11 trampers and 1 dog set off from Richmond Badminton Hall at 8.00 for a walk to the Red Hills Plateau. A few car park realizations - Richard that it was a day trip not an overnight one, and Pat - that it was his lone gaiter left in Graeme's car 2 weeks prior. By 9.30 we had commenced the walk in cool conditions through the beech forest until we reached the sunny paddock. We warmed in the sun and took the opportunity to look through the Cob Cottage nestled on this lovely flat. We had morning tea abouit 10.45 on the 4x4 track and then a brief pause at Red Hills Hut, admiring this well situated hut. We followed a track around the R of the Hut that swung to the West. The track soon petered out to being just a vague route through the tussock with patches of small rocks some with cairns. We headed for what looked like the highest point and eventually came to a broad flattish area where we got views to some small tarns to the NW, and of the Plateau stretching to the North, though we were aware once we looked at a map that we were just seeing a small part of the plateau.
We also identified a trig at 1131M and headed to this for our lunch stop. In the lee of the cool breeze we enjoyed great views of the Wairau River, Bryant range and we could identify roughly where we had been on the ridge 2 weeks prior on the Parachute rocks Rough Creek crossover. We headed back traversing the side of the hill through tussock and rocky ground till we intersected the track above Red Hills Hut. A pause at the hut, and group photos, before decending the route we had come up arriving back at the cars about 4.45, and back to Nelson about 6.30.
The accidental choosing of Saturday for the trip months prior, indicated Huey was on our side as the following day was rain all day. Some great discussions about books, the world, and local colloquialisms completed what was an excellent day out in the hills.
Trip participants were: Rosie-Anne, Paula, Pat, Scott, Di, Richard, Christine, Tony, Jo, Kath (leader and scribe), and Visitor Pania.