TRAMPING CLUB

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 404, 13 December 1932, Page 6

TRAMPING CLUB

FINAL SEASOM HIKE STEAMHOLE DINNER AS A VALEDSCTORY FUNCTION TIKITERE AND ROTOITI On Sunday, the Rotorua Tramping Club closed the year's activities with a picnic outing to Tikitere, where a steam hole dinner wras arranged as a farewell to one of the club members, Miss Huntingdon. As thne was of great moment, the first stage of the journey was made by bus, leaving only the Tikitere hill j to be covered on foot. Arrived at j the top of the hill the full dinner, meat, vegetables and plum pudding j was placed in a hole in the ground and carefully covered; then left to the services of the natural steam heat coming from below. The party was then led along a bracken-bordered track down to Mill Bay, where the ruins of the old mill were inspected. Thoughts went back to the days of old when the Maori : tilled his ground and grew his wheat; j and imagination peopled the valley with strong brown men arriving on horsebaclc and on foot with bags of grain. The mill wheel was turning and the whole scene was one of busy and self-reliant industry. Then, tlie picture fading, a reminder came of relief worlcs and unemployment boards, and the sadness of to-day for the Maori. The trampers walked along the shores of Lake Rotoiti to the Manupirua Bath, where a pleasant timo was spent, swimming in the lake and enjoying the waters of Manupirua. Then back to the hangi, viewing -ome fearsome boiling pools on the way. The dinner, which had been left in the hole four hours, was eooked perfectly and a great success. A few words of farewell were spoken to Miss Huntington and "For she's a Jolly Good Fellow" sung, after which packs were shoiddered and vhe rart.y set off for Rotokawau. After *uly adnrring this beautiful gem of 'otoruu's jewolled string of lakes, ,he 'homeward journey was eontinued across country to the hills at the back of Rotokawau, where the trampers came down to the road again and became just pait of the homewardbound trzffic.