Trip Reports

Introductory: Upper Huia Dam   —   13th October 2002

Written by Lyndell

During the preceding week I had in my mind a vision of the mossy corner where we would have our morning tea, and could feel the warmth of the concrete dam where we would laze at lunchtime, but that dream didn’t materialize when came to the actual day.

The bush was beautiful, shiny, and wet after overnight rain; clematis, olearia, and corokia all in bloom; young rewarewa, rimu, and kauri especially noticeable, regenerating along the sides of the track. The gradient is moderate, a few downs and ups in to and out of the streambeds, then there was the cool breeze, sprinkling showers and mud and more mud. At first you try to go around it but when that is too slippery and dangerous you plough on through, often up, and over the top of your boots. We passed our morning tea spot in a rain shower, so didn’t have a break ’till lunch at the dam. This was in a cool, and somewhat draughty, location, and finished off hastily as rain was approaching. Chris’ group passed us by, having already has their lunch in a more sheltered spot below.

We set off to retrace our steps. Whether it was the slightly uphill gradient, the resignation to the mud now churned up by the tread of another sixteen pairs of feet, or just the fact that the comfort of our homes beckoned us, we made better time on our return journey.