Tiraumea, Wararapa, New Zealand - 2001
From Lance and Jill White
Over hill, over dale .... over hill, over dale... over hill, over dale...
That's how 60 odd [odd being the operative word] of us spent 5 hours on Saturday 3 November 2001. Included in that number were 4 who RAN the route --and about 10 local farmers who SAT on their ATVs and picked up stragglers along the way to return them to the fold -- so that after the 11 kms we were all able to lunch together in a delightful setting at the quaint old pioneer cottage set under huge old native trees. After you've seen the photos we suspect that you will all be keen to join the next Walk!
Everyone had settled into a leisurely look around the old homestead, the nearby river [the settlers route to the coast for taking out wool and bringing in provisions] and the family graveyard when it started to rain ! Until then the weather had been very pleasant -- partly cloudy and calm -- but the rain brought on a mass packing-up of gear and people onto the 4-wheelers and trailers to be transported home as quickly as possible before the farm tracks become too slippery to negotiate. This is very steep hill country and nobody was keen to walk 11 kms back -- and we had walkers aged from 4yrs [Sam - Guy's nephew] to 73 yrs [Guy's grandfather].
All the farming families hunched down into their coats for the return [that's life] but the townfolk were nervous about the mode of transport for a start, then seemed to revel in the stinging rain and mud that was flying everywhere !! The 4-wheelers had to make several trips before everyone was safely back and into the showers at the 2 shearers quarters.
It was a reasonably subdued crowd that later ate HUGE amounts of lamb chops, sausages, venison and a myriad of salads at the BBQ at our local Hall.
The locals made a donation to do the walk [it's not easy to get sponsors when your neighbour is going too !] and with outsiders contributions we ended the day with $2485 in our donation box. Others who couldn't come said they would send a donation, so there may be more to come.
And so ended another wonderful 10km "Guy day" -- or as Guy's great, great Aunt [another 70yr old who did the walk too] said in a toast:
"A day honouring Guy, who was an inspiration to us all."
From Bridget Percy
Our walk on October 28th 2001 was a casual stroll around my farm for my neighbours & other locals (about 12 of us went). We set out at 11am & went up to the hut in the bush where we had a picnic lunch. The weather was quite wet but it was really nice to have everyone there and they were all pleased to have a chance to donate to Guy's fund. We made $300 which I was pleased with considering my lack of organisational skills! I had actually been in the Sounds the week before with a group of students from the NZ Institute of Sport where I work & we tramped from our huts along to Anakiwa on of the days - took some photos of Outward Bound.
