O Nationals 2011

Easter for us is Orienteering Nationals. The annual gathering of our community from around New Zealand. This year the location was in the limestone hills south east of Havelock North, the Maraeototara plateau. The event dodged a bullet when the storm of the century arrived as we were leaving.

As usual I wasn't fit and somehow Penny at least appeared to be. A great effort considering all the hard work she has been doing to get through her paeditatric exams. While I was down in the bottom half of the top ten, Penny stared with a 4th (long), 3rd (sprint) and a victory in the middle. She was successful then in defending last years title and became New Zealand's second most "winningest" elite woman with seven titles.

I had some good battles with the likes of Brent. I am definitely going to get fit now though (I am sure Brent will too;-)

Great times though and an awesome reminder (and kick up the bum) about the great friendships and times we have had in orienteering, long shall they last.

Tararua Adventures

Tararua adventures tend to happen off the cuff, generally on those sunny weekends that just sneak up on you.

There have been a couple of goodies recently firstly a "full Waiohine" mission with Jonathan Kennett, then a nice day trip down Winchcombe ridge with Mark Hooker. Penny unfortunately is still studying, just a couple of months to go.

The Waiohine trip was great, we walked into Mitre Flats on a Friday night gossiping, then spent Saturday legging it over the tops and down the Waiohine to Mid Waiohine Hut. The final day was the best though, serious tubing down the tight, scenic gorge with plenty of adrenalin rushes available!

The Winchcombe ridge trip was great too. We started where Jonathan and I had finished the previous trip, heading up and over from the Waiohine to the top of the Tauherenikau and historic Cone Hut. From here it was straight up and around the Dress Circle, and down through the new country for me of Winchcombe ridge and the aptly named Neill.

Olivine Range

The Olivine Range trip was our end of summer extravagance. An exercise in expensive simplicity travelling to the other end of the country to immerse ourselves in some wilderness for a time.

We walked from just above Monkey Puzzle gorge on the Cascade road up a great old route up the Martyr Spur (look for the one and only track marker where you would expect it on the road). Martyr Spur is part of the ultramific belt that runs through this part of South Westland abutting the Alpine fault. The red rocks provide a startling contrast to the tussock tops.

The tarns on the tops were a picturesque place to camp with Red Mountain on the other side of the valley.

The next day we wandered up the shapely ramp to the crazy fastness of Staircase Mountain. The big surprise being the vast formations of worn bedrock as we descended to the south. A legacy of the glaciers.

The old fella was watching us, Tititea, peak of glistening white...

Our rough plan was to head south along the ridge as far as time allowed, with escapes over the ultramific belt to the Cascade river when required. The next chunk of ridge was our first obstacle and we sidled low.

Before traversing the ironic (for Wellingtonians venturing south) Tararua peak, and camping in the high basin just to its east. The colourful view from our tent door presented rainbows, sun shafts and sun sets over the Arawhata and Castor & Pollux

We had sort of contemplated Joe Peak as our turn-around point, and a worthy goal it would have been, but we were thwarted the next day by the steep ridge following Bald Mountain. A steep gap presented a possible desperate route which all things considered we declined. We headed out over the ultramific Mt Raddle...

A surprising foggy moonscape where rocks like graters lurked at the slightest wobble.

Descending to near bushline we were getting desperate for a campsite when we found a little platform which just needed a little clearing, the girls (and I) got to work and it proved a worthy spot.

All that remained was a wander down to the Cascade. We tried an orienteers route, linking up the two little creeks to Woodhen pond and it goes all right, but apparently the better route hugs the river somewhere. Suffice to say the Cascade doesn't give in easily and isn't really designed for trampers, which is all good in my books...a few pics...

A great area for a bit of off track tramping in South Westland!

Chamberlain Creek 2

Amidst the wider turmoil of the Christchurch earthquake we escaped to the hills. Clare was up from Christchurch for a breather and an adventure while Caspar was after a good mission before Nadspar 1 enters the world. Chamberlain creek fortunately is a place where many purposes can be realised.

This trip was a sequel for me after Penny and I ventured down last summer, but sequels aren't always flops. One of the greatest pleasures of the outdoors is showing other people places you love.

We walked in on Saturday evening to Herepai hut discussing the earthquake, and life and software development strategies. Being Agile seemed to become a theme for the weekend, retrospectively this was quite appropriate for our incremental iteration.

Ruapae and East Peak can be hard work in the wrong weather conditions, but on Sunday morning it was peaceful, wisps of cloud rose around us rather than being pushed. We angled into Chamberlain creek on the spur SW from East Peak missing the worst of the bush bash. Kitting up in the sun before entering the creek it didn't take us long to reach the first waterfall.

The first waterfall commits you to the task at hand, especially once the rope is pulled. It is quickly followed by a smaller waterfall and then a section of rough travel down to the tightest part of the creek a curvaceous stepped waterfall requiring the full 25 metres of doubled rope. The sides of the canyon jut out angularly creating almost a corkscrew effect as you descend into a dark pool.

This really is the crux of the canyon, what follows is fun bouldery travel with several compulsory swims and two jumps of note (which can easily be abseiled). You become quick at committing yourself to the plunge.

And you become eager to see what lies over the next horizon line.

The final jump is an appropriately climactic conclusion. You round a corner, see the Ruamahunga river appear over a sharp grassy spur and the river falls away at your feet. You couldn't hope for a better take-off spot or pool, but the height still gives some concern. A very majestic spot.

After Chamberlain Creek there is still a couple of kilometres of gorge on the Ruamahunga which would quickly become dangerous in high water. We pack floated out through deep still pools skirting some lovely looking tubing rapids. The common option is to follow the river down to Roaring Stag lodge but we cut off the corner, heading directly east to the track via a lovely open spur (within cooee of the lakelet, and Ruapae stream. A great summer day trip for fit and experienced parties.

Races and Photos

The only thing that beats sitting in the sun during afternoon smoko is sitting on the couch with a beer looking out at the harbour. These two times are in a category of their own, when you just sit and let life drift by, like you need to sometimes to keep perspective.

My office looks north out onto the ground level of a 3 storey giant white wall. I have had brief Banksy moments where I contemplate creating a metaphorical hole for myself to escape through, with only myself to benefit though, and the presence of several giant sized metaphorical holes in my head, the investment seems unneccesary.

Banksy shows the sea to the West Bank

We have been escaping recently by indulging in races. First up was the Winter Classic the iconic hard man orienteering event this year run in the wilds of Karori.

We rough and tumbled through the scrub and possum trails of Wrights Hill reserve, popping out occasionally onto the well loved mtb trails of Salvation and Deliverance, appropriate lines of weakness for our jungle adventure. The old guy with the trophy is Penny's Dad Neil. Winner of the prestigious Wayne Cretney Memorial Cup for the M40 grade...Neil can now run M65!

Last Saturday our adventure fix was the Mukamuka munter. 3 hours worth of Orongoronga grunt and suffering. The first two hours were fantastic, running the wild south coast past Tutaekirae head and through into the land of quad bikes, fishing shacks and craypots, turning up the eroded Mukamuka valley and cranking up the gravel that evolved into boulders, into scrambling, into relief as South saddle was reached on the side of Mt Matthews. But was it worth the grief at limping down a beautiful single track just right for powerful strides with crippling cramp in both hamstrings?

Bryn looks good as he starts to drop me

Other recent highlights have been a descent with Brent of the Karapoti gorge on our new inflatable canoe (many of missions to come)....grade 3 in flood still a little bit bony and a few log jams but great times!! ....And the recent publication of Jonathon Kennets new Tararua Adventure Guide, with the most bad taste cover photo ever chosen...;-)

Penny continues to work and study hard with exams now confirmed for February/March and bus drivers provide me endless entertainment and challenge. I am now in a small team managing 500 of them. What else to say? Maybe I have to start getting political again!

Oops one last photo for the records: Aaron, Jamie and Brent, Arrow adventure race 2004, how come it looks like the 1980's?