| Leader | Mentor | Understudy | Tail Ender | |
| Standards | Steve | Dave R | Nicky | Bev |
| Alternates | Chris | Terry | Leonie | Liz |
Distance: Alt = 9.7km Std = 12.1km Time: approx. 4hrs 50m Vert Ascent: approx. 520m
51 members (a busful and a car) and 3 visitors: Charley, Moira, Veronica made our way on a coolish morning to 13 Mile Bush and Hut. The track is in the Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park, a conservation area covering 21,000 hectares on the Torlesse and Big Ben ranges. The area has special significance for Waitaha – it was an integral part of a network of trails which were used to ensure safest seasonal journeys and best access to mahinga kai (food-gathering places). In 1849 surveyor Charles Torlesse was led by local Māori to climb these ranges.
Back to the present – access is via a farm track which includes a narrow humpbacked bridge – challenging for a bus packed full of walkers. All was well with Victor’s experienced driving. The bush track is well marked, undulating walking with lots of stream crossings and their attendant decision-making – to boulder hop/scramble or to wade? There is also the occasional strategically placed rope to assist going up and down.
The upward walk was punctuated by birdsong from tui and a ngirungiru/ tomtit entertained us briefly, yellow breasted and head glossy black as the mountain beech trunk it settled on. Ministrations were made by some to an injury to a Presidential hand, while others went searching for the perfect walking stick. And suddenly Victor-turned-tramper had passed us and we were at the Benmore Hut (built 1975, altitude 840 metres). The hut is in a saddle at the head of 13 Mile Bush Stream, has three bunks, and is owned and maintained by the New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association.
We lunched in the sun at the hut with honeydew-harvesting wasps uninvited guests. Conversation on the return walk included mention of age-group medal winning spouses/partners in the recent Christchurch Marathon. Congratulations were extended. Stream crossing, the Leader pronounced the boulders “as slippery as a butcher’s hook”. And fuelled by lunch and recent familiarity with the track we were quickly back with the bus and the waiting Alternates group.
Refreshments at Darfield on the way home were welcome. It was a delightful day out, in near perfect walking conditions. Thank you to all who made it possible. Text by Jen
