Making Tracks with Scroggin: Hut-bagger Graham joins 300 club

Prolific hut-bagger Graham Sutcliffe is happy after scoring his 300th DoC hut. Photo / Supplied

Most veteran members of the Wanganui Tramping Club have no idea how many huts they have visited.

They may get out a few maps and make a count, but it will be only an approximate figure. But one member who knows exactly how many huts he has bagged is Graham Sutcliffe, a man who keeps a meticulous record of his tramping activity.

So when he headed into Nelson Lakes National Park in March he knew he was about to hit 300 DoC huts and when he did so at D'Urville Hut his colleagues were happy to photo him with a specially prepared sign. That's a pretty good effort but with just under 1000 active DoC huts, Graham still has plenty of scope to increase his tally.

Hut bagging is quite competitive with some people and some clubs running competitions with more points for remote huts. There is even a website, hutbagger.co.nz which has more than 1700 huts, some private or not very well-known.

Whanganui Tramping Club members have a chance to bag two more huts next month on trips to Dorset Ridge Hut in Tararua Forest Park and Sutherlands Hut in Haurangi Forest Park. Also on the agenda are day trips to the Manawatu Gorge Track, Mangaehuehu Hut and Rangi Hut plus the club's annual quiz night.

The weekend programme for June is:
Sat-Mon, June 5-7, Dorset Ridge Hut, leader Shane
Sat, Sun or Mon, June 5, 6 or 7, Manawatu Gorge Track, leader Dorothy
Sat, June 12, Quiz Night, leader Dave
Sun, June 13, Mangaehuehu Hut, leader Dorothy
Sat-Sun, June 19-20, Sutherland's Hut, leaders Dave and Mark
Sat or Sun, June 16 or 27, Rangi Hut, leader Esther

Make all inquiries about trips to Barbara phone 348 9149 or Dorothy phone 345 7039.

The midweekers have a full programme of interesting trips every Wednesday. Those who get out on Thursday are in two groups, with a longer walk on June 10 and 24 and shorter ones for the TT2 group on June 3 and 17.

The Wednesday contact is Victoria, phone 027 6888 190, and the Thursday contact is Anne, phone 345 4776. Call both by 6pm the night before for day trips.

To join weekend trips call the leader by the previous Tuesday at the latest. Call by the night before for day trips. As some trips have limited numbers, leaders have the final say about who to take as they are responsible for the safety and well-being of everyone on their trips. For further information contact Barbara at 348 9149 or visit our website www.whanganuitramping.org.nz

The next meeting on Tuesday, June 1 at 7.30pm in the new location, the Veandercross Lounge at the Whanganui Racecourse, will feature the tramping club's annual general meeting. As well, Aidan O'Connor from Sport Whanganui will speak on how the club and Sport Whanganui could jointly liaise with schools and youth groups. All welcome.