Longview Hut, Ruahines

Well it was a good idea, and the weather forecast was good.... however it didn't quite turn out that way. Firstly we couldn't make it to the start of the track as the road was too rough and steep and bumpy. A lovely couple gave us a lift the last 4 km. Then we got to the hut and there were 21 people for a 12 bunk hut. Fortunately everyone made room and a few hardy souls slept out. Finally we got gale force winds and the hut was shaking more of the night, but in the morning everyone who set out turned back as they could barely stand up. We soon realised that our original plans to continue along an exposed ridge to the next hut were not going to happen. So we braved it with a couple of the other trampers back down the ridge. This was no mean feat - it took 15 minutes of been blown over and buddy walking along the first part of the ridge, before we got some respite down the track.... then several other sections of the ridge also required buddy walking and holding on to the mounds of grass. A few water bottles and hats fell victim to the wind.... but we made it down and gave the two guys a lift back to their cars on the other side of the Ruahines - 2 and a half hours.... otherwise they would have been stuck.

Walking up the ridge, through the tussock, rather exposed in spots 

Sunset from the hut over the Hawkes Bay region

Sunrise at Longview hut - almost blown away.....

Made for an interesting weekend.... just not the one we had planned.

Taming the garden

Another few days spent in the garden. Aaron created a rock feature out of the rocks that used to sit where the wall is now, and filled in a little gulley that used to be a path between our house and the neighbours before the fence and the stairs were put in. We also continued to plan some more stuff on the bank in the hope that at some point it will grow and fill in. Then in the afternoon we had some bark chip/mulch delivered and put it in the lower beds to help keep the weeds at bay - at least for a while.... Unfortunately the bank is too steep for the bark chip to stay on, so we are just going to have to rely on filling it in with plants instead.

The finished wall with bark chip in front

Aaron's rock feature.... needs a few more to fill it in

 Little boxes to go around the plants to stop him accidentally taking them out with the edger

Another brick in the wall...

To finish the wall I stared a couple of weeks ago I needed to get something to cut some of the bricks in half for the ends. I went and bought an angle grinder with a diamond cutting blade. The only problem was the blade wasn't large enough to cut through the blocks. Luckily a few whacks with hammer and chisel separated the two halves and I could get building.

The completed wall

The area in front of the wall will get tidied up and then covered with weed-matt and bark chip. The rocks are going up on the hill to help fill in the small gully between the Lancewoods and the Pittosporum.

The front view. It is a little uneven, but good enough for me.

The fence palings weren't quite long enough by the new wall so I added some prosthetics to help seal up the gap. It looks a little funny, but if we ever get a dog then it won't be able to escape under the fence.

No more gaps!

As always Mifi was keeping an eye on things and helping out occasionally.

A very helpful Mifi

The clear plastic sheets in the garage roof were pretty much dead so we got someone to replace them this week. Now there are no more leaks in the garage.

Shiny new plastic bits

Bush craft course

The new safety guide lines require all people who take girls tramping to be qualified outdoor leaders, so I have started taking the multitude of courses that I need to attend. This weekend I did the bush craft/tramping course to learn about equipment, packing, navigation, weather, river crossings, stoves and cooking. Most of the participants were relatively inexperienced, or hadn't done much for a long time. So our instructor had to pitch it at a basic level.

We were tramping in the Kamai's, an area that has a lot of logging and mining history. The tramp was along a old railway line, so very easy, with only the river crossings really posing any challenge because it was a little deep with large slippy rocks.

Walking along the Waitawheta River on the old railway line

The old railway with the log truck

The falls over the hexagonal dacite rock just near the Waitawheta hut

My tent buddies for the weekend - Claire and Annette

I have now done the outdoor first aid and bush craft - just the risk management and river crossing courses to go... then a final assessment. At least while I am doing the courses they have taken all my experience in to account and I can continue to take the girls tramping.

Weekend in the garden

Helen was away this past weekend doing a training tramp for Girl Guides. I spent the weekend doing odd chores and playing in the garden. I have heaps of ideas - I just need more time and good weather to work on them.

The side of the lowest terrace with edging, weed mat and bark chip

The upper terrace with weed mat and bark chip

I liked the way the bark chip looked, so I decided we should put more down around the garden. The slope on the north side has always been a pain so I decided to set about taming it.

A retaining wall is born

The wall will extend to the fence curving behind a small pittosporum that you cant see very well.

The grass is filling in

There are seveal patches where the grass died when it was buried under random junk. I have planted some grass in the bare patches and it is doing a good job of growing back. We'll probably wait unitl spring to try and plant the area around the compost bin in the first picture.

DaveO and friends visit

Last weekend we had a full house when Dave Osmond and friends (Elizabeth, Kate and Velcro) descended on us after completing the Tour of New Zealand (South Island). We had actually bumped in to them in the airport in Sydney on our way back from Canberra as they were flying over to start in Invercargill. They did very well in the race, coming 8th overall and placing very highly in another category. Poor Elizabeth had a bit of a crash on one of the final stages and had lots of scrapes and bruises and a cracked helmet to show for it.

Elizabeth and Kate had not been to New Zealand before, so it was all new and different. And luckily for them the weather was great for them all week. So they probably have the wrong impression of NZ - or at least Wellington as there was barely any wind.

Mifi the cat loved Velcro who would let her sit on his lap as he pet her for hours. Safi also like to share the couch with Kate overnight. The house feels very empty now with just Aaron and I and the cats.

Visiting friends in Canberra

We haven't been back to Canberra for a few years and we decided to go back for Easter to catch up with friends. Canberra has changed quite a bit since we left over 5 years ago. They have had lots of rain this summer, in fact lots of rain over the last few years. So the forests are finally growing back after all the fires in 2003. It was looking very lush.

There was even water in Lake George

There was also lots of new buildings and suburbs.......

Aaron did some mountain biking - riding some of the old tracks and lots and lots of new ones....

Aaron riding one of the new see-saws in the playground at Mt Stromlo

It was great to also just hang out with old friends - usually eating and drinking.

Louisa, Big Bear (Bernese mountain dog) and Little Sweep!

Macca has been building a wood fired oven in his back yard and treated us to some home made wood fired pizzas. It will be hard to go back to my home made pizzas.

Lisa making one of the many pizzas

Macca putting the pizza in the wood fired oven

Louisa is now the Ranger in charge out at Namadgi National Park. She took me out for a day in the park. We had great weather as we drove around the park checking the camp sites and the traps for feral animals. It was really great to get behind the scenes and I have new appreciation for how hard Rangers work.

Louisa with her ranger vehicle

Louisa releasing some possums trapped in a pig trap - wild pigs cause lots of damage in the park. They caught a pig in the trap the next day. Keep up the good work Louisa.