Thursday tramp - Bottles track

12 May 2016 - Our Thursday tramping group (18 of us) headed in the Putara Road end near Eketahuna to walk a circuit described as the "Bottles track".  It was very windy but most of the time we were fairly sheltered in the bush.

 We had to follow and cross the upper Mangatainoka River a few times.

Almost the last photo taken?  We were just lining up for a group photo with this historic "Bottles sign" when a large chunk of dirt, bark and plant material fell down from a tree above - probably loosened by the wind. It hit Judy (middle) on her pack.  Lucky it wasn't bigger! Geraldine is holding it - these are known as "widow makers" because they did kill many men working in the bush in the early days.