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Reefton, New Zealand – Mini-METHS February 27th – March 3rd 2018
Participants:
Jean (Cheeky) Hayward, Neil (Bwana Nilo),
Sue (Donna Suzi) Stiles and guest Brenda Foulsham.
As advertised, this
meet was aimed at those of us who are beginning to find the longer, more
arduous hikes, carrying a 15 kg pack, and walking up a steep track for 6 hours,
a bit of a chore.
We assembled at the
Old Nurses’ Home in Reefton and used that as a
base. The accommodation and facilities
were great, even if the proprietor was a bit stony-faced. Our trip coincided with the NZ Great Cycle
Tour, with keen cyclists from all-over, covering the country from Cape Reinga
in the north down to Bluff in the south – about 3,000 kms in all, following
off-road tracks. So we found ourselves
sharing the accommodation with several keen lycra-clad
cyclists.
Our daily jaunts
were great, following old miners’ trails and exploring bits of abandoned
machinery along the way. The Alborns track gave us views over the Reefton
hills from a high point.
The Duffy’s Creek
walk was a more challenging and strenuous scramble. The track comes out onto a large ephemeral
lake but we were stumped (literally) by a huge area of tree-fall which
obviously occurred in the recent cyclone that hit this area. After trying to scramble over the huge fallen
trees and branches, and making no headway, we had to turn back.
We paid a visit to
the local museum, a treasure trove of historic items gleaned from the sheds and
garages of old timers who have passed on.
Modern families these days don’t seem to be interested in keeping any of
this sort of memorabilia. Our guide at
the museum kept us interested and amazed by the stories he had to tell.
Our afternoon hike
took us up to another old gold mining area, taking in the Energetic, Inglewood
and Ajax mines, Cement Town and the Chandlers open-cast coal mine. No big peak, but good views from a high ridge
across to the Victoria Ranges. The walk
back down to our starting point was a real grunt, real steep, and took ages –
about 2 hours of strain on the old knees.
Whose idea was that?!
Bwana Nilo and Donna Sue were meeting up with family in Nelson,
so they dropped Brenda and me off at Waiuta, an old
mining town, from where we walked the 5 hours to Big River Hut at the site of
another old mine. Several cyclists
passed us, carrying their bikes over the grunty
bits. Walking is much more fun! Once at the hut Brenda miraculously coaxed a
fire out of the one piece of firewood and a shovelful of coal and we were soon
cosy as, enjoying a wee dram and some good cheese. A lone cyclist from Wales turned up just as
we were heading for bed at 10.00 p.m.
Early next morning 2 more cyclists breezed through, having done ~1,000km
in a week. Our Welsh friend was quite
miffed as it had taken him almost 2 weeks to cover the same distance!
Our walk out from
Big River followed a 4WD track, and easy gradient, but seemed to go on
forever. Two 4WD vehicles passed us but
didn’t offer us a ride, so we trudged on and reached our car after 5
hours. By then we were only too happy to
head for home.
Thanks to Neil and
Sue who taught us some silly games, and to Brenda who gamely put up with us Methophiles. If she
agrees to join our crazy gang I reckon her METHS name should be Sparky or
Firestarter!
Jean (Cheeky)
Hayward
©
WDYFO, 2018