RGB Track: now and in the past Trish

Our party- Carol (leader) Helen, myself and Thorsten, enjoyed a great Spring day out in this area. Thank you, Fred, for so ably organising this trip- even down to the weather!

From the Anawhata Road we covered Chateau Mosquito, Sisam, Smythes Corner, Long Road, Upper and Lower Kauri and back round to RGB to complete the loop – exiting via Chateau Mosquito.

We saw some magnificent trees and some mud………..and had a great time. What better way to spend a perfect Spring day?

The ARC/ Montana information boards really added something to tramping in this area, which was apparently farmed in the past – hard work in the steep hills and hidden gorges. It would have been a demanding life and remote. Before road and rail were put in it was reached by an uncomfortable three day journey from Auckland.

“Farms here were pretty remote, some were supported by illegal stills”

What’s in a name?

RGB has long been dubbed the Ruddy Gut Buster by the club…the occasion for its christening is unknown.. What horrendous day trip led to this naming- can anyone shed any light on that?

The actual name RGB is the initials of Ron Bennett, a tramper, who cut this route. The Sisam track in the area keeps alive the name of a landowner from whom part of the Cascade area was purchased. Sisam was also the first ranger of the Cascades. Smythes Corner was a dry stock run of the Smythe family. Chateau Mosquito was the site of large cookhouse and dormitory in the logging days. It was used as a shelter by tramping clubs who gave it the name Chateau Mosquito- for obvious reasons! (Thanks to Pam Robinson for this information)

Looking at this photo maybe it does deserve the name we have given it!!