Nothing could have wiped the smile off young Tyla Hart's face yesterday as she was ushered aboard the " big bird" for her flight into the Tararua Ranges. Tyla, 12, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was on her way to Powell Hut to meet up with her Year 8 mates fromCarterton School who had trekked into the mountains that morning with teacher Bryn Rees and a continent of parent helpers. The Powell Hut trip has been an annual pilgrimage for Year 8 pupils from the school and this one will be the last organized by Bryn who leaves for Taranaki at the end of the month. There was no way Tyla was going to miss on the trip, even though she was not physically up to trekking in and - thanks to helicopter operators Jason and Sally Diedrichs and others who pitched in help her she was on her way. About 20 classmates and the adults with the party were spending the night at Powell but Tyla's trip was shortened to a day trip.
