Sunday 7 January 2024

Leader: John Sturgess

Perfect weather and a team of 14 assembled at Kiwi Ranch, and left at 9.20am.

A lovely walk down Smiths Creek, crossing the slip. Lunch was had beside the Tauherenikau River. Rob took a dip in the river while some visited Smiths Creek Shelter. The start of the climb up to point 714 was as steep as expected but the terrain opened out the higher we climbed. This was a grunt of approximately two and half hours. The fun started on the ridge leading to the pylon track. I remembered a distinct footpad but since then 20 years of growth and windfall had choked the first kilometre. There were open patches after the saddle but the final 200 m seemed never-ending. Down the pylon track we went, dodging the numerous beehives and losing another 500 m - tough on the knees.

A quick poke around for the exit point I had researched on YouTube revealed a well overgrown black hole and with the time now at 5pm the decision was made to incur the wrath of the landowners by following the pylon track out. Sure enough we were met by one of the landowners waving his hands at us and telling us we had to go back as this was a private road. This was never going to happen and after some negotiation and diplomacy we travelled quickly along the road back to Kiwi Ranch finishing up at 6pm (thanks to the landowner, Jordan).

A big thumbs up to the team on the day who bore many scratches to various parts of the body.

Those on the trip were:

John Sturgess, Yingjun Shelton, Ben Quayle, Tony Quayle, Johnny Cottle, Matt Freeland, Chris Keating, Glenda Robb, Peter Davis, Sue Pate, Lindsey Griffiths, Clive Kayser, David Williams, Rob Dey

Currently there is no photo album for this trip.