Look at that! KB_3966 [NOTE: click any pic to enlarge]

This was my third visit to Boyd Hut and my second Kaweka tramp (see Kaweka 1). For some years Ian had told the story of Ralph Latta and him climbing the 2½ thousand feet (actually 2,444ft=745m) up to the "Kaweka J" peak at the start of an otherwise great tramp. He subsequently tramped some of the Kawekas with his daughter, being dropped off by helicopter.

The helicopter delivery sounded far better than a 750m climb with full packs, so a plan was formulated for us to be delivered to Ballard Hut in the Kawekas by chopper and to walk out via Boyd Hut along the edge of the Kaimanawas to Poronui.

Access & accommodation: We travelled by cars to Taupo where we met and drove on to "Lakeland Helicopters" on Clements Mill Rd (off Taharua Rd, off SH5, 40km SE of Taupo). Ian and Graham then drove to park a car closer to our exit while the rest divided up the communal gear and took the first trip to Ballard Hut.

On this trip I took the front harness and the Nikon D60 digital SLR with a Sigma DC 18-200 zoom lens (f3.5-6.3, Optical Stabiliser) and yet another expensive new polarising filter (every lens seems to have a different diameter).

TRAMPERS: Ian Bardsley (Carterton, ex Hawera): Camera = Canon Ixus 80 digital [8MP] - photo ID=IB John Barrell (New Plymouth): No camera Graham Thompson (Hawera): Camera = Sony DSC-T5 digital [5.1MP] - photo ID=GT John Sutton (New Plymouth): Camera = Canon Ixus 80 digital [8MP] - photo ID=JS Keith Blayney [yours truly] (Hawera): Camera = Nikon D60 SLR digital [10.21MP] - photo ID=KB All photographs © - media reproduction requires permission

On to the pictures & story