Minginui Recce October 2009

Sunday the 11th of October saw what felt like the first fine day this year and so four intrepid souls hit the tracks (banks, stumps, trees and rocks) in Minginui to explore and possibly re-open a few routes for future club trips into this awesome area.

Along with Colin, Marcel and Griff was a prospective new member, Trent and family.

To say Sunday was one out of the box would be an understatement; bright sunshine, no wind and cold enough to chisel chunks out of. Perfick! A convoy of land rovers is a marvellous sight at the best of times and this day was no exception all the way to the first track.

The plan was to explore a few rumours and hopefully find some new tracks. Initially we hit a few side tracks running off the main Old Te Whaiti Road which, although leading nowhere were obviously old benched routes that may well have been logging and access roads in times past.

Old Te Whaiti Road leads into Minginui from the Murupara side but is blocked by a gate at the far end. Times must have been hard in the morning because most of the group found it necessary to attempt to scale a long abandoned (and rotten) log pile with varying level of success.

After perhaps the tenth turnaround the call was made to check the condition of the usual tracks and we headed out towards Hydro Access via the Cathedral and a few more possible routes.

Lunch was highlighted with the news that Griff had proposed to Karen and in a fit of dementia she had accepted.

A not long re-opened track was followed through pine, gum and bush that ended back up at the lunch spot, nice.

Since the last visit about a month ago, another club had been in the area and while some digging had been done there was still much fun to be had. By the time 4pm had rolled around though and with; plenty of track to do, school the next morning, and travel home yet to be done, the call was made to turn around.

And of course the fun then began. Griff got himself well and truly in the wrong spot and then after being winched out by Colin, the cable wouldn't wind back in. Half five and we're finally ready to hit the road back out! Murphy is a toe rag sometimes.

But at the end, all four trucks wandered out, back into a convoy and home to Vegas and beyond.

Good day, good company, good tracks and no real damage.

WooHoo!