2019-05-01 Wilderness

10
MAY 2019

THEMANSONNICHOLLS

MemorialHutis settoberebuiltwith

anemphasisonaccessibility.

Locatedontheshoreof LakeDaniellin

LewisPassScenicReserve,theexisting

hutwascompletedin 1976to commemo-

ratethreetramperswhodiedin thearea

in 1974,whena landslidedestroyedthe

LakeDaniellFishingClubHut.

DOC worksofficerCameronJones

saidthenewhutwillbeidealforpeo-

plewhomaynothavetrampedbefore,

schoolgroupsandfamilies,andthe

designwillincludefeaturesto improve

accessibilityforusersof allages.

“Theseincludehavinglowerbench

heightsandbasinsforchildren,grab

rails in the toilets,decksflush with hut

floor level, lower heightsfor some of the

bunksand doorwaysand sufficientspace

insideto allowpeoplein a wheelchairto

manoeuvre inside the hut,” he said.

“DOC recognisesthe healthbenefits

of peoplebeingoutin natureandthe

needto createmoreopportunitiesfora

widerrangeof peopleto experiencethe

many benefitsof time outdoors.Access

to naturebenefitsindividualsacross

everystageof thelifespan.”

Theexistinghutwasscheduledto be

demolishedafterEaster,anditsreplace-

mentis expectedto becompletedbythe

endof February2020,witha campsite

adjacentto thesiteremainingopenfor

use.

TheMansonNichollsMemorialHutis a

three-hourtrampfromMarbleHillCamp-

site on the Lake Daniell Track.

Rebuild with

ACCESSIBILITY

IN MIND

TheManson

Nicholls

MemorialHut

asseenfrom

Lake Daniells

Age nobarrier to

FIVEPASSES TRAMP

AT76-YEARS-OLD,Aucklander

SusanneBrighouseis proofthatage

isnobarriertoexperiencingthe

backcountry.

Thekeenoutdoorswoman– who

startedtrampingat 52– plansa multi-

daytrampeveryyearwithhersiblings,

andin Marchcompletedthesevenday

FivePassesroutein MtAspiringNational

Park.

Shelikenedthegruellingtrackof more

than4000mascentto childbirth– painful

atthetime,butlesssoin hindsight.

“Lookingbackonit, it neverseems

sobad– I thinkyouforgethowpainfulit

was,andjustrememberthegoodparts.

Somepeoplejustrememberthebad

parts,butI rememberthegood,”she

said.

It’shardonyoungknees,andBrig-

housecan confirmolder kneesare no

different.

“Itwasabout 80 percentpain,and 20

percentpleasure,whichis muchless

pleasurethanI normallyget,”shesays.

Brighousewalkedthe55kmcircuitwith

her younger siblings John and Robyn.

It’sbecomesomethingof anannual

traditionin thefamily– rightdownto

whocarrieswhat.

“Robynis 17yearsyounger,soshe

carriesthetent.It’sherpunishmentfor

beingyoung,”shesays.

TheFivePasseswasa battleof

headhightussock,rivercrossingsand

frozencamping.

“Onemorningwewokeupand

everythingwasiced– it wasinside

thetent,in thebilly,andourbootsand

socksweresohardwecouldn’tput

themon.Wehadto melteverything

beforewecouldstartclimbing.”

ThecircuithasbeenonBrighouse’s

to-do-listforyears,but stayed in the

‘too hard basket’.

“I don’tknowwhathappenedthis

year.I thinkI wasin totaldenialof my

age and fitness,”she said. Brighouse

plansto keeptrampingintoher80s,

andis continuallyinspiredbyan

81-year-oldshemetyearsagoona

tramp.

“Peopleneedto betoldyoucan

keepgoingeventhoughyou’reold,”

shesaid.

Herwalkingspeedmayhaveslowed,

butBrighousesaysherstaminais as

goodasever.

“That’stheonethingI’vegoton

myside.If I’vegotto getthere,I’llget

there,evenif I wantto justliedown

and die – I can keepgoing,”shesays.

• Matthew Cattin

Keentramper

Susanne

Brighouse,76,

walksa multi-

dayhikewith

hersiblings

every year

MATTHEW CATTIN