Day 9: Sunday December 31 1933
Not a cloud was visible and the day was made perfect when the sun came over the mountains, accentuating the snow and lighting up the green and gray of the valley. Soon it was blazing down upon us and with on accord we unbuttoned the tents to lie basking in its warm rays. I staggered up to take a photo of the camp and Huia dashed down to the river to “snap” a stag but there was no stag there. We had had a fairly stiff day previous and felt justified in sunbathing until 8:30 approx. when hunger, gnawing at some of the boys’ vitals, caused a stir in our ranks with the result that not long after we were breakfasting on rice, bread, butter and TEA.
The wind was but a light breeze coming up the valley from the S.E. Using our now famous numbering system, with which we had become as familiar as the sand flies, or rather they with us.
OUR SYSTEM.
Reg:- ”Quit the fooling, now bully beef, howmuchwegot? No 1.”
No.1:- “2 tins”
Reg:- “No. 2”
No.2:- “1 tin” and so on passing to rice, condensed milk, sand flies
and the rest of the grub.
It was after noon when we made down the wide bed, which narrowed a mite or so further on at the bushline to a rocky, cascading stream. In this stream a few ducks were very nearly brained. I say very nearly, as they were too shrewd and too adept at diving under rocks or into the water.
A mile or so after the stream had widened again we came to a grassy bank which suggested repose so we downed packs for lunch 2:15pm.
Here was staged the “World’s Record Billy Boiling Act”, a record which is now held by Mr. A.C. Caldow, who completed the distance, or to put it vulgarly, boiled the H2O in the smart time of 1½ hours.
Lunch: 2 slices BREAD, BULLY BEEF, TEA, BUTTER.
Left 3:45, up what was now recognized as the Poulter River, as all compass reckonings, bearings on the map and nature of the bush, not to mention the ducks definitely proved that it was not the Taramakau and that we were not on the Coast.
At 7:30 we stopped at the Thompson Stream entrance. Wonderful campsite, plenty wood for fire and tents. It was here we discussed our position and came to the conclusion, which was found out later to be correct; viz. that in climbing what we thought was the divide, we had crossed over a spur off the main stream of the Poulter River. We decided also that it was now too late to make back for the Minchin Pass or Aickens, as time was getting along and it would have probably meant an arduous climb up on to the Divide. Also it would suit us to continue on down the Poulter.
Tea:- STEW, XMAS PUDDING, COCOA. We decided that this was the best camp site to date, but admitted that it had the advantage of good weather. After tea we put on the fire a huge rotten tree (about 4ft diameter) and lying round this great blaze we watched the sparks fly off into the air, sang and “mouth-organed” until well after midnight, when Auld Lang Syne said goodbye to 1933 or rather heralded in 1934.
Mileage: 8 miles