Hareline

Upcoming Events

NZ Nash Hash 2003, Mt Maunganui, 25-27 Jan 2003
Mooloo's 800th, Te Kauri Lodge, Kawhia, 21-23 Mar 2003 [Rego form]
Interhash 2004, Cardiff, Wales, UK, 23-25 Jul 2004

Run Reports

Run 1422

Kau Kau Kapers

It looked for a start as if it was going to be the biggest turnout in WH3 history but further investigation showed the extras were a group of kids and their minders who had chosen the same Khandallah Park venue for their Christmas party. We had quite a lot in common with them, apart from the colour and quantity of the liquid refreshments, but they weren't interested in joining us so the pack reverted to a more normal size of about 30.

It was obvious from the start that Kau Kau was going to be on the agenda, all 445 metres of it, and it was only a question of when and how we were going to get there. Septic, ominously equipped with a large scale topo map of the area, wasn't giving much away, apart from a vague promise of a piss stop somewhere, so the pack set off through the bush in an upwards direction. The trail came out on to a secondary track and settled into a steady climb. A couple of checks later it emerged on to the Northern Walkway and a check and false trail that went to about halfway to the top. Then came the bad news, someone found the trail going back down the hill. There was quite a bit of consumer resistance to this but most of us eventually grudgingly followed. Teapot was one of the few smart enough to stick to the Hash principle of never losing height and was rewarded by getting to the piss stop ahead of the piss. But more of that later. The rest of us, strung out some by now, negotiated a couple more checks on the way down again and followed the tracks to the Simla Crescent entry and on down to where we had started. Some optimists thanked Septic for a good workout and started looking around for their warm clothing and the keg but somebody else carelessly stumbled upon the trail leading round the pool and up a creek bed into the bush again.

The trail came out on to a path, another check and a false trail up to the lookout for those who wanted to feast their eyes on the scenic delights of Khandallah. For those that didn't the trail doubled back to join the North Ridge Track and from here there was no more pissing around, just the inevitable grind to the top punctuated by:

a check and a false trail down towards the valley floor.

a detour loop around the Sirsi Terrace access tracks.

a check at the Northern Walkway junction. A false trail continued up the main track and might or might not have fooled anyone looking for the quickest and easiest way up. Another false trail doubled back around a knoll and stopped just short of the real trail which headed briefly for Johnsonville before plunging left into the low rent country. An interesting variation but before too long it had to rejoin the main track.

A curious split in the trail near the top that offered a choice for runners and walkers - for about a couple of hundred metres.

Then it was an easy slope to the lookout at the top. TC got there first, after a detour to the trig so he could take a nostalgic look at Cannons Creek. Teapot and the walkers, who had the common sense - or the inside knowledge - to go there directly, were there to meet him and the piss arrived courtesy of Septic and Evil a bit later. When that had been dispatched it was all downhill via the Middle Track, which has recently been reconstructed with scant regard for H3 ergonomics, back to the On On.

How does he know all that? the more perceptive of you will be asking, since as how Poppy and I, through a perfectly understandable misunderstanding, ran the main bit backwards. Well, we went back the next day and sussed it out at leisure.

The after match function kicked off with a departure from normal practice and the Sirloin award went to Knob Roy instead of Septic for some reason I've forgotten. He tried to get out of it but I think he gave up and drank it in the end. Dogfish and I got down downs for letting Phoebe and Poppy have a bit of freedom. I suppose that was fair, I've already been fined for keeping her on a lead and tripping Nickname when she stopped for a shit so you have to cover all the bases. I also got the Bubbles award because for once I wasn't driving. Can't argue with that. This may have caused my attention to wander but Oggy assures me the POW went to Viskus for breaking the plumbers' code of ethics and turning up for the job on time. Serves him right. There were probably others but you'll have to ask someone else.

Thanks to Septic for a well planned and well recced varied run, plenty of checks and false trails, nobody in the Ohariu Valley or Makara and everyone back more or less together in about the appointed time scale.