Masterton, August 15th
The team has convened at our base just out of Masterton, a converted woolshed attached to the helicopter hanger; no insulation, and big gaps underneath the doors. Gods, but it’s cold! We’ve just returned from doing the shopping, preparing to head into the hills first thing in the morning, and we’ve all immediately got wrapped up in sleeping bags to keep warm. There’s a heater in the corner, but it may as well be outside for all the good it’s doing; the space is just too big to heat.
Our team is a mixture of new and old. Apart from myself, there are two others that have backed up from last summer; Susan and Tony L (otherwise known as ‘Big T’). Kelly is an old hand at this business, but wasn’t with us last year; she was working on another project. It looks like she’s going to be my Team Leader later on in the South Island. Mark is ex-DoC (sort-of; he’s famous for having to be rescued from the Hooker Hut at Mt Cook), and Dan is in the middle of doing his Masters degree. Only Kelsey is brand new; she’s on a working holiday (? I think that’s the story) from the States. Iowa to be precise. I’ve yet to ask her if she knows Radar O’Rielly.
We’re being flown into the Dracophyllum Bivouac in the headwaters of the Otaki River tomorrow morning. We’ll be up there for six days, tenting, as there’s about twelve plots all in a five kilometre radius. It appears that all the plots for this project are arranged in similar clusters. I am so going to be looking forward to a shower by the time we get out next weekend.
Cheers
Matt
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