May 2025 Update
Hi everyone
What fantastic days we have been having – the grass and weeds keep growing but time ‘in the hills ‘has been magic – things look a bit different either side of King’s Birthday!
Welcome: A warm welcome to Maryam Purvis, Carol-Anne Buchanan, Jan Palmer and Katherine Martin. It’s great to see you all enjoying your time with us.
At the last Committee meeting the winter trip programme was finalised and is well underway, remember 9.15am meet for 9.30am start after Kings Birthday. Fuel costs were assessed and held at the current level.
It’s always hard to get trip planning perfect but we need to stay focussed on what’s approved and not try and make too many changes. We have adapted the application for membership form for new members to stress the expectation that assistance to lead or be tail end charlie with trips is critical to the growth of the club and that these responsibilities are not limited to a few. We appreciate that organising trips (and recces) comes easier to some but assistance is always at hand! And yes we acknowledge that others have done their share!
We again discussed the formalisation of the ramblers group but decided to leave things as they are – we stay open to feedback on this. From time to time some members informally organise a walk through phone calls the night before or on the day; if they wish you could make use of the web team to send a note out the night before to let others know the where and when.
Speaking of the growth of the Club there will be changes at this years AGM. As most know John Gardiner and I are both standing down (I will become Immediate Past President and stay on the Committee) and Jenni Wright also wishes to step down. Please give your consideration to assisting the club and consider nominations for when we send out AGM papers in July. (Diary the AGM for Thursday 14 August).
Whilst we have a very good framework in the Club, but also keeping it informal, things can always be improved etc and not always done as they always have been! New blood brings new ideas.
Barbara will be organising a night for showing photos from trips members have undertaken – – around the world in an hour or two! If you would like to show some photos please let Barbara know so we can structure the night; each may have to have their top 20 photos or so……
as well Ross will take a short time to demonstrate techniques for photos that we send in to the web team following the weekly walks.
Also as seen a note from Jenni has highlighted the Mid Year lunch at Waihola Tavern on 2 July.
I know politics should not be discussed but the Committee agreed I should do a submission on a community trust proposal for Puketapu – the Palmerston Hill – to cease grazing and implement a restoration plan with clear access to the monument. To hand is a decision from the hearings committee of the Waitaki Council supporting and recommending to the full Council the restoration plan and reducing the grazing area. Also at very short notice I submitted to the DCC on the Tunnels Trust and the link between Wingatui and Abbotsford. Hopefully we’ll get the same posituve result! Happy to provide copies of the submissions on request.
We have had 4 track clearing days this past summer, a little down on the usual but a range of factors have limited our efforts – I’m catching up with the Green Hut Group shortly. Thanks to everyone who volunteered.
If you get the time have a quick refresh of the Track Grading document on the website. The gradings allocated are based on a range of factors as well as a recce could result in slightly different route – and grade from the last walk write up.
Note that track grades do not change because of the weather. The grade is the grade is the grade – regardless of hot and dry or wet and muddy.
There is a footnote in the document ‘Cautions
Although tracks are graded, any track may be more difficult on the day due to conditions like recent rain, deteriorating weather, or fallen trees.’
Lastly a wee reminder if a club plb (locator beacon) is used for a recce – (use of the 3rd plb held by Phil and Raewyn is preferred) then Clive Crossman should be emailed or txt’d ([email protected]/021866410) with the details of the recce. When a plb is activated the authorities contact Clive as our nominee to check the signal is in all probability genuine and real.
Keep walking, keep talking and stay warm
Phil
Link to President’s Update information Library for previous updates