Te Puia Lodge, Wednesday October 13 2010. Map: BJ37
Trampers: Vic Bullock, John Marshall, Peter Slagter, Murray Goss, Keith Moretta, Kelvin Shaw, Paul Exeter, Ray Slavin, Ken Ross, Kirstie Ross ( visitor) and Alison Greer
A severe weather warning had been posted by Met Service for the East Coast: heavy rain, expect heavy falls in the ranges. What, again? This time we were not going to be put off.
Eleven hardy mid-week trampers loaded into the van and drove to Puketitiri in light rain. We were surprised by the low level of the ford at Nicholas farm and the good condition of the farm road, considering the amount of logging trucks using it. There was only a very light drizzle at the car park; we donned our coats and set off.
The trip along the Mohaka is always lovely but at this time of the year even more so, with the bright yellow kowhai and native clematis in full flower. What a beautiful sight the clematis are, weaving their way among the tree tops, big white flowers cascading down to hang in the breeze. We saw some magnificent specimens near Te Puia lodge, one right outside the door.
From the lodge, several of the group kept going over the new bridge across the Makino River and onto the hot springs. The pools were full and needing a good clean; no doubt that will happen with the upcoming long weekend. After having a good look round (as, surprisingly, some had not been there before) we headed back, marveling once again at the show the clematis flower was giving.
After quick lunch at Te Puia Lodge, we wandered back picking up others from the group who had spent a very enjoyable day looking for native orchids. The predicted rain was starting to fall, but we all arrived back at the car park before getting too wet. A change of clothes, a quick cuppa and we were out of there, out of the shelter of the river valley and into some serious rain on the way home.
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