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Three Girls Go Camping And Tramping In 1944-5 Part 2
Madeleine Hamilton - 27/07/01
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The Dart Glacier
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A glimpse of the Matukituki
The following day being fine, Jean Craigie, Ernie Smith and Stan Ombler
left for the Base Camp, climbing Headlong en route. We left the hut other
at 6.45 a.m., our party consisting of Murray McGeorge, Mary Talbot, Bill
Talbot, David Rees-Jones, Alby Johnston, Aileen Stanton and we three girls.
By 9.30 we were on the Dart Glacier surprised to see how large it was.
Through snow grass and patches of snow we reached Cascade Saddle, there to
view with delight the lovely green Matukituki Valley some 3,000 feet
directly below us - a flat grassy valley that at once caught our fancy and
inspired us to go there. Here Murray showed us the route Ernie Smith had
discovered from the Matuki to the Dart hut, avoiding of course the bluffs
below us. It was a wonderful feat of route finding.
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On Plunket Dome
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Clouds were swirling round, but we decided to go on as far as we could, as
it was only 10.45 a.m. The Dome lay to the left of Cascade Saddle. The
sou'west wind was quite a gale at times and we were glad of balaclavas and
windjackets, and so on we went, till 12.30 saw us on the summit.
Our efforts were rewarded with a magnificent view, but to our
disappointment thick clouds blotted out Mt Aspiring.
Some tall cliff that lifts its awful form,
Swells from the vale and midway leaves the storm,
Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread
Eternal sunshine settles on its head.
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- Goldsmith
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By 1.30 we were back at the saddle where Jeanie had the billy boiling, and
thus refreshed we bid au revoir to the Matuki and the friendly keas and set
off down the valley again. Instead of going down the glacier we followed
round the hillside and down beside the Dart River. The water was quite
black with pulverised rock held in suspension - just like a swiftly flowing
river of mud, with mud flats all round, and not at all like the glacier
moraines we were accustomed to - masses of large boulders. By 6 p.m. we
were back at the hut after a leisurely trip down the lower part of the
valley admiring the mountain lilies in their pure white glory.
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Back at base camp
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Back to the Friendly Rees
On December 31st at 7.15 a.m. next day we took our leave of the others in
the Dart Hut, and this time took the lower route and were on Snowy Creek
saddle by noon. The weather was threatening and clouds hung on the tops
ready to descend any minute. On the saddle we met the Bowmar brothers, who
gave us a herculean piece of Chesdale cheese all round. We lost no time in
descending to the Rees and by 3 p.m. we were boiling up in Shelter Rock
hut. With some strength of will we decided to go on the Base Camp although
it was raining and the Bowmars had told us to help ourselves to their
stores, but we sped on, and by 5.30 were back at the Base Camp drinking a
welcome cup of steaming coffee with Mary Sim. That night, New Year's Eve,
we slept thus: Madge and I in the food tent and Jeanie in Murray's tent:
we did not want to get both our tents wet in case we moved out.
Domestics
With the weather still patchy we abandoned all idea of doing the Routeburn
trip, or of climbing Earnslaw. During the night the Rees had risen some ten
feet and was in high flood, so it was just as well we came right down to
Base Camp the previous night. We spent the morning washing clothes,
sorting food and gear, and making scones in an improvised camp oven - jolly
good too. We had now decided to leave the next day and go down the valley
to the Arthur's Creek hut - about half way to the road. Surplus stores
disposed of to the stayers-on, and everything packable packed we retired
for the night to the "Municipal" tent, to be nearly eaten alive by
sandflies. In the meantime Bill and Mary Talbot and Albie and David
returned from the Dart, where the weather had been much worse than in the
Rees - this seemed to be the general rule.
Scones again
January 2nd
Off we set down the valley, most of the campers escorting us to the 25 mile
hut. We turned on the terrace and bid au revoir and took last photos. The
two rivers, Devil's Creek and Arthur's Creek were quite high, but did not
trouble us unduly. We met Murray McGeorge who told us that he and Doug
Stewart had tried to cross the Rees that morning and, after losing Doug's
ice axe (and almost his false teeth) had turned back.
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The 25 mile hut
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"Farewell! a word that must be,
And hath been, a sound
which makes us linger."
- Byron
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After a boil up at the 25 mile hut we took leave of the remaining campers.
They returned to the base camp, and we went on to the Arthur's Creek hut.
Barbara Jenkins had joined us, so we were eight with Bill and Mary's party.
By special request from Bill we had more scones, cooked this time in a
proper camp over and a real community effort with Bill and Albie as chief
stokers. The hut was spacious and cosy and we had a most comfortable
night.
We become tourists again
January 3rd
Up at 6 and away by 8, we were on the march again - back over the lovely
grassy flats and beech forest tracks, reaching the road about 10.15 a.m. A
boil up at the roadside, and we changed into "longs" and waited for the bus
for Paradise. We now became tourists of the first order - stopped to see
"The Widow's Tears" and all the rest of it - and arrived with voracious
appetites at the boarding house. Strawberry shortcake and cream was the
piece de resistance.
The bus took us to the Sheelite mine, and then back to Glenorchy, where the
"Kelvin" awaited us. We picked up more people at Elfin Bay and waddled
down the lake, arriving at Queenstown about 8 p.m. We slept that night on
pine needles under some trees on Corinne and Jim Gilkison's section. It
was a clear night and we were glad of this hospitality as the town was just
thronged with people - almost 1,000 at the camping ground alone. The shops
were almost depleted of their goods and the restaurant where we had tea
nearly drove us to drink. After waiting an hour for a few small sandwiches
and pieces of toast we finally satisfied our hunger by cutting up our own
bread and cheese and devouring that. And so to bed.
Steamer - Train - Bus
On January 4 we parted ways. Jeanie, Murray, Roger and Alby to Dunedin,
Mary and Bill to Christchurch, Madge and I to Riverton. At 8.30 a.m. we
boarded T.S.S. Earnslaw. It was quite luxurious - lounge and dining
saloon, deck - tourists, and how! Here we met Anne Stewart and her "new
husband" as she introduced him. The time passed pleasantly and we reached
Kingston about 11.30 a.m. A train journey to Lumsden, bus to
Invercargill, and finally a bus to Riverton. In all some 130 miles. Mary
and Arthur O'Callaghan met we two hoboes at the bus and quickly introduced
us to the bathroom. We dined in luxury and slept contentedly in crisp
sheets.
The next few days passed pleasantly eating and sleeping and resting and
dabbling in the sea.
A note on the author
Madeleine Hamilton was born Madeleine Pyne in 1913. For years she
worked as secretary to the late Dr M. Bevan-Brown's clinic for Medical
Psychology and was a member of the New Zealand Psychotherapists and
Counsellors Association. In the 1950s she joined the Child Welfare
Department. After travelling to an international conference of the
Business and Professional Women's Club in Canada she remained there. She
worked for sixteen years for government child welfare agencies in Canada
and graduated from the University of Toronto with a master's degree in
Social Welfare. In 1970 she married Arnold Hurst Seager, her cousin, and
returned to New Zealand. She undertook in-depth research into the life of
her grandfather, Edward William Seager, the first superintendent of
Sunnyside Lunatic Asylum in Christchurch. Madeleine completed the
biography late in 1986 but died shortly before its publication.
Click here to read Three Girls Go Camping And Tramping In 1944-5 Part 1
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