Clear Skies and Sandflies

Craning my neck towards the sky, I stood in a clearing surrounded by tents and long, straw-like grass.  Above me were stars.  So, so many stars.  I couldn’t help but gawk at all the clusters and constellations and colors.  I marveled at the silhouettes of trees and mountains framing the universe.  Around me, pockets of conversation drifted from different parts of the field.  Head torches blinked on and off.  Dry grass crunched underneath boots.  Tents and sleeping bags rustled as zippers were pulled.  If I listened carefully, I could pick out the gentle rush of water in the nearby river.  All the while, those tiny pinpricks of light gradually made their way across the night sky.

It was a humbling experience which made me ponder my existence in the world. Compared to the trees, mountains, and stars, I, as an individual, am small and insignificant. Witnessing something so vast reminded me to put things in perspective. Observing something so beautiful reminded me why I love spending time in nature.

I kind of just jumped in there so let me back up :) Last weekend, I went on an overnight tramping trip with the Canterbury University Tramping Club (CUTC). Called “Freshers,” it was the club’s first big trip of the semester to welcome new members. We drove to the St. James Conservation Area which is about two hours by car from Christchurch. And by “we,” I mean the group consisted of 62 people (which is a lot!), but there were three routes to help split us up:

Hard – 1300m ascent to the top of the mountain followed by a walk along the ridge line before dropping down into the valley to the hut. There’s a track to the top but it’s bush bashing on the way down. (8-9 hours of tramping)

Moderate – follow a track along a river and take a small detour to another hut before going to Magdalen Hut (6-7 hours of tramping)

Easy – follow the same track along the river to Magdalen Hut with no detour (4-5 hours of tramping)

There were also subgroups within each level of difficulty (e.g. slow-hard, fast-moderate, etc.). Based on my experience with the Christchurch Tramping Club (CTC), I was worried about bush bashing with so much weight on my back, so I avoided the hard route. I went with the moderate route and hovered somewhere between the fast and moderately-paced subgroup. Interestingly enough, moderate with the CUTC was not as difficult as moderate with the CTC. Even though we tramped for longer, we stayed on a tack the whole time and it wasn’t as steep. Overall, I was successfully able to balance challenging myself with enjoying the scenery.

We crossed a few wire/mesh bridges along the way (only one person at a time).

I was told that some birds will follow humans since we kick up the soil which makes bugs easier to grab. This particular one got pretty close to us when we stopped to eat a snack, but it showed no interest in our food.

We tramped through a mix of beech forests and grassy plains.

This is a glimpse of only part of our "tent city."

By far, the highlight of the trip was the night sky. We got sooo lucky because it didn't rain and the sky was completely clear that night! Seeing the Milky Way during Freshers is a moment I won’t soon forget and fortunately, I can share that sight with others thanks to one of the trip leaders, Mitch! I brought my camera and tripod thinking I would capture some mountains, rivers and maybe the sunrise. However, one of the trip leaders named Mitch noticed me taking pictures on the way in and asked if I was going to take photos of the stars that night. The thought had never occurred to me because 1) I thought you needed a NatGeo-level camera to do that, and 2) I had zero experience with night photography. Apparently, Mitch loves astrophotography and taught himself through trial and error. He showed me a few tricks and soon, I was taking descent pictures for a beginner! I can’t believe I got a photography lesson on a tramping trip of all places!

But the lessons didn’t stop there. By the end of the weekend, I had learned:

- It’s possible to secure a camera to a tripod with a hair tie if you just so happen to forget that one small piece which connects the two items.

- Peanut butter stays well between two tortillas, but Nutella seems to ooze out. Either spread the Nutella thin bring it in a bag to spread later.

- While it looks funny, wearing socks and jandals is an effective way to prevent sandflies from swarming your feet.

- Pants are hot when tramping in the sun, but they save you the effort of constantly swatting away sandflies.Sandfly bites can itch (and sometimes swell) for days after you get bit. No joke.

- I’m not a fan of sandflies (as you may have guessed by now).

Anyway, I'm super happy with my decision to join the CUTC and I look forward to going on more trips!