Day 7: Friday December 29 1933
There had been a fall of snow in the night but the rain had washed it away by mourning. This snow stretched the tents and they were very loose all the rest of the trip. The cold awoke us out of a fitful sleep and although cramped with cold & wet in the tent, outside conditions caused us to keep to our sleeping bags. An hour or two later the sun broke though the heavy bank of clouds and the sandflies returned. We estimated the time as noon and felt hungry. So, with Reg doing the carrying between the tents, we consumed 3 slices of BREAD, "jammed and buttered", deciding while eating to make for Minchin.
In the first burst of sunshine we were packed and gone, having unpitched in record time. Off we went, heading for the Minchin Stream. As we walked the rain came on again and all was misty up the Poulter valley. Soon we reached the Minchin Stream and keeping to the right mad a fast clip along the easy deer tracks. The sun had appeared again and conditions looked more favourable on this side of the hill. Now and again the tracks would descend to the stream, which would necessitate a scramble along the rocky side until we hit the bush track again. At one part, on approaching a clear patch caused by a slip, we saw two deer away up in the shingle, but it was too late to obtain a snap. From this clearing the scenery was truly magnificent.
We reached Lake Minchin in cold, dull, bleak weather with rain threatening. Having looked forward to this moment the sight of the lake was impressive, but it would have certainly been more enchanting if we could have seen it, from this point in the bright sunshine. The lake is a small one, bush clad to the edge and as we came out on the miniature peninsula, we obtained an excellent view of the tussocky end of the valley past the lake. This suggested a camping site & our next problem was to get round the lake.
Mr Townsend had suggested that we should go along the right side ie on our right and so obtain a photo of the 9 leap fall on the left, but when we viewed the right side we found a difficulty in our way. Near us, on this side was a fairly large slip which ran almost from the top of the bush right to the water's edge and although this would have not stopped us if there had been no other way, we considered it not worth the risk as a slip would have meant a fall into the icy water and this would have been serious with 60lb packs. Also, as we stood looking at it, stones were constantly slithering down and we could imagine ourselves, edging across the slip and a stone hurling down and knocking someone cold.
Therefore we made for the other side, after I had snapped the lake's outlet, and crossing the beach, began a rocky scramble along the bush-clad shore. Halfway round, I stopped to take a photo of the slip and we had gone only another 10 yards when we found use for the rope in gaining the top of a bluff. Cliff and I had got behind, due to a difficulty in hauling the rope up through the clinging bushes and so, when we pushed on we lost track of the others. We pushed on up and up, this being necessary to avoid bluffs. When we had progressed as far as 20 yards from the lake's end , we thought it time to be descending and so turning abruptly downwards we crashed through the bush, our packs stringing us up every now and again. We managed to force our way to the water's edge and found ourselves within five feet of the shingly beach, which marks the top of the lake on that side. After half a mile's plodding on the shingle and tussock, we noticed the others making preparations to camp in a clearing on the right, under shelter of the bush. We found, upon our arrival, that the fire was blazing merrily and so while Huia and Bob prepared a meal, we with the others set about the tent pitching. This spot was well sheltered from the gusty wind, which blew up the valley from the southeast.
The weather had cleared and brought hope of a good tomorrow. Tea: STEW, RICE,TEA. Supper; cocoa. As we rounded the flake we had seen one duck (paradise) right in centre and imagine it to be a good fishing lake. Keas are also plentiful here as indicated by their cries. In bed 9:30 though asleep 10:30 after bringing up to date my diary.
Mileage: 5 miles.