Club marks 60 years in outdoors
Wanganui Tramping Club members and maybe some past members will make a big effort next month to mark the 60th anniversary of their Mangaturuturu hut in Tongariro National Park. The event, set down for the weekend of April 7-8, will also be a salute to the pioneers who built the hut.
Mangaturuturu wasn’t the club’s first hut. Soon after it was founded the Kauarapaoa roadman’s hut was rented from the Waitotara County Council, but this only lasted a year of so. Later club members tramping in the national park came up with the idea of building a hut in the Mangaturuturu Valley.
As this was before the road to the Turoa ski field, all the material was carried in from Horopito in multiple working bees and tents were pitched at the site while construction was undertaken by several club members who were builders.
This project was great for club spirit and the late Tom Luff was mindful of that in 1987 when the hut’s coal range needed to be replaced. Rather than fly the range in, he persuaded club members to carry it — which was successfully accomplished. This was both a team builder and a tribute to those who carried all the material for the hut up the Horopito track.
Midweekers
The midweekers have a full programme of interesting trips every Wednesday. Those who get out on Thursday are in two groups, with a longer walks on 12 and 26 April and shorter ones for the TT2 group on 5 and 19 April. The Wednesday contact is Margret, phone 344 3899, and the Thursday contact is Val, phone 345 0456.
To join weekend trips call the leader by the previous Tuesday at the latest.
Call by the night before for day trips. As some trips have limited numbers, leaders have the final say about who to take as they are responsible for safety and well-being of everyone on their trips.
For more information contact Barbara at 348 9149 or our website www.wanganuitrampingclub.net. The next club meeting at the Deerstalkers’ Hall, Peat St, at 7.30pm on Wednesday, April 4 features an illustrated talk by Diane Harries on Sabah, Borneo, with a focus on climbing Mt Kinabalu (4095m).