Club Night May 2018

Tuesday, May 15th, 2018

The Clubs Annual Meeting saw all office holders returned for another year apart from one new committee member.
President John Chetwin reported that there had been 31 trips or events during the past year and the Clubs 40th Anniversary had been celebrated. An introduction to tramping course had been run resulting in safety skills being learnt and 7 new members joining the Club. The Herbert Forest Tracks had received regular maintenance and predator control from the Club. Subscriptions stay the same as last year.
Trip Reports;
The Introduction to Tramping course was reduced to one day with instruction in compass use and river crossings, even though it was a cold day. One instructor gave an involuntary demonstration of why it can be a bad idea to cross a river on your own!
One trip was cancelled because of adverse weather but an enjoyable bike and tramping weekend in the Twizel area was had.
Wednesday Walkers walked roads and bike trails in the Weston area, the Benmore Walkway with autumn colours, Dome Hills to the Big Rock, Kinbyron Station on the North side of the Waitaki River which was a new walk and the Earthquakes farm walk. 16 walkers enjoyed a guided walk down the Hollyford with a flight out to Milford.
Coming Trips are a Silver Peaks round trip, Mavora Lakes at Queens Birthday weekend and there will be a Herbert Forest maintenance day. See the “What’s on” page for details.
The evening finished with members showing pictures of the Hollyford trip, Lake Harris and Lake Wilson and a trail walk in the Rocky Mountains.

Clubnight April 2018

Wednesday, May 9th, 2018

The April Meeting was attended by 21 people.

An Introduction to Tramping day had been held on Sunday 8 April with 12 attending and 9 members covering such topics as trip planning, gear, food, first aid , map and compass work, weather and hut etiquette. (Bess and Neville were thanked for their organisation and Jenny for food supplied.)On Sunday 15th, those wishing to attend a practical day will meet at 8 a.m.at Medway Street Carpark to go to Trotters Gorge for a 3 hour tramp with practical map reading, river crossing instruction and other tramping skills.

Club trips were to Lindis Peak over the Lindis Pass with views to Lake Wanaka, Dunstan and St. Bathans Ranges and distant peaks. Notable were the big stone tors around the Summit and the green appearance of surrounding hills.

Anniversary Weekend saw a tramp beginning at Lake Hawea and Timaru Creek for a group of 4, which on the second day met the 3 who began at the Ahuriri end, and they exchanged car keys.The 3 day tramp was on part of the Te Araroa Trail, and while offering some splendid views , was demanding.They tented and stayed in huts, one of which was an old musterers’ hut complete with dirt floor and mice.

Inclement weather at Easter meant the planned trip was cancelled. However, a couple of people tramped in in the Harris Saddle-Lake Wilson area and saw rock wrens and whio and experienced snow and a big frost.

Other members took a trip over the Old Ghost Road on the West Coast – 3 walking and 2 biking 85 kilometres on on a track with some challenges but good huts and some spectacular scenery

Wednesday Walkers reported on an excellent 5 day bike trip in early March on the trails of the Nelson area: Nelson – Tapawera – Motueka- Mapua and Rabbit Island, with much damage in some areas from Cyclone Gita. Other trips went to places as diverse as Chinaman’s Hut, Quailburn and over to the East Ahuriri Hut, Pleasant River to Bobby’s Head and Tavora Reserve on the coast, and around The Hays Farm in the Hakataramea on a brilliant day.

The activity for the evening was a check on the contents of members’ First Aid kits which they had brought along and practical advice on what needs to be in them from one of our members well qualified to oversee this and give good first aid advice as well as tips on helpful items to carry. There was good information on how to deal with various injuries and conditions which can occur, how to use a sling properly for different types of arm injury and how to deal with such things as copious bleeding, skin lacerations,broken bones, burns,hypothermia, the need for hydration and the need to watch out for one another.

It was a useful and timely exercise as well as a reminder to check contents of kits as winter approaches!

Club Night March 2018

Tuesday, March 13th, 2018

Two new trampers were welcomed to the monthly club night at the NOSAR rooms in Severn St. by a full room of members.
Trip Reports
The Ahuriri valley provided 2 day walks from the hut. One up to the Dingle saddle and the other up canyon creek to above the cirque.
Janes bike ride explored the back roads between Maheno and Herbert. Seven members cleared an area in Glens Reserve so trees could be planted. Weston School have done some planting there.
Our Guest Speaker was Ian Sutherland who told us of his mountain bike trip in Patagonia through tour organisers Latin Link. Flying to a town one hour south of Santiago, five New Zealanders biked along roads and tracks heading south, initially in Chile and then over the Andes in Argentina. Places visited included Puerto Montt, Chiloe Island with its Humbolt and Magellan Penguins, Villa Cerro Castilla, Lake Buenos Aires with its Marble caves, El Chalten, towering Mt. Fitzroy, the 4 km wide and 35 km long Perito Moreno Glacier and the Torres Del Paine with its majestic three towers. Ian compared Patagonia to a supercharged New Zealand landscape, similar to ours but larger and more spectacular.
Coming Trips and events
Lindis Peak 18 March with great views from Mt. Aspiring to Mt Cook.
Aniversary Weekend is a tramp along the TeAraroa Trail from the Ahuriri Valley to Lake Hawea with half starting from Lake Hawea.
The Easter tramp is to Lake Wilson off the Routeburn Track with a possible climb of Mt. Erebus.
The Club is running an Introduction to Tramping course over two weekends where those interested in tramping can learn the basic skills and find out about the clothes food and equipment that makes tramping safe and enjoyable. Sunday the 8 April is a theory day at the NOSAR rooms, with a practical learning weekend 14-15 April at Trotters Gorge where things such as map reading, risk management, hut etiquette, first aid and river crossings can be learnt. More information is available on this website. Look for “What’s on”.

Club Night February 2018

Monday, February 12th, 2018

There had been a lot of tramping trips since our last meeting in November, but members enjoyed hearing about or reliving them during the reports.

Hidden Lake in a high basin on the Wether Range was a hidden gem, which was worth the slog up to.

A mountain bike ride near Macraes which included the Redback Enclosure, led to a proposed shortcut which ended up being the long way home.

Chinamans Cave was approached from Trotters Gorge on a hot day.

January saw trips to Potts Hut in the Hakkatere Conservation Park, a long day climbing Mts. Alexander  and Nobbler from Dansey Pass summit, while in February so far there have been two wet trips. The first to Hinewai Reserve on Banks Peninsula where there is some impressive regrowth bush and recently a rebaiting job in the Herbert Forest tracks which netted several dead hedgehogs, rats and a weasel.

Wednesday walkers have continued their wide range of different walks from Evensdale Glen in the south to Freehold Creek in the West. The hot summer has led to the last few weeks walks being along rivers with many swimming opportunities.

Guest speaker was Lewis Hore who showed a video of one of his 5 trips to Sutherland Sound in Fiordland. This involved scenic flight in by helicopter with his kayak to look for the South Island Kokako, which has not been seen for many years although its distinctive song has been heard. We were treated to a glimpse of an isolated fiord with a very narrow and shallow entrance where it rains nonstop for days, where bird life thrives and bush covers everything.

Clubnight November 2017

Tuesday, November 14th, 2017

13th November 2017
The recent 40th Anniversary of the North Otago Tramping and Mountaineering Club was held at Purton’s Café, Maheno. It was enjoyed by 61 people, with half of them being past members. A great meal followed by cutting of the cake by founding members and many stories told resulted in a successful function.
Past weekend trips include a tramp into the Youngman Stream Hut via Tarn Hut in the Puketeraki Range, and a trip to Huxley Forks Hut and South Huxley stream. A Working Bee in the Herbert Forest cleared tracks and windfall plus step maintenance. Wednesday Walkers have been to Saltwater Creek, Trotters Gorge, Anderson’s Lagoon and also had a Herbert Forest Working Bee.
Our Speaker for the evening was Past President, Jane Green who, with husband, Graeme, recently enjoyed a cycling trip in Cuba. Starting from Havana, the Exodus company provided local Tour Guides and a support bus for those who wanted a break from cycling. Being a communist and egalitarian society, Cuba has an excellent Health and Education system. The people seem contented and quite social. Everyone has a job, however it may only be for a few hours per week. Of every dollar earned, 68% goes to paying back Government debt.