| Leader | Mentor | Understudy | Tail Ender | |
| Standards | Alan H | Chris S | Janice | Ailsa |
A misty morning greeted us for our Port Hills tree planting excursion. After a pick-up at PMH we were 38 strong including visitors Mark and Graham. The mist cleared as Callum drove us across the city and we ate home cooked biscuits kindly provided by Eunju. It was 9.35am when we disembarked at the top of the Eastenders Track. A short walk later and we were being instructed by the CCC team on on how to plant the trees provided (several coprosma species, flax, totara, mingimingi, muehlenbeckia and more) and then armed with gloves and shovels, we were off! Wintry it was but the sea view was glorious and there was a magpie or two to serenade us while we planted our allocation of 400 trees. We were done at 11.30am, many of us much muddier, and with no morning tea break grateful again for Eunjus’s baking.
A further short walk up the hill and we were lunching at 11.50am in the lee of the hill. The air temperature was cool and no one was keen to linger over lunch. We were on our way, walking in one group, at 12.20pm. Underfoot was wet and slippery. Shortly after we began our descent one of our number fell hard on a slab of rock. Jan Br and Tailender Ailsa opted to accompany the injured tramper back to the road where they were picked up by car.
The track down the ridge is a scramble and steep and had greasy footing in places. Leader Alan’s verbal cautions and outstretched hands in support were much appreciated. Urumau Reserve is lovely, with a few kōwhai flowers still on the trees. Once in Lyttelton Alan advised the now 35 of us that a visit to the Timeball Station was an option and there was time for icecream, coffee, the pub. We would meet back at the bus at 3.00pm, by which time Jan Br and Ailsa – now descending the ridge – would have had time to rejoin us. 35 became 32 when stand-in Tailender Jen neglected to advise the Leader that three trampers were scampering off for coffees.
Happily, and following an apology to the Leader for being a neglectful Tailender, when we gathered at the bus we were 37. Subsequent communications revealed that our injured tramper had fractured a tibia, ouch, and now had four ankle pins and a cast for six weeks. We wish them a swift recovery.
For the most part, a productive day.
Text by Jen
