I slept poorly all night apart from the
first few hours, thanks to half a Temazepam tablet. My earplugs muted the drum
of rain on the roof but an urge to go out to a non-existent toilet was not
conducive to sweet dreams. I hung on till 8.30am when I knew I had no choice
but to climb wearily out of my warm, sleeping bag. My companions were up
and I could see no one was keen to visit the sodden world outside our cosy hut.
A cup of my favourite Greggs Raspberry Mochaccino set me in a more positive
mood. This was day 6 of our Wanganui River, Bracken Snowfields, Katzenbach,
Ridge, North Seddon Col to Ivory Lake trip with some brutal 13-14 hour days.
My body craved sustenance and I’d already
demolished a can of Watties Baked Beans and sausages I found in the hut the
previous day. This is not my favourite food but the label promised ‘Rich in
Protein’, ‘Excellent source of dietary protein’, ‘Source of iron’ and most
important ‘Sustained energy’. After a breakfast of muesli, I donned my parka, stripped off my longjohns, put on my
crocs, grabbed a shovel and headed out into the rain.
The Top Waitaha Hut felt more like the
Shanker Hotel in Kathmandu that I had recently vacated. I say ‘felt’ as the
reality is somewhat different. It is painted an orange roof and the exterior
walls are olive green. The interior walls are painted a yellow/green colour and
the doors forest green. Inside are 6 bunks arranged along 2 walls. There is a
small alcove by the door, a cupboard and along the north side a tin bench top.
When I arrived I found a few tins of Watties baked beans and sausages plus a
packet of potato cheese. Still it felt like heaven in the pouring rain and we
were glad to be over Seddon Col. No one saluted me like the security guard at
the Shanker Hotel, which was a let down.
At lunchtime the rain stopped and the river
was running high and uncrossable. No one regretted our enforced stay, least of
all me so I continued to eat, drink and rest. Later in the day the barometric pressure
started to rise promising a better day to come. However we were not looking
forward to the ‘bush-bashing hell’ to Moonbeam described in the hut book.
I amused myself photographing the damaged
legs of my companions. Matthew was clearly the winner for injuries. But all good
things come to an end so I wearily climbed back into my sleeping bag.
Stanley Mulvany
Invercargill 16/1/2016
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