Thread: Nelson member camping get together?

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Me too gutted I couldn't make it,got back from fishing to babysitting duty's that were not good and couldn't really leave.

But it is the investment in the future we sign ourselves up to. Well worth it in the end.

Sounds like fun was had......next year boys

Originally Posted by oraki

Sounds like fun was had......next year boys

I'm sure it will be repeated, might be a few improvements in location but the exact same would still be worth a long drive.

Was late notice for many but it's never going to suit everyone.

I didn't get many photos and even less good ones.
But anyways, I guarantee this will end up being a longwinded write up....

Pengy and Myself and my youngest, Aaron formed our small convoy on Friday morning and headed in, Pulled in at Caves hut around 11.30, and met up with 223nut, who hadn't manage to get out and nab any meat for the camp oven despite having driven in the previous evening. We let him off as he had the billy on within seconds of us pulling up. So intros were made and we were also introduced to the two characters who had been holed up in the hut for several days since crashing their vehicle a further 10-11km up the Valley.
Friday was a bit ratty weather wise but it cleared long enough in the afternoon for a gong and a paper target to be set up on the airstrip. a bit of lead was set free, Pengys 308 with some hand loaded subs, 223nut with his new to him 10-22 and his .17hmr and his 308? were all put on paper, nice groupings on the 308. My boy put a shot or two through Pengys 308 as did I, it shot like a subsonic .22. very smooth.
I plinked away at Pengys gong with my 7.62x39 and my old Stevens single shot .22. It still shoots straight so I was happy, My boy freed some lead with the .22 also then we retired to the hut to natter with our hut mates.
After listening to the long winded version of how they had swerve to miss a deer, etc etc, we casually offered to go have a look the next day in case we could help them out. (Un) luckily 223nut had some nice clean recovery gear on board, so we felt we 'may' be able to help out depending on the seriousness of their predicament. I had unloaded most of my 4wd recovery gear as I wasn't planning to need it so I only had a few recovery straps and a 30 winch extension strap on board. Long story short we secured the vehicle removed a couple of smaller trees to enable us to get the vehicle down the last few metres to the riverbed and started setting up 223nuts winch for a front on pull. The nephew of one of our 'hut mates' and a few other bodies arrived as we were setting up so they were directed to set up on the road above and with their winch so they could drag the rear of the vehicle up the hill vertically while 223nut was set up in the riverbed to pull the front of the vehicle forward across the bank to clear the trees holding it up. All went as planned and the Mistral slowly moved down on the end of the winch cables to sit on all four wheels in the riverbed in no worse shape than when we started. A few body panel modifications were carried out to enable a front wheel to turn then I tied a short piece of string to the front of the Mistral and slowly towed it a km or so back down the riverbed, back onto the road then a quiet 30 minute drive back down to the hut.
While we were away doing our good deed, hut mate number two had arose from his sleep bag, disposed of several of Pengys beers and a decent portion of 223nuts whiskey and had then returned to his slumber until we returned around 2pm from memory. Cups of tea were had and the two hut mates decided to leave the valley with their younger family members and arrange a car trailer to recover their vehicle later in the week, leaving us to then discover that we were missing beverages.
Shearer and his fine partner duly arrived bringing offerings of salmon, and a variety of home brewed beverages which Pengy politely offered to sample. Shearer set to and smoked the salmon onsite and served it warm on crackers, fantastic.
Pengy had thrown a big brew of meat and veg into a camp oven and also set up a small rolled pork roast in another.
So several beverages later a good feed was had and stories were told before a much quieter night ensued in the hut, 223nut eloping back to his tent, and Shearer and Mrs Shearer heading out for a romantic evening stroll in the moonlight before retiring to their accommodation set up on the airstrip.
Sunday morning and its pack up and clean up time, Shearer and Mrs Shearer head off up river taking their rifle for a look about while the remaining crew decide to head out, cross the Branch river and drive up to Greig Hut for a look. A late lunch at the hut then head back out to meet up with Mr and Mrs Shearer at the Branch river ford, goodbyes said and everyone headed their respective ways home.
I enjoyed a quiet lazy weekend away, met a few good buggers and generally had a good time. Aaron (my boy) was asking on the journey home when we would be going out camping with the guys again???
Thanks everyone it was a nice weekend away.
Sorry others couldn't make it, but that's all the more reason to do it again. 223nut has a plan me thinks

Originally Posted by ROKTOY

. 223nut has a plan me thinks

Don't look at me, I'm tied to the house for 6weeks with a litter of pups in a week, (life's tough at times) next winter I'm definitely keen

Originally Posted by Gibo

I reckon @Pengy drunk the beers then forgot

Nope, he was to bust getting his flipper cut helping to recover the vehicle, no dwarf tossing over the bonfire, never had he need to get one going, will save that one for when we have a few more people

I reckon @Pengy drunk the beers then forgot

Originally Posted by Gibo

I reckon @Pengy drunk the beers then forgot

Dry July mate

Originally Posted by Pengy

Dry July mate

judging by the amount of glass recycling I pulled out of my truck I'd say we all failed miserably

Chilly






Nice backdrop


Crossing the Branch river


Greig hut


Branch Valley

Mmm.......pity i didnt get of my arse and make it but at the same time sounds like your "hut mates'were wankers and maybe at home on the couch wasnt such a bad thing

Originally Posted by deer243

Mmm.......pity i didnt get of my arse and make it but at the same time sounds like your "hut mates'were wankers and maybe at home on the couch wasnt such a bad thing

One definitely so, the other was a decent enough bugger

Originally Posted by deer243

Mmm.......pity i didnt get of my arse and make it but at the same time sounds like your "hut mates'were wankers and maybe at home on the couch wasnt such a bad thing

Tents are wonderful things, though I could hear the 'fights' from 20m away... Couldn't hear the 'for f'(k's safe' that was uttered a few times so I heard

Thanks @ROKTOY. You put the event into words quite nicely.

Shearer and Mrs Shearer preparing the yummy Salmon

It is cold work all this dog whispering
223nut getting some dirt on his shiny recovery gear

Enjoyable trip guys and great write up @ROKTOY. Excellent to meet those I hadn't already. Will definitely be keen on round 2.