COMING up Rakaia Gorge Walkway Planting Day Bowenvale Valley
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OVER FORTIES TRAMPING CLUB INC Newsletter 395 May 2014 Exploring the Upper Cobb Basin, COMING UP Kahurangi National Park, 18-22 March Participants: Jill Lyall ( leader) Jill Goddard, Sandi Leith, Howard Har- NEXT MEETING vey, Brian Prendergast, Robin Mears. MONDAY MAY 5 This adventure was advertised as 4 Horticultural Hall, Hagley Park nights (Huts), but Jill, by using Trilo- 7.30pm bite Hut as a base, ensured that we needed to carry gear for only one Club member Terry Jacobs has a long family night. It was an 8 hour drive to reach connection with Canterbury Museum the basin, but worth it, as we enjoyed His talk is entitled A Dynasty of Taxidermy. 5 days of perfect weather, a full moon, and were able to appreciate the flora, fauna, geology and historic sites. The Cobb Reservoir (pictured) at MIDWINTER LUNCHEON 860m provides water for the highest WEDNESDAY JUNE 18 power station in New Zealand. The Tai Tapu Golf Club Rooms project began in the 1930s and was not completed until 1956. It was a Members please bring soup for Grade 3 and 4 tortuous one-lane road to reach the top and look down on the reservoir. groups and finger food for Grade 2 and We then drove to the west end of the lake and parked outside the basic Veterans. Trilobite hut. This is probably the only back country hut named after a fos- sil, as nearby in isolated limestone outcrops were found the earliest ma- rine fossils. We did spend some time fossicking but with no success. Rakaia Gorge Walkway Track Work - Sunday May 4 The 12km track up the Cobb valley to Fenella Hut was in excellent condi- tion. Despite plenty of side streams and swamps our boots remained All Welcome, bring hand tools - spade/grubber, dry because of the extensive ditching along the track, flat rocks placed in hand trimmers, secateurs, hand saw etc strategic positions and bridges of rock over small watercourses. On the Depart: Yaldhurst hotel carpark 8.30am map, Chaffey Shelter is marked (derelict), but it is far from that. It was a Cost: $17 surprise to find the hut (4bunks ) in top condition. A feature of this area are the initiatives by volunteers. They have kept its quaintness by using wood Leader: Ian Fussell 358 3724 and logs from fallen nearby beech trees. Further on was marked a Tent Camp. We were amazed to find a team of workers under DOC leader- ship using a pulley system to cart rocks to the camp . They will replace the Planting Day canvas roof and lift the mud floor to reduce flooding. All along the track Bowenvale Valley there are baited traps. They seem to be working as we enjoyed an orches- Our planting day at our spot in the Bowenvale tra of bird song. Great to hear! About 10km we dropped our packs at Cobb Valley is coming round again. This year we are Hut (4bunks) and took a 30 minute side trip up to the picturesque Lake Cobb. The Fenella Hut 1100m (12bunks) is well used and is in an attrac- looking at May 29 for a couple of hours. Meet tive location. In the intentions book mention was made of the wonderful in the car park at 12.30 – back to the cars by swimming pool nearby. Continued on page 6 3.15 (depending on numbers planting). Note the deadline for Newsletter items to the Editor is the 20th of every month for the following month’s Newsletter—send to Liz Griffiths at [email protected] and Mavis Airey at [email protected] Trip details by the 15th of every month to Trip Collators: Saturday and Sunday trips to Karyn Brookes—354 0113 [email protected] Wednesday trips to Barbro Guard—980 2792 [email protected] Please note — address all correspondence pertaining to Club business to the Secretary Over Forties Tramping Club, PO Box 6505, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch 8442 Established 1978 Affiliated to the Federated Mountain Clubs of NZ www.oftc.org.nz OFTC 2 Chairman’s Report As I sit and write this, the drizzle is falling yet again and what is even worse it is grey – a lack of sunshine certainly af- fects my mood so here’s hoping that sunshine will be with us again shortly. Your Committee met for the first time on the 14th of April and we decided to set in place areas of responsibility. So here they are: Fay Jackson – membership issues, changes of address Newsletter “lost and founds” Lois Prebble – secretary of the club Peter Street – finances (HAVE YOU PAID YOUR SUB – DISCOUNT EXPIRES END OF APRIL!!) Sue Weller – in charge of new member’s overnighters Sandra Hawkins – Vets and Level 1 liaison Gordon Murray – Group 2 liaison Colin Garthwaite – Group 3 and Saturday Group liaison Ian Fussell – Group 4 and Backpacking Jill Lyall – Health and Safety and Training issues Gavin Hampton – Chair, website, etc. etc. What this means in practice is that for example if you change your address, get in contact with Fay; if you tramp in a level 2 group and you feel that something needs to be done in a better way, contact Gordon; if we as a Committee want to get feedback from you as members or keep you up to date with what we are doing, the individuals will talk to you whilst out tramping. Still feel free to contact any of us though if you want a chat or have concerns. Jill and Ian are looking to put together a database of Base Camps, so that what we have done in the past is not forgotten about. Although it has just come to the end of the season, now may be the time to start thinking of next seasons back- packing and base tramps. Get your thinking caps on. One thing that the Committee is interested in, and as I mentioned last month so is Peter Mears, is what you want from the bi-monthly Club nights. We are interested in learning – what stops you from attending (venue, night held); what you would like at the nights (training, speakers (outside, club members)); and generally what (if anything) would get you coming along. Feed this back to us when you see us out tramping or let myself or Peter know. Thanks to those who put their hand up for the Wilding Pine days, always a good fundraiser for the club as well as help- ing get rid of a pest. Ian tells me that the work on the Rakaia walkway will take place early in May – he will be in contact. In the same vein, we will be doing a planting session with the City Council at Bowenvale for a couple of hours on the 29th of May. That’s more than enough from me. Happy tramping Gavin Hampton Membership Report Change of address Jan Leitch 384 9018 16 Wakatu Ave, Monks Bay, Chch 8081 Rejoining member Virginia Brownlee 325 1998 P O Box 10, Little River 7546 New members Lynne Brice-Nicholson 03 420 2042 94D Winchester Street, Merivale, Chch 8014 Robin Burr 027 702 8189 3/22 Cashel Street, Christchurch Central, Chch 8013 Alison Downard 357 2089 18A Wayside Avenue, Burnside, Chch 8053 Diane Mellish 337 5530 5 Paikea Place, Somerfield, Chch 8024 Michelle Welch 383 3138 83 Broadhaven Ave, Parklands, Chch 8083 These people completed their overnighters recently and were approved at the last committee meeting. We welcome that all to the club and hope that they continue to enjoy challenging trips with us. Resignations Lindsay Ayers joined in1989, was made a Life member in 2005. He died on 8 April aged 86 (see page 8). Alison Carter has been a member since 2003 and enjoyed Grade 1 or veterans trips with us. Alison died on 14 April aged 81. Lesley Tuffley joined in 1998 and has resigned after 16 years tramping with the club. John Weller who joined in Jan 2013 has resigned. Fay Jackson OFTC 3 OVER FORTIES TRAMPING CLUB INC DAY TRIP PROGRAMME The tramps are listed in order of difficulty, with the easiest first, then moderate, then harder. CANCELLATIONS If you are unsure of a tramp please check with the tramp leader. For all trips others than vets: NQ means that this tramp is not a qualifying tramp for prospective new members. Go to the OFTC website home All other day tramps grade 2 and above are qualifying tramps. page - Cancellation Notices. Travel costs for trips are calculated at three passengers per car. Please note: It is club policy that these day tramps and the tramping programmes Vets: Ring the leader of the trip detailed in the newsletter are for members only. or Norma Powell 384 1397. Reminders to Tramp Leaders TRAMP PLANNERS Note — Please forward your draft list to the Club Captain by the 20th of each month TO CANCEL A DAY TRAMP Saturday Colin Garthwaite 360 3770 Go to OFTC website and log in. Click on Members section, then click Wednesday Veterans Pat Tapper 348 5553 on Cancellations on the lefthand side list. Type your message into the Heather Spence 03 261 2002 dialog box then click save. This must be done at least 1½ hours before departure. Any changes to your trip or equipment Middle Vicky Samson 342 7962 requirements should be placed 12 hours in advance. Leaders are no Yvonne Cargill 358 2129 longer required to go to the start meeting place provided their Russell Hignett 355 5670 cancellation has been posted on time. Dallas Ford 339 2308 Vets: Ring Norma Powell 384 1397 to confirm your cancellation.