This is the last issue of the Mouth’n’Ear edited by me. I took over the position of Newsletter Editor from Alison Stevenson in October 2005. Alison, who took over from LeeAnn Newton, had a short run of 6 months. In my first issue (October 2005), Barbara Keenan had written about a visit to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, and the picture on the cover was of a Kaka seen at the Sanctuary. Also in that issue, Ed O’Mahony wrote about his first tramp which was to Upper Makaroro in the Ruahines. I also wrote a report about the Tongariro Crossing, led by Andrew Chisholm. Grant Newton was President, and Ruth Parnell was the Chief Guide.
Looking back over the last five and a half years, there have been some photographic and text contributions that have really stood out for me. A few months after I started, I received a trip report from Craig and Victoria McGregor (February 2006). It was an incredible story of 33 days in the bush walking from Nelson to Hokitika! The trip was broken into 5 stages, with ‘big breakfasts’ at the end of each stage. The cover of that issue shows Victoria crossing a 3wire bridge.
My favourite photos are: the one of John Rhodes trying out the new long-drop which our club had just installed at Maungahuka Hut (June 2006); and Mike McGavin’s photo on the cover of the April 2007 issue which shows a swingbridge at Totara Flats on a 45 degree lean due to severe winds. The photo shows poor Marie Henderson half way across the bridge clinging on for dear life!
In the December/January 2008 issue, I published a real horror story by Ed O’Mahony called “Milford Track via Doer Pass”. From the report: “The Doer Pass was clearly visible, the route up to it less so. I reckoned that approaching it from my left hand side looked easier than the right hand side but it wasn’t fully visible. I headed up the middle reckoning that if things became difficult I could drift over to my left. The tramping/climbing gradually did become more difficult until before I knew it I was looking up a rather steep ascent with no obvious route. Retracing my steps looked almost as difficult so I pressed on. The next thing I knew I was holding on to some vegetation for dear life knowing that if it gave way it was an almost certain 30 foot drop with broken limbs or worse.” Later in the report Ed wrote: “I hadn’t brought any tent as I didn’t intend spending a night in the open but I was thankful that my sleeping bag was water resistant … … Then I went to sleep. I was woken a couple of hours later by torrential rain and a wet sleeping bag. What followed was without doubt the most miserable night of my life.”
Ed’s report prompted Andrew McLellan to write a Letter to the Editor, which was published the following month. In it he said: “His route description sounded familiar. And then I clicked that it was describing Dore Pass. I presume this was a typo rather than reflecting Ed’s lack of preparation, or perhaps lack of a map. Ed were you carrying the right map (Eglington D41)? … … I hope Ed has reflected on his wee off-track adventure. And hopefully he will continue to improve his trip planning and navigation skills amongst the safety of club trips.”
Undoubtedly the longest trip report in my time as Editor, has been Mike McGavin’s description of Urchin, Waipakihi River, Te Hiwiokaituri Ridge (in the Kaimanawa Ranges) – a club tramp done at Anniversary Weekend in 2008, and published in February 2008. The text (excluding photos) totalled eight and a half pages. This was due in part to the need to describe all the brews necessary to satisfy John Rhodes’ demand for a cup of tea! Some would say I could have done a better job of editing that report, but I still think that very occasionally it is good to get stuck into a marathon report. Harry Smith called it the tramping version of “War and Peace”.
In recent times, a very impressive and frequent contributor has been Aunty Rata. She kicked off her “Kai on the Fly” series in the September/October 2009 issue, and has contributed every month since (except last month). In July 2010, she started her excellent Interview series, with an interview of Mike Phethean, who had just climbed Mt Everest. Some of you know who Aunty Rata is (those who have been interviewed!), some of you will have studied the clues and worked it out, and some of you still don’t know who she is. (And probably some of you don’t even care!) Will her identity ever be revealed? I don’t know.
Starting next month, our Newsletter Editor will be Sarah Young. I look forward to sitting back and reading the Mouth’n’Ear as an ordinary member. Will the tramping boots that have been checking each other out at the beginning of every Chief Guide report for god knows how many years finally make an exit? Will the little climber at the top of the hill on every Page 1 be updated? Or will Sarah be a traditionalist? It remains to be seen. I wish Sarah all the best, and hope it goes well for her.
Michael Lightbourne