A 15-strong cohort of Otago Boys’ High School’s year of 1969 have gathered in Wanaka this weekend to re-enact their first trip to the first Mt Aspiring Lodge for outdoor education.
The men, all aged 69, were boarders at the school’s former hostel, Campbell House, with 13 joining in 1969 as third formers (now known as year 9) and two others joining in 1972 as sixth formers (now known as year 12).
In 1973, Campbell House closed down to make way for a new school hostel.
By then the class of 1969 were in the seventh form and so were the last to leave Campbell House.
But they also notched up a first that year, taking up an invitation from their Wanaka classmate Chris Aspinall, and his family at Mt Aspiring Station, to use the old station homestead in the picturesque Matukituki Valley.
The Aspinalls had just moved into their new homestead and were keen for the school to use the old one.
After the class of 1969 made the first trip into the lodge, other classes followed.
Eventually, Otago Boys’ High School built another lodge nearby, on land donated by the Aspinalls.
The former homestead is now owned by Dunstan High School for outdoor education purposes, and has been renovated to comfortably sleep 40.
Thomas Mee said the class of 1969 had not returned together to the lodge since their first trip more than 50 years ago.
Two years ago, at a much larger reunion of 500 old boys, the 69ers agreed to catch up again before they turned 70.
"Then Chris came up with the suggestion we all go back to the lodge. Sixteen said yes, but one — Phillip Esdaile, from Northern California — has since said he was not able to come," Mr Mee said.
The men were planning to drive to the lodge in four-wheel-drive vehicles and stay for three nights, returning to Wanaka on Sunday.
