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Mt Malita |
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Mt. Melita – 27th August
By Graeme Nicholls.
Sunday 27th was the day allocated to the annual trip up Mt. Melita, and as this was a trip that I had not been on before, I had a wee chat with the sheriff and it was all go. We decided that the Range Rover would be the vehicle for the day, as it did not appear that it would be too challenging a trip, and the sheriff had been a passenger in the jeep for the last few trips.
We arrived at the meeting spot in Marsden Valley a bit before the official meeting time, and Warwick was already waiting. He had heard the trip leader on the radio whilst he was on the way in, and was a bit concerned that the trip had started without him, but it soon became apparent that Richard had taken John Hodgson ahead to check out a couple of fire-breaks that we would be using later on in the day.
Nineteen trucks assembled and aired down, and then our trip leader Richard (Bulletproof to most of us) appeared, and gave us the usual tongue lashing of what to do and what not to do, and we were off to the head of the valley for the start of the trip. Turning right off the road, we then started the long climb up the Barnicoat Range, and as the weather was perfect without a cloud in the sky, views of Tasman Bay and the surrounding snow capped mountains were what tourists would pay thousands of dollars to see. We climbed all the way up to the lookout on the top of the hills, stopping on the way for some of the lads to have a wee play on a skid site with some challenging banks to test the trucks on. After admiring the spectacular views from the lookout, we started the drive down the other side of the range to bring us out onto the road at the top of the Aniseed Valley. This was when the people following us started to complain about the amount of smoke that the Rangie was belching out, with us being accused of laying down an oil slick, and the Rangie being called a mobile fire place, and even the trip leader saying that it was just as well that the lookout was unmanned, or else the helicopters would be out after us to put out the fire! However it was water off a ducks back to us, as we enjoyed the comfort of the mobile Lazy Boy chairs that we were traveling in.
At the top of the Aniseed Valley, we headed up the hills, heading for Mt. Melita. After traveling up the hill for quite a considerable distance, the group was split into two, with the larger group heading on up the hill to the top of Mt. Melita, and the second group (which we were a part of) carried on a short distance to a firebreak that was supposed to be quite interesting. At this stage John and Dianne Auld (alias the Goose) decided that they couldn’t possibly go any further without sustenance, so out came the barbeque for a three-course meal. The rest of us then had a go at the firebreak, which was really steep with loose stones on the surface, and all except one were able to successfully climb it. Back to the Aulds, and time for us to fill our tummies, while we waited for the other group to arrive back.
When they were back down from the top, it was our turn to go on up, and they had their lunch, and then went and had a go at the fire-break, but only three of the dozen of so trucks were able to conquer it. We climbed up as far as the track went, where we were able to enjoy views all the way around Tasman Bay, and with the snow capped mountains and a really clear day, we could see right down the Southern Alps, and across to Golden Bay. Warwick and Chris climbed up to the very top of the ridge for even better views. We then went back down to meet up with the rest of the group, and continued on back down to the Aniseed Valley, where three of our group decided for various reasons to call it a day, and ended their trip.
We then crossed the Aniseed Valley, through a concrete splash, and climbed the hill on the eastern side, with the road having several really tight hairpin bends in it, which required the use of the tow rope on a couple of the trucks for them to get around them. We came to a very steep fire-break, which all but one of the vehicles were able to climb, and then onto Nelson City Council land towards Jenkins Hill, and followed a track through regenerating birch forest along the tops of the ridges and then down an exceptionally long and steep fire-break, which bought us back out to our starting place in Marsden Valley. This was the trip ended, so it was homeward bound from there. Thanks to Richard for organizing this trip, and as the day had given us perfect weather, the views were simply outstanding and this is a trip that if you have not done should be put on the “must do” list.
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Past club trips 