My big brother Barry and his lovely wife Cathy recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary (note I'm not saying the G word). Instead of a party they chose to participate in a 12 day alpine horse safari from Lake Tekapo to near Lake Sumner in north Canterbury in late November. Not a bad challenge for a couple in their mid to late 70s!
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| Big brother Barry doing an excellent John Wayne impersonation |
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| Cathy the horse whisperer |
Near the middle of the trek a rest day for the horses was scheduled. This was at 'The Retreat', an old ex Forestry Service dwelling at the junction of the Harper and Avoca rivers above Lake Coleridge. By coincidence this was a place where Barry worked in ~1957 on a Forestry Service fencing contract, prior to him going down to Antarctica. He spent a number of weeks during this contract several hours up the Avoca River based at the Triangle Hut. My father took me up to visit Barry and we tramped up to stay in the hut with them for some days - one of the first tramps I remember at the age of nine.
During this rest day, Barry was keen to tramp up to see the hut and rekindle some memories.
A few years ago I had passed this hut during a solo tramp and was aware it still existed, albeit in a very sad state, thanks to the 1994 Arthur's Pass earthquake. My weekly walking group were keen to join me in meeting the horse trek - Martin and Jim to fish Lake Lilian and Graeme to accompany Barry and myself up to the old hut. Permission was obtained to obtain a gate key and drive my 4WD up to The Retreat and use the old Fitzwilliam hut a few hundred metres away.
The rivers were high and there was considerable doubt that they would arrive on time - but several hours after our arrival they did ride in with tales of a very interesting crossing of the Wilberforce River!
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| Lake Lilian |
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