By Richard, 26 August 2010
Just to give you some ideas of the possibilities, here is the (then) news update from the last two hut bagging trips:
**20th - 23rd October 2000**
Quite fantastic weather for Labour weekend and the start of summer tramping. The Tararua Hut Bagging mission was a great success, 22 people headed into the hills to try and get the club logo in every hut book. Richard and Ben were dropped off before dawn on Friday morning by Eric. Ben headed up the Ohau river to bag South Ohau Hut, then up Yeates track to bag Te Matawai, he then spent a few hours sunbathing at Arete Biv before dropping down Pinnacle Spur to stay at Arete Forks for the night. Saturday saw him head up onto Table Ridge, a quick backtrack to Tarn Ridge, and he then headed down off Mid King and bagged Mitre Flats. It was then a cruise out via Atiwhakatu. Richard was dropped at the No.2 Reservoir and headed up to Burn Hut, then cruised up the road and up the Mangahao bagging Harris Creek and Mangahao Flats before stopping for the night at Te Matawai. Saturday saw a cruise out via Waiopehu Ridge and a bag of Waiopehu Hut. Meanwhile Peter had headed into Mid Waiohine on Friday afternoon, bagging Holdsworth Lodge, Mountain House and Powell Hut en route. Saturday saw him bag Maungahuka he then decided an investigation of the Hector Forks was in order, so he skipped Neil Forks in favour of a grovel up onto Cone Ridge, and consequently missed Totara Flats and Sayers as well. Joe and Glyn did a loop trip through Penn Creek and up onto Table Top, heading back down to the car via Field Hut. Kathryn and Juliet did a Saturday day trip and bagged Cone and Tutawai and spent a long time in the sun. Saturday, Sunday and Monday saw Mike, Jessie, Adrian, Melinda and Lisa head into Carkeek, in the process bagging Atiwhakatu, Jumbo, Dorset Ridge and Tarn Ridge Huts. On Saturday and Sunday Michael and Gerard bagged Blue Range, Cow Creek, Cattle Ridge, Dundas, Roaring Stag and Herepai Huts. Sunday saw Alistair heading in and bagging Eastern Hutt, Alpha and Renata Huts. Then on Sunday heading out to the Forks via Waiotaru and Snowy River Huts. Phil, Anna, Rodger and Simon P headed in from the Forks and bagged Parawai Lodge, Field, Kime, Maungahuka, Andersons and Waitewaewae Huts. Disaster was averted when Greg charged on and bagged Nicholls on Monday. Caroline had been forced out of the Carkeek trip with injury but got up early on Monday morning to drop Dave at Walls Whare, he headed up onto Cone and dropped down to bag Neil Forks, he also bagged Totara Flats and Sayers on the way out to Holdsworth Lodge. Richard headed back into the hills on Monday for a quick dash up to Kapakapanui Hut, and the mission was complete. All Huts bagged.
**6th April - 8th April 2001**
The hut and biv bagging weekend. Unfortunately the attempt to visit every hut and biv fell down, but nonetheless nearly 50 people were still tramping in Tararua FP so it was a success in that regard. Heres a brief list of who did what. Gerard kicked it off bagging Eastern Hutt on friday. Graham and Catherine headed into North Mangahao Biv. North Ohau Biv was visited by Caroline and Adrian. Dundas, Cattle Ridge, Herepai and Roaring Stag were visited by Iain, Gareth and Caitlin. Burn Hut, Harris Creek, Mangahao Flats, South Ohau and Te Matawai were visited by Tess, Kathryn and Kylie. Kylie and Tess then headed out via Waiopehu and Edwards Shelter, while Kathryn went out via South Ohau. Two groups headed up to Waitewaewae, they were Ben Clark, Belle and Femke and also Damien, Floss and Katie. Also calling into YTYY were Richard, Ben and Peter who failed in their mission to get Carkeek, Dorset Ridge, Tarn Ridge, Mid King Biv and Mitre Flats, but still got Parawai, Field, Penn Creek, Maungahuka, Aokaparangi Biv and Andersons. Eric came in to launch a late attempt to get those missing huts, but ran out of time and only got to Mid King Biv and Tarn Ridge before meeting the girls at Te Matawai and heading out with Kathryn. Chris S did a daytrip and bagged Holdsworth Lodge, Atiwhakatu, Jumbo and McGregor Biv. Scott C did a Maungahuka loop visiting Mountain House, Powell, Mid Waiohine, Maungahuka, Neil Forks, Totara Flats and Sayers. Tim and Jo went up to Waiopehu then bagged Oriwa Ridge Biv, Dracophyllum Biv, Arete Biv, and headed out down the Ohau. Julian D headed up to Te Matawai then along the main range, stopping at Drac Biv, then headed through YTYY bagging Nichols in the process. Greg did a sunday daytrip and bagged Blue Range, Cow Creek and Arete Forks then headed out the same way. Chris F, Grant and Scott T cruised up to Otaki and headed for Kime on Friday night, saturday saw Chris and Grant head down and bag Elder Biv, then back up to Aston to pick up Scott, then onto Alpha. Sunday saw them head down Bull Mound to bag Cone and Tutuwai and Smiths Creek. Kylie, Derek, Julie and Jocelyn did a Kapakapanui loop. Duncan cruised in to Waiotaru but missed Renata and Snowy River. So Renata, Snowy River, Carkeek and Dorest Ridge were missed but a very enjoyable weekend nonetheless. Kudos to all involved and especially to all who contributed cars, some cars and drivers racked up big K's doing trips back and forth between wellington and the Tararuas. Stay posted for the next attempt. Maybe next time we won't schedule it to coincide with the roar and there may actually be some hut space left.