Our intrepid “Kaitawa Team” did their annual “maintenance visit”
and your photo journalist Brian Hall was there to not only help,
but also record the event for the benefit of those of us who could not make it.
Here is what he wrote.
We have just returned from the land of the Children of the Mist - and it lived up to its name, it was rare to see even little Lake Kaitawa.
It is rain forest, and the forest (and us) had a good soaking. Five people were aiming to arrive on Wednesday, but as you are no doubt aware, the roads have been impassable. Luckily, two couples plus our builder and his 2 sons elected not to come through on their login date of Tuesday, so we had enough food (and booze) to see us through.
On our Friday return, we had four stops for road works, although the road now appears to be back to two lanes in all but two instances of longer term wash-outs.
This year we had two main objectives: Paint the Managers house, and replace the East wall of the main building. Neither objective was even attempted due to the rain.
However, the corridor ceilings and walls were painted with the able assistance of Ken, Peter Thompson, Peter Brown and Brian Hall. Greenmeadows Ladies Donna T, Carol and Margaret Hall joined other Camp supporters cleaning windows, deep cleaning toilets (lucky them), showers, kitchen including the cupboards and crockery.
Despite the rain, trees were cut back, confidence course and outside tables water blasted, pot holes filled, etc., etc. Some managed quiet reading (often with eyes closed) in the afternoon, and walks on the local forest tracks. Human dynamo and Trust Chair, Graeme Muir, did not appear to stop working until dinner gong was rung. Yep, it was very wet and cold at times, but conditions did not stop all 19 attending from achieving great work, enjoying fellowship with card games, jigsaws completed, and a few beers & wines consumed.