Taieri Recreational Tramping Club

Black Gully Dam. Accessed from Semple Road. Black Gully Dam/Seacliff Dam. Av Time 1 hr; Route. Manager: DOC.

Click https://trtc.blogtown.co.nz/1980/12/14/seacliff-dam-historical-track/ for information on the Creek and pipeline.

Extension of Route to Black Gully Dam/Seacliff Dam. to Honeycomb track  junction. return. 4 hours return. Managed by DOC.

Best done in summer when Careys Creek is low, as there are many crossings. Attractive bush surrounds, which give good shelter from a hot sun.

8. 25/10/2017. Trampers. Black Gully Dam, Careys Creek, Evansdale. M. Leader: Keith.

Nine trampers left the car park and after delivering one vehicle to the tramp end,we left the car park at Semple road at 9.50am.

…and soon after the rain began, so it was on with the coats.

7. 16/3/2016. Trampers. Black Gully Dam, Careys Creek, Evansdale. Leader: ?

On a day that didn’t promise much weather wise, we had 9 trampers on the Careys Creek tramp. For a change, the women outnumbered the men as well !!!
After doing the car shuttle thing, & having morning tea,

we all met up not far down valley from the Black Gully Dam,

& continued on at a leisurely pace,

being careful  of the quite slippery conditions.
The many creek crossings …

… were also treated with great care, as the boulders were mostly treacherous to stand on. It was pleasing to see the new much larger orange triangle track signs that have been installed along the places where it is necessary to walk the riverbed.
We had lunch alongside the creek at a suitable place, & then continued on downstream, where we met up with a quite a large group of Kings High School boys with two supervisors. They were making a lot of noise, & could be heard from some distance away. We spent the rest of the trip mixing with these boys, as they would race ahead, then stop to pick Blackberries, which they were going to make into a Blackberry Pie later that night.
We had some of our group who had not done this tramp before, & all agreed that it was a good day, which most of us finished off with a coffee & chat at Waitati.Walked 11.7km
3.6km/h
3h 13mins
climbed 173m – Ken.

Careys Creek track was the destination for this tramp, & 6 trampers turned up for the day out. We drove to Evansdale, & left one car there, & then drove up to the top of the track at Black Gully Dam track. Morning tea was taken at the wooden seat part way down this track just before the steep steps leading down to the creek. The dam was inspected, along with the old hut that is situated there, & then we made our way downstream over the many slippery creek crossings to a late lunch spot, not far from the signposted junction of Rongomai track. We then made our way back out to Evansdale Glen via the ‘new’ track, where two of us left the others to have a spell, & a look around the area, while we went & retrieved the two cars, so we could ferry everybody back to town. Once again, this tramp had not been done by some, & for others it had been a long time [many years] since they had been there, so even although most got wet, or damp feet, it was enjoyed by all, & the weather was brilliant !
We walked 10.8km
2h 45m moving time
ave 3.9km/h
climbed 163m – Ken.

Seven trampers gathered at the top of the Careys Creek track after leaving a vehicle at the Evansdale end.  The descent through the bush was pleasant easy going, with a stop to view the Black Gully dam and then another in a patch of sunlight for morning tea, where George shared his birthday goodies.

The creek was low so the numerous crossings were made with dry feet, except for one member who measured her length over slippery rocks and now sports a bruised cheek and knee, not to mention scratched specs.

The party then split, with three opting for an early lunch and the rest pressing on to the Rongomai junction.  Here the others caught up again, for an easy ramble out to the road.  – Judy

4. 26/1/2011. Trampers. Black Gully Dam, Careys Creek, Evansdale. Ken, Ian, Sabina.

With two cars between only three of us we nevertheless decided to do a car shuttle between Semple Road and Evansdale and to do the entire Careys Creek track. Ground conditions were wet and slippery, which would have ruled out the steep Honeycomb track anyway.

We were reminded again of just how many and how steep the steps down to the dam were. But they are well benched-in, so not too bad.

We took Sabina up to see the Dam and the slightly greater overflow didn’t auger well for the many creek-crossings and creek-wadings ahead, where the track is just the actual creek-bed. But again, things weren’t too bad.

Along the way we met up with several small groups of the Green Hut Track Group. They have almost completed clearing the entire track. Bravo! We were delighted to find several areas modified. These were where difficult parts of the track had, where occasion warranted, been either better benched, stepped or even completely re-routed. Again, bravo!

And then, just past the foot of the Rongomai, behold, a track now mown where  at all possible, all the way down to Evansdale Glen.

This had been the first time the club has done the entire 10 km of creek in a long time. And it felt good. – Ian

3. 31/12/2009. Holiday tramp. Black Gully Dam, down Careys Creek some distance and back. 4 hours. Ian, Ken, George.

The weather forecast had promised a fine day but it turned out overcast. Rain on the previous wet day had left the track muddy and slippery necessitating great care not to slip. Exposed parts of the track produced lush rank grass and buttercups, and rain during the day left steep grassy slopes extremely slippery. The track is well-cleared for a considerable distance but from near its highest point and onwards, it was much more heavily overgrown than when we did the recce. First of all, of course, we climbed the track to the old Seacliff dam.

Then it was down the Careys Creek old pipe-maintenance track. As mentioned above, this part was well cleared.

Of course there were very many stream crossings, some entailing a walk quite a distance down the creek before entering the track again. These were well-marked with indicators suspended from branches overhanging the stream-bed.

There was a restriction on time as George had belatedly discovered he had to be back home mid-afternoon, so although we managed a short-notice early 8.15 a.m. setting out, we were unable to make the full distance down to the Honeycomb Track turn-off before having to turn back. A memorable part of the tramp was a (unnoticed at the time but decidedly stinging later on and into the night) brush with some concealed onga-onga, Ken on his left wrist, George on a finger and Ian on his right knee. But all in all, a very enjoyable way to finish the old year off. – Ian

2. 5/12/2009. Recce of Black Gully Dam, Careys Creek, Honeycomb, returned Mountain Road, Semple Road. 5.5 hours. Ian, Keith, Glenis.

Track is well-cleared for most of its length.

The road-walk back is about 8 km.

1. 19/10/1994 Evansdale, Black Gully Dam/Seacliff Dam, Double Hill. Medium. Leaders: Ria L, Marie F, Jack R, Bob H