I could hardly resist the trip description for this year’s annual craft beer tramp:
We have a great route planned – specifically designed to include the high altitude of Kelburn and the rough terrain of the botanic gardens! A map of the intended route is attached (this is the only club trip where google-maps can replace topo maps!). Sunshine is Guaranteed!
We met at the Garage Project in Aro Valley, where we were treated to an impressive free beer tasting that covered at least six beers including Hapi Daze and Pernicious Weed, to name a few. While we were there I received a text from a friend offering me fresh crayfish that had been just caught that morning – the only catch was that I had to receive them immediately and I needed a bag. Thankfully the garage project team stepped up and offered me a malt bag…
With the Garage Project as our official road end starting point, we started off on the actual tramp immediately diving in to the largest ascent of the trip – to the top of the Kelburn village. Fortunately, our knowledgeable leaders knew a pedestrian shortcut.
This lead us to our next stop, the Kelburn Village pub. Having started a little late from the road end, we were short on time, but still hungry for a snack break – so several tins of pringles chips were consumed, before we hurriedly departed to our next destination – the Sprig and Fern in Thorndon.
The walk there led us through some fantastic scenery of the Botanical gardens and we had a real feel of being off track, before we arrived at the next pub, to pick up a few additional punters and acquire the crayfish delivery.
With a couple hours under our belts, we needed more subsistence and now bowls of hot salty chips arrived along with our beers. But again, we were falling behind time and needed to move quickly to ensure we’d make the final destination. As we departed the Sprig and Fern, I made a quick left and dashed home to leave the squirming crayfish before rejoining the rest of the punters, who had gone off track again through the Botanical gardens even discovering a lake, to meet at the Fork and Brewer.
Real hunger had set in at this point, so more bowls of chips and now a ploughman’s platter arrived. We had hardly scoffed down the food and beers, and we’re off again to Goldings. After such a hard day we were thrilled to be able to order pizza from Pomodoro’s and have delivered right to the pub.
But before we knew it, sunset was upon us and the outdoor patio was closing. I departed home, but the fitness essential trampers in the group continued on to Hashigo Zake until the band started playing and it was too noisy. The FE trampers hadn’t had their fill yet, so leaving the leaders behind, then continued yet further to the Malt House.
The trampers survived the epic feat, but the same could not be said for the crayfish.