Parapara Peak. Organiser: Jim Maxwell
A party of five set out on the Saturday morning with a gloomy forecast to find weather on the other side of the Takaka Hill impeccably clear. Just nice and cool enough at this season to make the longish ascent through bush pleasantly agreeable. At 1,252m this hill only barely sticks its noggin above the bush line so it meant views were elusive till the last 20 metres or so from the top. Our party had an easy ramble up the ridge assailed by hook grass on occasions. Part of the route wanders up a small gorgey creek bed for a few 100 metres, which could be interesting in heavy rain. Lots of fantails, robins and bellbirds to keep us company on the trip up. With such fine weather there was a general enthusiasm to push on to the summit for the views that very day. Poor Jim however was having an off day, and so sent the remainder of the party on to the summit with his blessing. He set about making a comfortable camp on the ridgeline at around 850m above Break-me-up Creek.
Murphy’s Law determined the ridge top to the summit to be immersed in intermittent misty cloud, which occluded views to the West. A short distance south along the summit ridge was a very pleasant 2 bunk hut, a private one by the looks with a small tarn nearby.
Nice views to the east were had all the same, including the spectacular arc of Farewell Spit, with Mt Taranaki’s snow clad summit a majestic silhouette on the horizon. We wandered down to reach the campsite again just on dark. Good, tannin coloured water is available just 50 metres or so down the gully north of the campsite, even in our dry conditions.
A cosy sit by a campfire and a rain free night was had with the hooting of moreporks and another strange bird call that sounded a little like frogs croaking. After an epic 13 hour sleep we all trudged down. Dion and I elected to try the old overgrown route down to the Pupu Power House, and mostly fell down it grappling with lawyer vine, bracken, cutting grass and thick tangles of windfall and small saplings. An early finish for our return to Nelson. Good company was had with Tony Haddon, Christine Hoy, Jim Maxwell, Steve McGlone (scribe) and Dion Pont comprising the party.