Year 10 - Ruahine Traverse Camp

Written by Isaac Fox

The Ruahine Traverse Year 10 camp was one of the single best experiences of my life. Living for six days in the bush with everything you need on your back is an experience that I believe every young man should have. 14 boys, three experienced trampers/teachers and one heck of a trip…

The first day blessed us with clear skies. As we hopped out of the van the teachers instructed us to take off all the layers we had put on expecting it to be cold! The climb to Sunrise Hut was long and grueling, and we had to stop often. The first stop was only 10 minutes into the journey, and it turned out it was because one of the boys had made a wrong turn and walked off towards Triplex hut! Luckily that was the biggest disaster of the day, and the whole group made it to Sunrise Hut for lunch. After the lunch stop, we headed up onto the ridge. The ridge is a long walk along the top of exposed mountain tops, with phenomenal views. Mr. McDonald led the group along the tops and around the slips, giving little lessons as we went. We began to descend back into the bush just as the rain started. Thankfully it only drizzled as we made our way down the steep path to Top Maropea hut. Once we reached the hut, and the rest of us hurried to set up tents so we could stay dry. That evening we huddled under the hut veranda to cook dinner. I was very glad to head to bed that night!

Day two started out cold. We cooked breakfast and hastily packed the huts away. Mr. Jochem briefed us about our day. Before us was a 30-minute scramble down a river. Needless to say, none of the boys -Including myself- were particularly looking forward to it! As we climbed down the hill, we started to cheer up. When we came to the slips, we tied rope down them, and it turned out very easy to get passed them. Then we got to the river. Though we had all expected it to be cold and miserable, it ended up being a fantastic day, though one lad managed to fall in four times! Walking down the river provided some of the most spectacular scenery in New Zealand. We saw Whio (native Blue Duck) and deer, lots of deer tracks and amazing forest. Mr. Jochem taught us how to spot trout in the river, and after lunch he went fishing. It was spectacular to watch. After only two or three casts he had the fish hooked. He reeled the fish in and within a few minutes he was holding it up for a photo. After releasing the fish, we made the final stretch to camp. It was only late afternoon, so to pass the time my tent-mate and I built a low wall around our tent out of driftwood. Then we made a communal campfire, which Mr. McDonald ended up starting for us. Mr. Tomlinson came out and sat with us next to the fire and got everyone’s spirits up by making jokes and telling funny stories. That night everyone in the camp crammed into Maropea Forks hut to listen to the weather in the mountain radio. We even managed to get in contact with another camp!

Day three was a rest day, and so everyone went searching for something to do. Mr. Jochem took some lads fishing, and the rest of us mucked around camp. We built a large fire and wandered up and down the river. One lads jumped in for a few lollies, but only ended up getting one. In the afternoon we built a small fiord across the river, and used a log to make a bridge so we wouldn’t have to get our boots wet when we crossed the river the next day. That night all the teachers came and sat around the fire, and we all talked. We were told about the Ruahine Mountain Dolphin, a mythical creature that lives in the Ruahine mountains. Then we were told that the walk the next day would be the toughest yet. We went to sleep that night warm, but wary of the walk the next day.

Day four started early. We had the camp packed up by 7:30, and we were briefed about the day ahead of us. We were told to “Be bold, start cold”, which means start the walk with light clothing on so that when you heat up you don’t have to stop and take off layers. Then we were taught the ‘Ruahine Shuffle’, a method of walking that involves moving one’s feet as little as possible while climbing mountains so as to conserve energy. Mr. Tomlinson bravely led the group, and we began to climb. We climbed for the better part of 2 hours straight upwards. The views were stunning, but it was hard work to carry your pack for that long on something that steep. When we eventually reached the top, the view was stunning. Words cannot do justice to how beautiful it is atop the Ruahine Ranges. The ranges scrape at the bottom of clouds, and the bush grasps at the peaks and saddles of the ranges. We could see all the way back to the beginning of our tramp three-and-a-half days earlier. We ate lunch on the tops. The school was rung so that they knew nothing had gone wrong. As we headed down the other side of the mountain we had just climbed, the rain set in. Going down was the hardest part of the trip for me. It was a struggle and the back of my knees burned. But, despite this, when we reached camp, everyone was buzzing. We set up the tents and spent the rest of the day mucking around camp. We were all looking forward to having a rest day for day 5.

Day five was the second rest day. I saw Whio chicks, but other than that not much happened, so I will be brief. The two highlights were: Making a tiny dam to collect water from, and all the lads wading around in the river and knocking each other over.

Day six was the final day. Camp was tidied by 8am, and everyone stood around the hut veranda to listen to our final briefing for the trip. We were told that this day would be hard, and we would be able to see lots of deer once we reached the top. We were thanked for being such a great group, and then we set off. We passed many Onga Onga bushes and slipped a lot on the muddy paths. It was steep, but we made it to the top very quickly. From there it was a few hours over open farmland to get to the van. We saw 6 deer in total that day on the farm, three near the beginning, and another three later on. The most exciting part was the steep hill at about halfway. Me and a couple of the other boys galloped down and had a heap of fun slipping and sliding over the animal tracks. After an hour and a bit more walking, we reached the van. Most of us piled into the van, though some had to go in the minivan that had also come to pick us up. On the ride back I fell asleep, as did quite a few of the others.

Overall, this camp was an awesome experience to have. I am so glad to have gone on it, and would recommend it to every year 10 student who wishes to extend and challenge themselves, make new friends and experience a part of New Zealand that they would otherwise not have the opportunity to.