Bleary eyed I emerged from my car at Takapu Rd Station. Here I encountered my first obstacle, getting into the WTMC van. This was was far too difficult for half past six in the morning, taking a swift blow from Richard’s boot to finally dislodge the door from its jammed state. At Wellington Station we picked up the rest of the crew, making five of us total: Tereza, Monique, Richard, Juliette and myself (Sam). Soon we were winding our way over the Rimutakas through an exceedingly dense patch of fog. Well we think it was fog, there were some good cases being made that it was in fact a cloud. What’s the difference? I don’t have the foggiest idea.
Instead of the weather becoming better over the other side of the hill a thin mist of rain was falling when we stumbled out of the van at The Pines. Boots were hauled on, straps tightened and final prayers ushered, then we were off. That first section of the walk was rather boring, spent trying to walk five in a line and invariably leaving an awkward person out in front. Before long we entered the bush and started on the track to Mitre Flats proper. We had to keep an eye on Richard, who was gleefully skipping down the track every so often spying a juicy green nugget and exclaiming this in great excitement. Once we glimpsed the 1080 we began to see it everywhere, triggering an intellectual debate as to when it must have been dropped.
