Club Night July 2015
North Otago Tramping and Mountaineering Club Meeting 13th 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.