An AUTC song created en route to Leitch’s hut

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Leitch’s Hut Music Trip

July 2025 - Trip Report by Amy Johnston

Saturday morning I arrived at the clocktower with my flatmate Janelle, fashionably late. We like to

think of ourselves as fashionable. (The rest of the group may not have appreciated our style.)

Nicky, our trip organiser, was looking eager to get on the track. He was already wearing a plush

dressing gown and slippers, seven hours ahead of our estimated hut arrival and bedtime.

The other group members were Mira, Sara, Shaun, Timothy and Hamish. All in good spirits ready for our tramp.

The track itself, Leitch’s hut Track, was pleasant, though a little muddy from the previous week's rain.

Janelle could tell you all the plant names, probably both in English and Latin, but as I cannot, I’ll just

say it was pretty.

After roughly three hours walking, we made it to Leitch’s hut.

To the delight of the sole, 72 year old hunter who was already inside, we unpacked our bags and

pulled out an array of musical instruments, including a guitar, a harmonica, shakers, a tambourine -

I could go on. And I will. A pair of kashakas, a guitalele, a cajon, a plastic cup (for the cup song), a series of irish tin whistles, some more harmonicas, and a Whittakers Peanut Brittle chocolate bar - often used by musicians to add livelihood to their jam sessions.

The musical lineup was quite varied. Janelle led us through a series of 60’s sing-along songs

including ‘Puff the Magic Dragon', and ‘Heart of Gold’, before we all attempted the ‘cupsong’ lead by Mira with her plastic cup, the rest of us using any other cup-like containers we could find.

The hunter remained in the shadowed corner of the hut during these musical items, his expression

hidden. But of course we knew he was smiling approvingly, and glad he’d chosen to be in the hut that weekend.

In the morning as we were packing up, Shaun had some bad luck with his cheese. At least I chose to believe it was bad luck and not revenge from the hunter who perhaps maybe hadn’t been smiling at our music after all. He’d brought two dogs with him on the track, one of which managed to sniff out Shaun’s cheese which he’d carried for 8.5 km and was looking forward to enjoying. However, the dog enjoyed it more, inhaling it in one bite.

On our drive home, we stopped by Pokeno for the fattest ice creams known to man, perfect to beat

the heat on a hot summer’s day. However, since it wasn’t actually a hot summer’s day, we sat stoically in the July cold, with trembling hands raising heaped cones toward chattering teeth.

The beginnings of a song were also written en route to Leitch’s hut...

AUTC

(sung to the tune of YMCA)

[VERSE 1]

Students, there’s no need to feel down, I said

Students, rid your face of that frown, I said

Students, put those study books down,

There’s no need to be so sappy

Students, there are places to go, like the

Kaimais, or caves of Waitomo, or the

Icecream shop that’s in Pokeno, so join

A.U.T.C now bro