Big Tops Hut roofing repair

Ronan Grew, who's responsible for managing DoC's huts etc in Waimak area, has told Simon Lewis he will have the Big Tops Hut roof repaired some time in March.

I'm glad to hear that. I've seen Ronan as someone that can be trusted to follow through. If he says it'll be done I expect he'll make sure it does happen.

Actually this sheet tearing loose on the roof of Big Tops Hut reminded me of something Ray Forsyth told me. Ray was in charge of hut building for the old Forest Service in that area and, with generosity that was typical of him, gave me access to his work books from those years.

Ray had tramped into the Koropuku and selected the site for the Big Tops hut and was then involved in its building in March 1964. The hut kit that was dropped in included a fireplace and chimney. However Ray decided to build the hut without the fireplace as he believed strong wind would be a problem in the area and likely to cause damage to the chimney.

Now I've no idea what Ray saw that alerted him to that possibility. The weather was fine on his trips in there so maybe he recognised it from the vegetation or valley angle. I've no doubt he was right though.

I wonder how that sort of instinctive, yet sound, judgement would fit in with how DoC works.

Ray was one of the finest of the golden years of the NZ Forest Service and his feeling for the back country was an inseperable part of him. He and others like him, are sorely missed in NZ's hills.