Decades of Gisborne tramper’s exploits recorded in diary

Gisborne Canoe and Tramping Club members travelled to the national park at Lake Rotoiti, Nelson, and climbed the 7671-foot Mount Travers on New Year’s Day 1963. The trampers are, back row (from left): Kay McRae, Keith Thompson and Jan Stewart. Front: Ross Stewart, Bob Creswell and Michael Dixon. The photo was taken by Jenny Guthrie who, according to a comprehensive diary written by Mr Creswell, was also a club member on the trip.

A meticulous diarised record of the 60-year tramping career of Gisborne’s Bob Creswell will fascinate fellow trampers/climbers.

Long-time Gisborne conservationist and tramper Sandy Bull brought photocopied images of the late Mr Creswell’s diary into The Gisborne Herald.

Mr Bull said the 80 pages of handwritten notes would be appreciated by Gisborne Canoe and Tramping Club and fascinate other readers.

Gisborne tramping and harrier identity Dave Hughes has already read the dairy and says it brings back many memories.

Mr Hughes said Mr Creswell’s ambition was to climb every mountain over 3000 metres in height.

“That was his motivation.”

He first met Mr Creswell early one Easter morning on a visit to his farm at Riverside Road.

Mr Creswell, yelling to him from another valley, could name every mountain from Hikurangi to Māhia.

“His knowledge of the backcountry was phenomenal.”

Mr Creswell donated the Cresswell Cup to Gisborne Canoe and Tramping Club.

A Gisborne Photo News edition of December 1961 shows Cresswell Cup competitors racing “up and down a couple of sizeable hills on either side of the swing bridge up Riverside Road”.

Mr Hughes, who won the cup in 1960 and 1961, said he got to know Mr Creswell through the event despite being a generation younger.

“He was a different type of guy — there’s stories galore.”

Mr Cresswell’s diary notes are preceded by a table of contents referring to tramping trips dating from from June 29, 1934, to January 1, 1990.

On June 29, 1934, Mr Creswell went to Maungahau, Whatatutu, accompanied by Jim Holdsworth.

His dairy entry stated: “On Sunday, left Manders and Dods at 12.30pm and entered bush at 2pm.

“Light snow in patches.

Fine night with over 25 degrees of frost.

“Ground sheet and boots frozen stiff.

“Motu hills covered in snow at dawn, then snowing through fog.”

Some of the entries are detailed but  difficult to read.

An entry from January 29, 1936, reads: “Left home at 3pm and after four stops arrived at  Onepoto at 7pm.”

From January 30: “Climbed to Ngamoko in two hours from lake house through mixed birch forest; The path being well defined though fairly step.

“Good view of Waikaremoana.“Descended in 87 minutes to the hostel.”

The Gisborne Herald did not have a photocopied image of the diary entry to match a Gisborne Photo News image (above) published on March 21, 1963.

Photo News says the photo was taken during a  Gisborne Canoe and Tramping Club Christmas trip to the national park at Lake Rotoiti, Nelson, where they climbed 7671-foot Mount Travers.

Mr Creswell’s table of contents says the club members ascended Mount Travers on New Year’s Day 1963 and confirmed the identity of the seven mountaineers as those named in the photo.