Tramping Adventures

On Friday March 10, after numerous trips to Wellington’s outdoor stores, it was time to head out on the Tramping Club’s Freshers Trip. We had to carry everything we needed on our backs so I had to pack smart. Well over 100 people were on the trip so they split us into groups that we would sleep and eat with. Each of us had to carry something for the group like a tarp for us to sleep under or a box of sugar for the crepes they planned to cook on Sunday. Once the group had gathered, we loaded onto buses and headed out into the wild.

After about two hours on the bus, we arrived in the bush at a campsite. Each group started setting up their stuff. Since there were so many of us, we couldn’t carry enough tents for everyone so we set up big tarps above us and squeezed around 15 people under each tarp. Then people started to party and hang out. I went to a swinging bridge with my friend Skye and a nice dude I sat on the bus next to. He wasn’t a student but actually just someone working in Wellington. The club is open to anyone in the community, not just students.

The sleeping situation was actually ok. Condensation on the roof would drip now and then and I did wake up a couple times trying to get comfortable but overall, it was pretty good. I really like my new sleeping bag! In the morning, my group leader cooked us some oatmeal over a burner we had brought. Then, we headed off!

The Saturday walking was surprising fast. It only took me two hours. The group I was with arrived at our new campsite, Totara Flats in time for lunch. I was famished. After eating, I headed down to river and went in the water a couple times but it was FREEZING! More and more people arrived and thus, more people went swimming. A dude brought a small guitar so a lot of people played it which was really fun! One guy was trying to find a song we all knew so we could sing along.

The main leader set up a chain of people in the water to pass along wood to be used in a big bonfire. My group prepared nachos for dinner over the burner. It was pretty yummy considering! For water, we were supposed to drink from the river. It is well flowing and I made sure to get mine far upstream of the swimming and dishwashing! I also had brought pills that kill any bacterial in water to be extra safe.

When it got dark, I could clearly see the stars. They were gorgeous! The bonfire was also quite impressive.

On Sunday, we hiked out of the bush. I had thought Saturday was going to be the big walking day. Boy was I wrong! Sunday was brutal! It was an extreme incline and took around five hours. There were nice views at the top though!

And when we got to the end, we were greeted by one of the leaders hosting a Sausage Sizzle (a New Zealand/Australian term meaning an event serving cooked sausages put in slices of bread instead of buns). It was nice to get back to my room and my bed (and a real bathroom!).

I made another Tik Tok for Brandeis about my adventures! Here it is!

Stay tuned for more adventures!