THE "RUN AROUND'

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 136, 10 June 1937, Page 17

THE "RUN AROUND'

A TRAP FOR TRAMPERS

WAVE-BEATEN'TRACK

(Written for "The Post": by G.P.C.)

A little distance past' Happy Valley,1 on the coastal route ' to; Cape Tera--whiti, the road comes to-an end'at a quarry; those wishing to, continue the journey from here perforce*take to the beach, immediately they do so they pass the spot familiarly known to.the hiking fraternity as the "run around," where at high" tides the big rollers ot a southerly swell crash against the base of the cliffs, making it dangerous, and sometimes impossible, to attempt the traverse along the beach.

Such an occasion was last Sunday. The writer and a companion set off from Karori in the morning full of good Spirits at the grbspect of a gloi-i----ous day after Saturday's storm. On. looking up the tides the previous evening it was found that high ; water was at 12.38 p.m. on Sunday, which should have given ample time! for the tide to be well on its way out ' by the lat« afternoon.*

After an "exhilarating walk down ths South Karori Valley, and a good luneli in the genial warmth of the middajr sun, the coast was reached at 2.30 p.m. Here the big foaming breakers made a fine sight as they curled-and. broke with a never-ceasing roar on the rocky shore; it was noticed that they were breaking unusually high up the beach, but as the tide was obviously on the ebb, little thought was given to this; the walk was continued. with the accompaniment of the thundering seas and the cries of the gulls circling overhead.

At 4 o'clock the setting suri made the Orongorongo mountains ' a blaze , or colour, and our thoughts turned pleasantly to hot baths and big- teas awaiting us.

We had reckoned without the "run around." Five minutes later a trampet coming from the opposite direction told us it was impassable; his information was.plainly first-hand, as hii legs were soaked from too close contact with a big wave. He was on his way back to find a route home over the hills, and appeared to have seen enough of the sea for that day; we decided to take a look and sum. up the situation for ourselves, and.we parte<J from him with mutual good wishes. .

In approaching the "run around" it was found that for a good two hundred yards the waves were licking the foot of the cliffs, while, for a : stretch of about fifty, yards the seas were breaking close in, covering the whole beach to a depth of several feet in a smother of foam and spray,. The' cliff at this spot offers little hold,'and'it would have been sheer folly to attempt to traverse, this stretch.

A rapid inspection of the cliffs being made, it was decided to make a climb to a point about half-way up; from where, we stood it'looked possible to work along above the! "run around" and thence back to the beach.

Time was pressing, and in a rapidlyfalling light an exciting and strenuousclimb of several hundred feet broughtus to the crest of a ridge, from which we made a descent in the dark into a gully, thence another climb and difficult descent to a second gully, which.' led us out to the coast at the end of the road after about two hours.

We encountered another ~,,tramper. during our climb; he-had. set out in the morning from Island Bay with the intention;of' visiting Terawhiti Station; while attempting to'; traverse the .-"run around" he had been caught and drenched'by; a big sea, and narrowly escaped being swept: away 'and drowned. He retreated, scrambled half-way up the cliff to safety, built a fire, and spent the remainder of the day drying his clothes.

We swopped experiences during the final stage of the walk round the road to Island Bay; he had some interesting things to say about the "run around," his theory being that the recent eruption in New Guinea had affected the tides on the New. Zealand coast. Whatever the.cause of its.uriusual condition may have been we :agreed that it had provided us with a full share of unexpected excitement for one day. '