Cass Mid-Winter – 24 – 26 July
Trip Leader: Jane Coulter
Eighteen of us met together at Canterbury University’s field centre in Cass for our traditional midwinter ‘Christmas’ field trip. As usual, small groups planned their own itineraries, but again, as usual, we all ended up at the Arthurs Pass tearooms for coffee. The weather cooperated with sunshine and blue skies, although it was cold in patches of low cloud on the pass where the wind was biting. Snow and icicles melted rapidly except in the areas of deepest shade. Members images will attest to the success of the weekend.
However, the highlight was our not-quite-pot-luck dinner, with crackers this year yielding the usual paper hats and trinkets. I managed to gather the marbles that everyone else lost … maybe that’s why I’ve ended up writing this … More than sufficient delicious food and afterwards tussles for the best presents during our greedy Santa exercise. We’ll be expecting some great shots of silvereyes from Lesley, who scored the coveted bird feeder. Many thanks to Jane for organising this trip, including the Christmas tree foraging expedition. The intrepid adventurers arrived back with a magnificent specimen of Douglas fir, not too big, and not too small, just the right size. We are greatly indebted to Jane for preserving this long-established tradition.
