram line from Diprose Bay was established. DOC spend a week here every two years to clear the wooden tramline of vegetation plus clear vegetation from the remaining artefacts so that they don’t get lost forever. The team included Maurice who was one of 6 volunteers, two DOC staff, a skipper and a deck hand. They slept on the DOC boat each night.  During their preservation work, they unearthed a blacksmith forge which was not known to be there so they were pleased to have added to the history of Port Pegasus.

Another Voluntary programme was that of maintenance on the Dusky Track in which Maurice, another volunteer and one DOC staff were flown to Loch Maree Hut to clean the hut and carry out repairs and maintenance on a nearby walkwire bridge over the Seaforth River.

Maurice and his wife Phyllis completed a two week volunteer programme on Ulva Island, near Stewart Island. He thoroughly enjoys his time working for a good cause and meeting like minded people.  Application forms for Voluntary Programmes can be found at a DOC office or on their website.

Club Night, June 2015

Tuesday, June 9th, 2015

The NOTMC Clubnight on 8th June was held at the Search and Rescue Rooms, Severn St. Past trips by Wednesday Walkers included Evansdale Glen, Shag Point and Kuriheka. The recent trips by the tramping club took in Mt Horrible and track clearing on Staircase Ridge. Our guest speaker was Bronwyn McCone, who travelled to Switzerland, Austria and Italy for a month long tour which included walking tracks above 3000 metres. All of the walks started with a gondola or cog train ride to where they start walking. The highlights were Mount Pilatus near Lucerne, Switzerland where bunkers built in the war were seen in the mountain due to being so close to the border. Tracks here were around the sides of sheer cliff faces. On to Grindelwald where work began building the Jungfrau railway in 1896. The cog trains carry thousands of people to the highest railway station in Europe. The walking track down to Grindelwald takes them through steep areas and eventually meadows of gentians, lily of the valley, and Rhododendrons which were only a metre high. The small farm meadows have grass which would be cut by small mowers, rolled downhill by hand and loosely stacked in sheds so very labour intensive. These meadows also become ski runs in winter. After taking in the Matterhorn, they travelled to Cinqueterry, Italy, where they walked through steep terraced vineyards. The trip ended with Pisa and Vienna.

Club Meeting, May 2015

Wednesday, May 13th, 2015

The monthly meeting, which included the AGM, was held in the revamped Search and Rescue Headquarters to ascertain whether these premises would be a suitable venue for future club meetings.

The AGM saw Jane Green re-elected as President. Robbie Verhoef and Neville Corry retained their positions of Secretary and Treasurer.

Members voted in favour of holding future club meetings in the SAR Headquarters.

During the General Meeting Wednesday Walkers reported on day trips in April to the Benmore Walkway, Elephant Hill and Mussen – both on the northern side of the Waitaki River, and Mt Dryburgh from the Hakataramea side. The first trip for May to Mt Difficulty (inland from Five Forks) from The Hectors Road saw walkers battle cold winds and needle-like rain.

A club trip to Aspiring hut planned for ANZAC weekend was cancelled due to bad weather. Wallabies were roaming in large numbers when a group walked from Lake Aviemore, up and beyond Deep Stream earlier this month.

Modern technology enabled members to be given helpful tips on how to navigate the club’s website – www.NOTMC.org.nz.

Guest speaker, club member and keen photographer Noel Pullan, shared his ‘Views from the Tops’ – stunning photos from some of his climbing expeditions in the Southern Alps, Kaikoura ranges and Mts Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Egmont in the North Island. Noel can claim membership of the ‘Ten Thousand Club’ – ie those who have climbed to altitudes of 10,000 feet or more. On one trip he climbed three 10,000 feet peaks in three days. Most of us only get to look up to these peaks from ground level but Noel’s images transported us to razor-edged ridge lines, seemingly impassable rock faces and enabled us to look down on endless lines of icy peaks and snaking glaciers and be in awe of the miniscule dots that were the climbers and huts in the snow below. Magnificent!

Club Night 13th April 2015

Thursday, April 16th, 2015

The club held a very successful Open Day in the Herbert Forest on Sunday 12 April with over sixty people (including an eighty year old) enjoying walking the tracks in small groups, guided by club members. Many folk had travelled down from South Canterbury. The forecasted rain turned out to be a very short early shower and sunshine prevailed for the remainder of the day. The tracks were in very good condition, thanks to recent working bees by members of the club.

Recent tramps have been to the ABC caves in the Silverpeaks district, and  over the Easter break to the Harper Pass – between the Lewis and Arthurs Passes, which is  part of the Te Araroa Trail.

Wednesday Walkers have enjoyed walks around Otematata and Livingstone, the Nimrod Reserve track  in the Hunter Hills, the Domett Loop and  walks closer to home on the Oamaru  Walkway and local beaches. A large contingent had a great time biking the Clutha Gold and Roxburgh Gorge Trails before Easter.

Club night speaker, Jane Matchett and her team mates Mike and Kevin shared their experiences in the GODZone Adventure race last year, starting and finishing in Kaikoura. Participants knew nothing about the course until four hours before the start of the race so navigational and logistical skills were put to the test as well as the sheer physical demands of the 520km course. Over six days, sections included an ascent of Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku (2885m), biking 151km through Molesworth Station and paddling the length of the Hurunui River. Not for the faint hearted!