ACROSS THE TARARUAS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3604, 26 February 1927, Page 2

ACROSS THE TARARUAS.

Mr J. W. Hodgson, of Palmerston North, who for some years was connected with the local post office, made his third trip across the Tararuas recently in company with Mr P. Parr and a fox-terrier dog. A member of the Herald staff was to be one of the party,rimt. influenza willed it otherwise. They took the train to Woodside near Greytown,on Thursday 17th inst., and, Mr Hodgson writes, started the tramp from the Wairarapa side at. 5 p.m. on that date and reached Walls’ lint at 6 p.m., and after having a light meal made a, start up the range, reaching Alt. Reeves at 10 p.m., when the rain commenced to fall. Before reaching Tauherenikau Hut at 11.30 p.m. we were properly drenched and having no change, of clothes things were none too comfortable. Friday was a perfect day, and the tramp from Tauherenikau to Alpha, Hut was simply glorious. Saturday came in with a. strong wind and heavy fog. We climbed Alpha- and. waited there about a couple of hours when the wind dropped and the fog lifted. This indicated clear weather and we made a start, and after travelling for an hour down came the fog as thick or worse than ever. Wc plugged along and all went until we cleared Hector, and West Peak, then trouble arose. It was so thick that the guiding pointers could not be located and we wandered round and round in the vicinity of the tarns for some considerable time before we could get, our bearings, Suddenly the fog lifted for a few minutes and Ave spotted a pointer which was a great relief, and afterwards it was a ease of searching for the other pointers when the fog appeared again. After battling along we strwfrk the track leading to Dennan and thereafter all was well. .We had no food from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m., but that is all in the game. Sunday we bad a rest at Field’s Hut, and on Monday in the pouring rain, walked to within a couple of miles of Otnki where we were given a lift after partaking of refreshments, subsequently entrained for Palmerston North.