Mt Somers - Canterbury NZ

The 'weather gods' determined that the two days before last Xmas were the best for our trip into Mt Somers so we packed quickly and set off. We took it slowly and made it to the Woolshed Creek Hut in plenty of time to cook tea. Warren, Kristin, Tasman and Hannah together with Grannie and Granddad had stopped for lunch at the old coal mining remains and travelled through tussock and spaniard speargrass to get away from the maddening Xmas crowds. At the new hut (very good) I was somewhat saddened to find that the old hut I'd stopped briefly at several years ago was now gone.  It was quite an historical hut, so much so I'd even dedicated a poem to it.

Musterers’ Hut (for Woolshed Creek Hut)

Angled and beyond

reconstructive surgery

with bottomless eyes

sunk into recesses

of an empty hut

where memories

Aciphilla (Speargrass)

escape from under

corrugations of skin

a thin grey matter

one sheet only

just hanging on

clattering now and then

with another sheet

its single nail

shrieking in the wind

at night

the only welcome

dry wood

in the antrum

asking.

We met Richard and his family and extras and shared an enjoyable night in the hut.  Granddad had trouble getting Warren's burner to go! The next day in slightly threatening weather we returned to the car in good time and after stocking up on goodies (as many as tough grannie and mum would allow) we returned to Sumner and the parcels under the pine tree!

Warren and Dad (Photo: Tasman S)

Wives and Grandchildren

Warren, Tasman, Kristin

Arrowsmith Range (Days of Youth)

Woolshed Creek and new hut.