September Club Meeting Report

North Otago Tramping and Mountaineering Club September Report Our meeting this month began with special wishes to a member who’s recently celebrated her 90th birthday! Wednesday Walkers have had great walks to Mt Parker and Mt Miserable, Island Cliff and a farm walk at The Hayes in the Hakataramea Valley. Club trips have been in the Silver Peaks area on the Yellow Ridge track, and to Christmas Creek from Trotters Gorge where the kowhai was in flower and the bird song a treat. A bike ride to Mt Charles, then via Kuriheka to Mt Stalker, saw members clock up 72 km and a few tired leg muscles. Guest speaker, Craig McMillan of Heliventures NZ Ltd, gave a most interesting account of his work as a helicopter pilot. This included a period in the Yukon, Canada, flying in fuel and supplies to remote areas (sometimes 150km from the nearest road) where small camps had been set up to do investigative drilling for minerals. On his return to New Zealand, Craig was contracted to help in the aftermath of the Pike River Mine tragedy, flying police and officials in, and gas samples out. He has since purchased his own helicopter and formed his own company, complementing agricultural spraying with recreational work, such as flying mountain bikes and riders to the top of peaks for the thrill of the downhill journey. A second helicopter has now been purchased and both will be housed in a new hanger being built at Oamaru Airport. We wish Craig and his business every success. If you’ve always wanted to ‘have a go’ at tramping, next months meeting on 13 October is for you! Members will share their knowledge of ‘what you need’ and the following Sunday there will be an easy walk for those interested to put their new knowledge into practise.