Cass/Lagoon Saddle 1-2 May 2010

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary:Tramp No.90

Cass/Lagoon Saddle 1-2 May 2010

Well, I just got back from another excellent weekend tramp in the mountains with a couple of good friends, and stunning weather. The Cass/Lagoon Saddles loop is another tramp written up in Nick Groves "South Island Weekend Tramps" and again it didn't disappoint.

Clair had asked me many,many moons ago about coming out tramping and it just didn't happen for one reason or another, and it had come up again recently at another function. I thought this trip would be perfect as she hadn't been out for a long time and I hadn't yet done this Canterbury Classic Myself. Ulrich, from my last tramp was also in and a couple of others passed.

We met at Springfield on a stunning Saturday morning and as we transferred the gear into my car it was spotted that Clair had forgotten to re-install the laces into her boots, and had in fact left them at home. This presented us with a minor logistical problem until I remembered I always kept a spare pair in my pack., Problem solved and armed with a nice bit of info to give her a ribbing about over the weekend, we set off for our destination. Leaving the car at the Cass car park, we set off up the Cass river on our 16Km journey over Cass Saddle and down to Hamilton Hut. A pleasant walk and wonderful conversations were had as we trekked out way up the river bed, through beech forest, over the saddle at 1325M and down Hamilton Creek, through more lovely Beech forest. Passed some pretty impressive examples of natural erosion and Ulrich the fungi fiend had a field day spotting the many types of mushroom along the track. Also, we were surprised to be greeted by several cattle beasts along the grassy flat before Hamilton hut(we assume they must have come up the Harper River). They soon fled from us when I mentioned how good one of them would be for dinner.

We found a group of 5 + 1 already at the hut and three more arrived soon after us and so a cosy night was had in this excellent hut, with the fire going and good food and conversation.

We were the last to leave the hut the next morning, to a brilliantly clear but frosty day and off we went on another 16km day of tramping. After calling Clair back from starting to head off to lake Colridge, down the Harper river, we crossed the river using the walk wire, cos our sox were still dry and found a short track that climbed up to a place called Mirror Tarn. This was a worthwhile side trip(see Picture below) and out timing was perfect. the second days trek up the Harper to Lagoon Saddle was a bit more picturesque than the previous day, with moss covered trees and wonderful side streams and the early morning sun streaming through the trees. We stopped at the old West Harper Hut for Smoko, avoided taking the wrong turn up Long Creek  before climbing up through the bush to lunch at the Lagoon Saddle Shelter. After a leisurely lunch we headed off past Lagoon and slopped out way round the front of Mt Bruce, getting very dirty boots, after the heavy rain they had ,earlier in the week. Then dropped down through some pine forest and Mushroom city, much to Ulrich's delite, and then back into beech forest before coming out at the Bealy car park, where Clair and I had a lovely chat sitting in the sun, while Ulrich, whom we had volunteered, hitchhiked back to my car and brought it back to us with a flat tyre.

Another brilliant and most enjoyable weekend had with excellent people and amazing scenery. Ya gotta love it.

 Our intrepid explorers ready to depart.

Ulrich gives Clair a quick lesson in river crossing techniques.

An example of some of the natural erosion in the area. we don't need to add to this by mining our lovely National Parks.

 Into The Bush.

  

One of the picturesque side streams we crossed.

  

 Bridge over the River Cass

 Another impressive piece of erosion up the Cass river. Note the stripes of red rock near the top.

 No shortage of water on this trip. 

Are we there yet. 

The Cass Saddle Hut. 

  

looking up to the Cass Saddle. 

  

Near the top of Cass Saddle. 

Looking back down towards Cass River from the Saddle. 

  

This photo doesn't show it very well but the stream was bright silver from the reflection of sunlight.

 Are we there yet.

 And there were a few trees as well.

Dinner, just before they ran away.

 The most excellent Hamilton hut.

A visitor in the night.

We had to try the walk wire.

 Mirror Tarn.

 Giving Clair the complete tramping experience.

 Are we there yet?

 Cool, Clear, Water.

The early sun filtering through the trees.

Very Nice.

 The old West Harper Hut.

Lagoon Saddle.

 Nearly There, On Mt Bruce Looking down the Waimack River.

Casey Hut 17-18th April 2010

Uncle Roddus Tramping diary:Tramp no. 89

Casey Hut 17-18th April 2010

The Casey hut is a 16 bunk hut near the confluence of Casey stream and the Poulter river. it is a moderate trip to get to it from the Andrews shelter and to either come back the same way or follow the four wheel drive track down the poulter and over Binser saddle then back to the cars along the road, a pretty straight forward trip and a popular one. This trip had been on my to do list for quite some time after the last attempt never even left town for weather reasons. Some friends who had been reading some of my trip reports on this blog and others who knew I tramped had asked me about going out sometime and doing something. What with so many other things going on and tramps with the CTC taking a lot of my tramping time I haden't got round to organising anything. Ulrich said he wanted to do something before his holidays were over and I was looking for someone to do this trip with. I checked in with another couple of people but it was short notice and some were out of town and others had to work, so it was just the two of us.

We arrived at Andrews shelter about 9:20am on an overcast but warm Saturday morning, with a light norwest wind. The forcast was for cloud clearing and Sunday was to be fine. We decided to do the long way first, walk round to the start of the Binser Saddle track, over Binser Saddle, then up the Poulter to the Hut and then out the shorter track over Casey Saddle and along the Andrews Track. We left the car at 9:40am and had climbed the 500 or so meters to Binser saddle, throught beech forrest, by 11:30, stopping briefly at the clearing before the saddle to re fuel. The track was mostly clear of wind fall and is a very well used and easy to follow track. After a steep desent of 200 or so meters we qiuckly dropped down to Pete stream amd link up with the four wheel drive track which we follow almost all the way to the hut. Seven KM from the hut, there is a DOC sign saying the the rest of the track is a monitored mountainbike track to the Trust/Poulter Hut, and indeed, did 2 mountainbikers turn up at the casy hut for the night about 2 hours after we arrived.

The top part of our trek was much more scenic than the lower part, through Matagari country, and after Rabbit flat we headed back into the bush and then through a lovely garssy clearing after a small lake and before we left the mountain blke track and cut across the big flat bush area behind Casey Hut, which had some impressive specimens of Black beach. We got to the hut in 6 and 3/4 hours covering 22.7KM. With a weekend pack, I was feeling it. A plesent evening was had chatting with the 2 mountain bikers and the other couple who had come in over Casy saddle and the clear sky made for an impressive starry sky after dark.

Sunday Morning dawned fine as promised, and Ulrich and I set of at about 8:20am to trek the 13.8KM up the Casy Stream, over Casy Saddler and down the Andrews track. It was a most enjoyable walk out in brilliant sunshine, changing forrest and lovely open spaces along the saddle and Hallelujah flats. Saw some good camping spots but had fairly short breaks on the open areas as the sand flies wouldnt leave us alone each time we stopped. Some very impressive Red Beech in one of the gullies lower down and the song of the Kea near the Saddle. Got back to the car in 5 and 1/2 hours. Exellent trip. 

Ulrich at the Andrews Shelter Saturday morning

 Sweating our way up Binser Saddle

A stroll in the bush

 Matagari country

 Further up the Poulter

 Another shot looking back down the Poulter

The Swampy lake just past Rabbit flat

Someones shelter

Checking the map, we must be there soon.

The large Beech trees behind the hut.

Casey Hut

On the Casy Track

Up on Casy saddle

Casy Saddle looking back towards Casy hut

 A long boardwalk

Just coming off Casy Saddle heading towards Halleujah flats

Back in bush about 30 minutes from the road

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - Christchurch 8th April 2010

Brian Auger has been around since the Roman Empire, or so he jokeingly tell us from the stage of the James Hay Theater in Chritchurch on Thursday night. I hadn't really heard much of his music, but I had heard of him and as he was playing here as part of the annual Jazz & Blues Festival and Mrs Roddus was going to see Carol king and James Taylor that same night , I thought it would be worth going to see, and a LOT cheaper than the King/Taylor concert.

Brian put togeather the Oblivian Express in the early 70s, after having sucess in various outfits and playing with many of the leading musicians of the 60s. The Express played uptempo Jazz/Funk based Progressive type rock lead by Brians Organ and keyboards. The vocals in this current band line up are handeled by his daughter Savannah Grace Auger with his son Karma Auger on drums and Californian Derek frank on bass. 

Savannah is a powerful singer and the few times she vocalised unaccompanied her voice sounded so pure, unfortunatly the vocals were just slightly too low in the mix to hear her clearly, so it was difficuly to appreciate her talent more fully. I thought Karma played exellent and was impressive on a couple of solos. Brian really gets into is extended organ breakes and my foot was tapping for almost the whole show. One stand out was a slow burning version of "Light My Fire" as well as "Season of the Witch", of which I was familiar, but didn't know that Donavon wrote it. They also did some pure Jazz covers in their own style and played for about 2 hours. My more full enjoyement of this concert was somewhat tapered by the tradgedy that had befallen us earlier that day(see below). My rating 3.5/5.

Mufasa: A Eulogy to the Dude

The King is Dead and we are left broken hearted and distrought.

This little man came into our house in late 2007, a tiny ball of orange with bright eyes and the most loving nature. He soon won the hearts of all who dwell here, excetp Petel, the black female cat, but every one else, including the old Tom, Sid, fell under his spell. As he grew, so did our affection for him and as he came into adulthood he did become his namesake, The King of our house. He loved to stalk Petel, to bring live birds into the house, hide mice in my shoes, hang out with us in the garden, to annoy Sid , but Sid took it well, to waltz in at 3:00am and crawl under the bed covers with us, all covered with leaves that he would pick up in is long fluffy coat. With his winter coat he almost did have a Lions main. Most evenings after dinner, he would disappear outside to play for the evening, chasing moths, mice, Sid or Petel, teasing the dogs next door and generally causing trouble and every hour or so he would come inside to just see if we were still there, or to show us he was still here, have a smooch and then head outdoors again.

He loved and worshipped Sid  but he would always have to leap past Sid when we let them in and be first to the food bowls and Sid would sit back and wait till Mu was finished. He loved being brushed with the fine cat brush we brought him and was almost always there when we got home at nights looking up at us with those big eyes saying ,"come on, feed me". He was one of the Coolest Cats I have ever known and was a much loved member of out family.

The King awaiting his breakfast in bed.

Sometime during the night of the 7/8th April he must have been over the road checking out the paddock and what ever caught his intrest. He was hit by a car and as far as we can tell died instantly. Our neighbuor found his body on their front lawn later that day.

Our greif and sense of loss in deep, we will miss you MU.

Goodby my friend.

Under The Southern Moonlight (The Kiwi Rock Scene1970 - 1975) - Various Artists.

Another Recent Roddus Purchase

Here is an interesting find I recently came across in the Warehouse for a very reasonable price. A compilation of  early 70's New Zealand rock. Some classics here I already have or know, like the exellent "Good Morning Mr Rock N' Roll" by Headband and "Ride The Rain" by Quincy Conserve, featuring the late grate Bruno Laurance, as well as his BLERTA, also included here.Some less known classics from classic bands like Split Enz, Luther, Dragon and The La De Da's and plenty of rarities from obscure bands like Taylor, Butler, Bitch and Killip, not to mention also awesome stuff from the likes of The Underdogs, Ticket, Space Farm and A cover of  The kinks "You Really Got Me" By The powerful Human Instinct.

Overall, a very good compilation giving a great cross section of the NZ rock scene from this period. No real weak tracks here just plenty of killers with several others that grow with each listen and showing the talent and professionalism of the local scene even 35 years ago. My Rating 4/5

Buy Here