DEVELOPMENT OF TARARUAS

Chronicle (Levin), 2 April 1946, Page 7

DEVELOPMENT OF TARARUAS

TALK TO LEVIN CLUB Some interesting observations on the development of the Tararua Ranges in the last twenty years and on the activities of the Levin — Waiopehu Tramping Club since it was formed in 1927 were made by the club's president, Mr. N. M. Thomson, in the course of a talk he gave to members at the conclusion of a meeting last week, at which the club was revived after its war recess. "As we start the organisation again to-day it is interesting to turn back the pages to the early days when the club was started," said Mr. Thomson at the outset. "In doing so it will be found that the problems of members then are almost the same problems as ours are now. We are starting off again with an almost new personnel, only six of the pre-war members remaining, and whereas the club commenced with no huts or tracks, we have the Ohau hut and track, but we lost the Waiopehu hut and track in the hurricane of 1936." Mr. Thomson went on to say that the late Mr. E. S. Lancaster had been tramping in the Tararuas as early as 1900, but then and up till 1927' the ranges were not open up. There were no tracks or huts and it was quite a hazardous undertaking to go very far in. At that time the number of accidents in relation to the number who made excursions into the hills was very high. The speaker recalled the occasion in 1927 when two young men, Messrs. Diedrich and Scanlon, of Wellington, were lost for something like 12 days between Mitre and Dundas. He said they had encountered bad weather, lost their way and then became exhausted througn lack of food. A large number of persons joined in a search for them at considerable risk, and one of them, a survey cadet, had broken a ieg in a position from which it had been difficult to get him back to civilisation. These search parties had left food cached in prominent places in the area where the men were believed to be, and this had undoubtedly saved their lives. Eventually they had struggled out. From that had sprung up a desire by certain ciiizens to make the mountains safer and more accessible, said Mr. Thomson, so that a greater number could use them and their beauty could be appreciated more widely. As a result the club had been formed on May 11, 1927, and its first officers were as follows: — President: The late Mr. E. S. Lancaster; vicepresident: Mr. G. L. Adkin; secretary: Mr. J. Logan; treasurer: The late Mr. F. J. Ramsay; committee: Messrs. W. H. Walker, F. E. Parker, J. Rolston, W. R. Harris, W. Stewart, G. C. France, J. W. Melville, A. E. Standen, D. S. Mackcnzie, C. Adkin, W. Peters, Dr. S. J. Thompson, the late Mr. H. G. Kerslake and the late Mr. C. H. Bould. At that original meeting, said Mr. Thomson, four objects had been adopted by the club. They were, firstly, the improvement of the I means of access to the scenic beauties of the Tararua Ranges adjaccnt to Levin; secondly, the promotion of excursions among the members to the various places of interest in the district; thirdly, the rendering of assistance and giving of advice to visitors from other parts of the Dominion who desired to engage in mountain climbing, or to visit the Tararuas; and, fourthly, the protection of native forests and bird life, and generally the fostering of natural history in this district. "Those are the objects of the club we are reforming to-night," added

Mr. Thomson. "There is still a lot of opening up to be done, and as time goes on I hope we will do something in that direction, particularly in reopening the Waiopehu track. Waiopehu is close to Levin, above the bushline, and is one of the Tararuas' most perfect viewpoints of the district below and the mountains themselves. Before the cyclone of 1936 it was only two or three hours easy going to reach Waiopehu's summit. The reopening of the track was started, but then the war intervened and it was left incompleted. We must have working parties there and finish the work." In conclusion, Mr. Thomson gave some advice to new members in regard to tramping clothing and equipment. He emphasised the value of good boots for both men and women, and also the need of ample' warm clothing.