Oct 17 2023
St Clair Beach Walks
17 km from car park.
Oct 17 2023
17 km from car park.
Aug 28 2022
2. 24/08/2022. Hikers. St Clair/Kew Street Walk. Grade 2.5. $5. Leaders: Shona & Maria
24 hikers met at the Forbury Trotting Club where Maria distributed a handout giving information on points of local interest (thanks Maria).
We walked together to Second Beach (a hidden Dunedin gem), for morning tea and took time to look at some stone installations there.
We proceeded to Jacob’s Ladder where most climbed the 287 steps to Seaview Terrace and the remainder studied some of the more impressive homes on the flat.
Both groups re-joined at the bottom of Allandale Rd before dividing up again, one group taking themselves up the walkway beside Frances Hodgkins Retirement village to Easther Cres and meeting the rest for lunch at the recreational area between St Andrews home and Sarah Cohen school. We walked back to Forbury via Surrey St.
Coffee at The Good Oil at Nichols.
Distance approx. 8.4kms
Aug 15 2021
Official Sinclair Wetlands website.
From car park, via Clarendon: abt 35 km.
4. 11/08/2021. Hikers. Sinclair Wetlands. E. Leaders: Jim and Betty
After some overnight rain the Wetlands were definitely wet and a little muddy in places. From the car park and main track the 23 hikers went through 2 gates to an elevated site on the eastern boundary for the morning tea stop. Steps were retraced to a L/H turn into Loop Track taking us to the main track.
Lonely Island was our next deviation up through what had been plantings that were maturing well to a vista that included views of Lake Waihola on this extremely fine day. The main track was followed to the larger Ram Island for our early lunch at an elevated point with the main view being Lake Waipori.
Remnants of early pumping equipment and a new hut that replaced a derelict structure could be viewed. There was a noticeable absence of bird life that had been present when we did our recce in the previous ten days.
It was back through the centre bush track to where we had clear views to the east before leaving Ram Island. The main track was then followed back to the entrance to what is now an elevated circuit track where extensive clearing and native plantings were observed.
Being such a fine day there was a group of workers engaged in this restoration activity. Back on the main track we took a short board walk before visiting the propagation facility.
From here it was into the cars and on to the Wobbly Goat and Mosgiel. Betty & Jim Finnie
Sep 11 2019
No. 35 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Berwick Forest. G Such. Wenita. Nov-April. Year round”
40. 11/9/2019. Trampers, Waipori Forest, Meggetburn. Leaders: Alan and Kerry
22 Trampers set off down to Berwick and left a car at the Government Track car park. 5 cars then carried on to the start of the track, by the road, into the Berwick Forest Lodge.
A steady walk up through native bush and forest
to a welcome morning tea stop.
Then down hill to the Meggatburn Stream which had quite a water flow, so it was difficult to cross without getting wet feet.
Then up we climbed to Shaws Road. The track had been clipped back to allow for easier access. Therefore the track was easy to follow.
The day started well weather wise but with showers pending,
we quickly carried on
[See this URL for Molly Vaughan on the same stone seat in 2013. Its provenance is unknown. – Ed.]
to a hut for our lunch, near the old Waipori picnic ground which is no more.
Walking out after lunch, we crossed the bridge on the Waipori River
and walked down to where the car was parked. Then 5 drivers returned to the rest of the group to collect trampers. Followed by a coffee session at the Wobbly Goat. – Kerry.
39. 12/12/2018. All. End of year. Pot luck meal at Berwick Lodge. Leaders: Peter, Wendy and Dave.
A number of former club members turned up to a well-provisioned finger food meal at mid-day, and bowser a well covered trestle table of books, sale proceeds to go to the new Mosgiel swimming pool. Over 40 of us leisurely ate and talked till President Jill took over. She introduced Bruce who had composed a 4-stanza song to the tune of “The Old Grey Mare, and after lyric sheets were handed out, led hearty singing of it.
Thanks to excellent preparation, Jill had a briefed a number of us to give 2-minute accounts of private trips, local and overseas. These were many and varied. A good ending to the year, at a venue many of us hadn’t visited before. – Ian.
While the track was muddy in many places, it was surprisingly good after the quantity of rain that had fallen. Further up there was vegetation, especially gorse, beginning to encroach but not impeding our progress.
The track came out onto a forestry road, Tobermory Road; and in 10 minutes more we reached Shaw Road before 12 noon. Down Shaw Road for a few minutes took us to our lunch spot in a sunny area under the Pole Line that parallels Shaw Road. There was a limited view down on to the Taieri from here, with Hope Hill in the background. We could even see the sea.
The sunshine was most enjoyable, ideal for lying back forma little nap after eating – one tramper having to be roused to begin the return journey!
Our return followed the same route, some care being necessary descending a slippery clay section before arriving back at the Meggat Burn. All crossed in safety again although a piece of equipment may have been lost?
It was uphill for a little while, and then it was down all the way. It was very noticeable that the leaders were in a hurry to get home (I was at the back of the group here), and not wasting any time – probably they could detect the aroma coming from the coffee shop? But it was just their imagination!
We were back in the lovely sunshine at the cars by 2.30 pm, having tramped 13.5 km for the day’s effort.
The Leader was most gratified to hear that all of the party had thoroughly enjoyed the day’s walk (and talk). Considerable birtdsong was heard in the forest.
As per the usual custom, a stop was made in Outram for refreshments and discussion. And then back to Mosgiel, and then home for boot cleaning duty. – Art.
Well, an unusual start to the day. For a wet morning, but promising to clear up later in the day, 10, mostly Hikers, turned up at the carpark and after much discussion forewent the programmed Cleghorn Street-Signal Hill walk, and settled on a Berwick Forest road-walk, because ground everywhere was SO WET. And again, despite a longer walk than usual, it proved that Hikers can do anything, given time-out on the hills.
We endured one or two showers initially, giving way to cloud and latterly even to sunshine.
It was instructive to witness extensive flooding everywhere and how waterways cope; also the transformations brought about by forest harvesting and re-growth that had taken place over the 10 years since the club last visited the area. Views of the Sinclair Wetlands rewarded the last stages of the day and we got back to the cars just after 3.00 p.m., tired, a bit sore, but triumphant. – Ian.
34. 31/10/2007 Shaw Road?
Although once again, weather report not so good and some cloud hanging around, we left the car park at 9am as usual for our hike in Waipori – Berwick Forest area with high hopes of a good day out. We parked by the side of the road and set off walking along the road then across farm land and up a fairly steep hill.
Jun 14 2017
We all decided it would be no fun climbing round and up Mary Hill with frequent showers and a bitterly cold wind.
On the way back we briefly stopped at Sinclair Wetlands then drove into Berwick Camp, a year 8 class was there on camp, talked with the Activity Coordinator and strolled up to the dam.
It was plain to see what fun the young students were having, particularly when having a turn driving round with a leader in an old converted type of Land Rover in the mud.
So after all this strenuous activity we journeyed on to eat lunch (and cake) at a little hilltop cafe in Clyde street. – Eleanore.
Dec 12 1980
No. 31 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Pineapple Track – Swampy Summit. Year Round”
The hills around Dunedin are superb viewpoints to see the city, coastline and ranges of inland Otago. Flagstaff is one such hill and like Mt Cargill to the north allows the walker to pass through several types of vegetation en route to the summit.
Most of the features seen from the walk have strong historic significance. Beyond Signal Hill, the site of Otakou can be seen. When the first European settlers arrived, this Maori settlement was the largest in the region. In 1817 this ‘kaika’ contained 600 very “fine houses, neatly furnished”. From 1833-1841, a whaling station was operating from here. The whalers’ township, known as Musselburgh was nearer the heads. By 1840, 250 Europeans were living around the harbour entrance. It was from Otakou that the earliest immigrants received their first supplies of fresh meat, milk, butter and vegetables. The region south to the Nuggets and inland by the Clutha to as far as the Lammerlaw Range and West Taieri was bought for European settlement of $4,800.
Almost immediately apparent from the walk is the distinctive layout of the centre of the centre of Dunedin. Charles Kettle and a party of surveyors laid out the streets in 1848, using the special features of the Scottish capital, Edinburgh as a guide. The planned settlement took its name in 1845 from the Highlander’s name for Edinburgh. The town belt, the ribbon of bush threading its way through the suburbs, cutting off the inner city from the suburbs also dates from the early surveys. Immigrants were offered land packages on or before their arrival in Otago. Each consisted of a 1/4 acre (1012 sq m) town allotment, a 10 acre 4 hectare) suburban allotment, and a 50 acre (20 hectare) rural allotment, all sold at the rate of £2 an acre ($9.60) a hectare). The town belt separated the town and suburban allotments. Most rural blocks were on the Taieri Plains.
Kettle’s name was given to Flagstaff Hill, but through common usage the term Flagstaff became accepted and superseded Mt Kettle.
As early as 1925 there was skiing on Swampy Hill and Flagstaff. Sixteen years later an exceptionally heavy snowfall convinced many of the return of very cold winters. Many Otago skiers spent several weekends clearing the hillside of stones and boulders but unfortunately for them the snow never came back.
In these early days of settlement the forests all but cut off Dunedin to the north. Long before a road was made around Mt Cargill, the track known as ‘Johnny Jones’ (the Waikouaiti whaler) track linked the Dunedin area with Waitati via Flagstaff and Swampy. In 1859 snow poles were put up along the track to guide travellers caught out in storm or mist.
A road was made between Whare Flat along the inland flank of the hill to near the saddle between Flagstaff and Swampy Hill in 1870. The settlers at Whare Flat used it to draw their supplies of timber from the bush on the other side of Flagstaff. In later years these old roads fell out of use.
The settlers, utilising a number of small sawmills, ‘cut-out’ much of the bush on the eastern flank of Swampy Hill and Flagstaff. The Pineapple Track at the northern end of Flagstaff passes through such ‘cutover’ forest. From here podocarps were milled to provide local building materials. Only an occasional remnant podocarp remains. Mahoe (whitey wood) is plentiful here while on the forest floor and tree trunks, many species of fern abound. The upper part of the track here includes totara saplings and old stunted broadleafs with twisted limbs, growing in a slightly drier soil. Hounds tongue and “hen and chicken” type ferns hang from the dead tree trunks.
The tussock on the part of the walk from the Whare Flat Road car park (known as the ‘Bullring’) is being taken over by native scrub: flax, manuka and the occasional Olearia – although these get knocked back by fires from time to time. Native orchids are common here, especially in early summer. Skylarks can be heard on this hill from sunrise to sunset.
The summit: An unobtrusive plane table helps point out the many interesting places which can be seen from here. To the north you can see the higher hill of Swampy with its buildings from aviation and scientific experiments, and to its east is Mt Cargill, topped by a TV transmitter. Further away is the city and the drowned valley of Otago Harbour with the Peninsula beyond and the sand dune suburbs of St Clair and St Kilda connecting this with the mainland.
Turning northwards, the track crosses the tussock-covered scenic reserve beyond the summit. In spring and summer, orchids and violets can be seen between the snow tussock. Boulders of volcanic rock are scattered over the hill top, some of which are clustered in lines of ‘stone stripes’ down the hillside.
The tussock grassland now largely covering the summit and upper slopes is only 2-300 years old. Before this , forest covered the entire area. Periodic fires have encouraged the tussock grassland. Snow tussock, mountain flax and Astolia are the most common native plants, while manuka is encroaching into the grassland that fire has not recently reached.
Once into the bush, the track drops through regenerating shrub-land from the signpost at the top of the Pineapple Walk. It was near this spot that in the 1920s a well-known grocer and tramper guiding parties to see the views would pause, and pass around a tin of pineapple. It became a tradition that once empty the tin would be left on a tree or fence post – giving the track the name.
From clearings on this track can be seen Ross Creek Reservoir and the city beyond, also the Mt Cargill television transmitter and the northern side of Leith Valley. Many shrubs are invading clearings from the bush edge. Fuchsia and pepperwood are common. Grazing has determined the nature of this vegetation with only the unpalatable species surviving.
The Booth Road water treatment station sits in a clearing of ornamental plants. A small round concrete tank in the pines on the left of the track halfway down from this station is also part of the water supply scheme built before the 1950s. A tap near the edge of the bush gives cool refreshing water to the walker on his or her return.
At the Booth Road end of the walkway, the track passes through the Dunedin City Council exotic plantation. Spruce, ash, radiata pine and Douglas fir were planted over 30 years ago as part of growth experiments with these species in the area.
– From DoC hard copy information sheet.
Mar 29 2024
Link to Trip Organisation Guidelines for leaders and trip participants.
Link to Track Grading information.
Link to Copy of Trip Programme for printing.
Gradings are provisional and may change following recce. Distances are for road travel from Mosgiel car park. Costs may change with fuel price fluctuations and distance changes. This page has all current updates.
Last updated 29/03/2024.
Wednesday 3 April.
Combined. Sinclair Wetlands. Grade 1.5. $10. 35 km. Leaders: Dave Roberts/John Gardiner Sarah McCormack,Gwenda Farqharson, Ady Whitson /Linda Partridge Jay Devlin.
Wednesday 10 April.
Trampers. Mt Charles. Grade 4. $8. 27 km. Leaders: Graham and Carol Thurlow.
Hikers. Friends Hill Waihola Cycle Track . Grade 1.5. $8. 29 km. Leaders: Margaret Maxwell/Kay Seddon.
Wednesday 17 April.
Trampers. Yellow Ridge/The Gap. Grade 5. $12. 41 km. Leaders: Ross Davies/Neil Hodgkins.
Hikers. Bullring/Ben Rudd/Flagstaff. Grade 2.5. $5. 15 km. Leaders: Max Wilson/Mike Webb.
Continue Reading »
Mar 29 2024
No. 24 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Lovers Leap – The Chasm – Sandfly Bay. N Strang. Farm. Year Round.”
Dec 09 2023
Ocean Grove, also known as Tomahawk, is a suburb in the southeast of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. … The suburb was known as Tomahawk until the 1930s, the name not being a reference to the weapon, but rather possibly an anglicised form of the Māori words tomo haka, meaning “dance by a gravesite”.
No. 23 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Karetai Rd via Monument from Lagoon. Year round.”
Distance from car-park: Tomahawk: 19 km; Smaills Beach: 22 km; Paradise Road: 26 km.’
DCC List: 41 Peg Track. Otago Peninsula
Accessed from Oregon St. 3.5 hrs ret. Tramping track – unbenched. Managed: DCC CAM, private land.
Description – This track provides a link between Ocean Grove and Highcliff Road. Access to the track in Ocean Grove is off Oregon Street. An attractive walk around Tomahawk Lagoon then climbs through gorse and native bush. Turn right towards Soldiers Memorial through paddocks with gorse sometimes obscuring the rock walls.
May 07 2023
Trampers: After a winter start time meet n greet, 10 cars converged on the Waipori Gorge starting point for our combined hikers’ and trampers’ foray up the Government Track. For the trampers the route was to take us further up the hill than the hikers, doing a kind of loop at the top of the hill, then descending back to the Government Track for the homeward leg. Originally Phil and Helen Morris were to be leader and tail end charlie, but Phil catching Covid put paid to plan A. Our initial replacement leader also suffered some health gremlins, so Sarah, rather had things sprung on her the night before, but agreed to lead.
Fourteen trampers started out ahead of the hikers (at 10.am), up a surprisingly damp and cool lower section of the track (mild 23-degree temperatures forecast for the day). As we climbed away from the shaded valley floor, and chilling Waipori River, we warmed up quickly. Accompanying the hikers behind us was a lost, and bewildered looking pig hunting dog (wearing a GPS dog tracking collar), who had been resting under his owner’s ute when we arrived at the car park. Morning tea was enjoyed at 10.30am, not quite at the clearing where it was planned, but on a small bank beside the track. By sheer chance, we soon discovered that the hikers had later stopped around the corner just below us! That pig dog was still with them but did apparently head back down the hill soon afterwards.
Soon on our way again, by 11.40am we had reached the clearing originally planned for our morning tea stop. An enjoyable wander up the track, admiring the array of toadstools and fungi along the way followed.
Purple toadstools were spotted, and a great variety of toadstools sprouted from rotting logs and tree stumps. It soon dawned on us however, that our slow ramble, could make for a very long day, and late finish. Averaging only 2.5kph for 2 hours meant we were well behind schedule. Why so slow?
Creek crossings, recently fallen trees and large branches, and some technical bits slowed our progress, so we started to speed up on the smoother sections.
Being an old horse and dray track, much of the tramp was on lovely dry, smooth surfaces with a gentle uphill gradient. Sarah, ever vigilant, referring to her topo map, subsequently had us stop for lunch later than originally planned at 1.25pm, where we dined and rested in a section of beech forest, having covered 9.74km at this stage.
By 1.50pm lunchtime was over, and we were on our way at a better clip, reaching the usual tramp lunch stop spot (a clearing by power lines) at 2.00pm. Five minutes later we were at the road, turning right, then soon after turning right again into Dunstan Road.
Our speed along this lightly gravelled road increased substantially, which had us arrive at the “White Doc. Gate” at 2.35pm.
Following the road down from here we arrived at the at the “old hut” at 3.19pm.
Leaving here Sarah’s topo map suggested we cross a large open field curving around the hillside diagonally, Phil’s instructions more conservatively showed a fence-line following along the top then down. Although perhaps with a little initial trepidation, our faith in Sarah’s topo map was vindicated, leading us straight to the power-line clearing strip, in the lower bush, and the stile onto the Government Track, (Never doubted you, Sarah!) at 3.40pm. By 4.25pm we were back at the cars, having covered 18.8km with 4.5 hours moving time (average speed 4.18kph). A special shout out and thank you to original leader Phil Morris, who despite having Covid, greatly assisted with a set of instructions and map of the tramp Thanks to Sarah as leader and Pam as tail end charlie. A long day, but one with many fond memories. John
Hikers: 18 keen hikers left PJ Park at 9.30am and travelled down to Berwick where we turned right into Waipori Falls Road and travelled along until we reached the carpark on the left. We took off on our walk accompanied by a dog wearing a GPS collar. Thoughts were that it may have been a pig hunting dog. The walk was a gentle climb through the bush on a reasonably dry track apart from the usual muddy parts which never seem to dry out.
Still the dog followed. About halfway up 2 hikers returned to the carpark followed by the dog.
We carried on up through the bush until we reached open farmland where a bit further on we stopped for lunch overlooking native bushland and forestry.
After lunch we returned the same way back to the cars having walked 7kms.
Coffee was at Wobbly Goat. We all hoped the dog was found by its owner. Today’s leaders were Jay and new member Kay as tail end Charlotte.
Jun 26 2022
Jun 17 2022
27 km from car-park.
May 27 2022
Distances from car-park: Top of Buskin Track 24 km, Glenfalloch 24 km, Macandrew Bay 25 km.
25/05/2022. Trampers. Greenacres, Buskin, Paradise Tracks. M. Leaders: Anne and Rod Ward
It started as a cold blustery day when we departed from Mosgiel, proceeding down the bay with white caps plentiful on the harbour. 14 hardy souls started the Greenacres Track at 0940.
Conditions were better than expected once we started our journey up Greenacres Track and turned right to walk along Highcliff Road to the start of the Buskin Track.
We stopped for a cuppa at the start of the Buskin Track then proceeded down the track to the junction of Paradise Track. Buskin Track was surprisingly sheltered from the cold southerly wind.
After a side walk to Boulder Beach which was spectacular with crashing waves, foam whipping up the beach and blustery cold wind we returned to a sheltered spot at the start of the Paradise Track for lunch.
Ascending up Paradise Track without stopping and a cold southerly on our backs we again joined Highcliff Road then back down Greenacres Track to our vehicles.
Everyone enjoyed the walk and as tramp leader I must congratulate everyone for being so well prepared for the extreme conditions that never eventuated.
Finished our walk at 1440 and headed to “The Duck” at Macandrew Bay for a well-deserved coffee.
Anne & Rod Ward
Glenfalloch’s name is Gaelic and means “Hidden Valley”. Glenfalloch was established in 1871 by George Russell. It covers 12 hectares (30 acres). In 1917 Philip Barling purchased Glenfalloch and it was opened to the public by his son in 1956. It was brought by the Mills family in 1960 and in the late 1960’s the Otago Peninsula Trust purchased the property. We can be very grateful to have this asset to enjoy every season of the year.
9.40am saw Phil and his harem of nine set off through the woodland gardens of Glenfalloch following a path which took us to the Bridal Lawn, over the Russell stream bridge to admire the ferns and woodland foliage before climbing up many steps to a four-wheel drive track and the start of our first big ascent.
As we steadily climbed, this track petered out into a single overgrown track which took us to the boundary line.
Here we pushed our way through low Manuka branches to the fence where packs and poles were thrown over before we squeezed through the wires.
Then it was a steady zigzag climb up Claremont Farm to just below Highcliff Rd where we stopped for morning tea while enjoying the great vista’s back over the city, the sparkling water of the harbour and to Port Chalmers and beyond. Jill D’s birthday treat of easter eggs got us going again walking up Highcliff Road for 15mins to Penzance Kennels and the start of Buskin track.
This track weaved its way down the side of the hill, again with spectacular views now of the Pacific Ocean and rolling farmland out to Sandfly Bay. This single file track was mostly grass with the odd churned up muddy patches trampled by cattle, but some boards had been placed in situ. We eventually came to a junction with Braidwood track to Boulder Beach and Highcliff Track to the right. We continued on the Highcliff track through clumps of macrocarpa trees until we came out in the open again.
The track weaved its way towards the sea and then suddenly it was a steep grunt up to the top to the White Rocks (lichen covered) for lunch.
Again, enjoying spectacular views over Boulder Beach, towards Sandfly Bay and Mt Charles, Phil handed around chocolate treats from Betty and Jim (thank you soo much).
With the sugar rush we were off again and, as we walked around a corner, the views changed again to Tomahawk, St Clair Beach and Black head. When Highcliff Track finished, we continued on Karetai Rd to where it meets Highcliff Rd. A 20-minute walk down Highcliff Rd brought us to the unmarked District Track.
Once Phil cleared the grass around the stile, we scrambled down through long grass following the fence line for 20 mins to another stile and from there continued through trees towards Portobello Road.
A very steep final descent brought us onto Portobello Road.
We had a 20 minute walk on the shared pathway to Glenfalloch where we were joined by Raewyn, Claire and Jan for coffee, cake and ice cream on the deck in the last rays of sunshine.
Thank you Helen for filling in at the last minute as Tail End Charlie and to Jason allowing us access through Claremont Farm. Pam Cocks
Aug 23 2017
2. 23/8/2017. Hikers. Gardens to Surf. E. Leaders: Pam and Dawn.
We Parked our cars in Duke Street, near the Woodhaugh gardens. 22 members started off. We walked through the Varsity and had morning tea at the Polytech outdoor area. Walked along Portsmouth Drive to Queens Drive down to St Kilda beach. Walked along playing fields and some track to picnic area above beach, where we had our lunch. We then continued on to St Clair, via street and caught the bus back to the Botanical gardens where we enjoyed a hot drink. Back to our cars and home to Mosgiel by 3.45pm. A very enjoyable day was had by all. – Dawn.
1. 19/8/2015. Hikers. Gardens to Surf.
We had a good day walking from the Botanic Gardens…
…to St Kilda beach…
…and along the beach to St Clair. I had not been on the beach since the June storms and was blown away by the damage to the beach.
The piles…
…are nearly all bent over by St Clair. Thank goodness I have done 3 paintings of the piles. Judy Knox was on TV Wed. night and did a very good interview on the local TV channel.
We all went back on the bus to the Gardens and all (I think) 27 of us didn’t pay. I think the bus driver got a bit of a surprise. – Elaine. [An unintended report, purloined from an email. – Ed]
Feb 23 1983
The Tunnel Beach Walkway, one of the most popular scenic walks around Dunedin will be officially opened by the Minister of Lands, Mr Elworthy, on March 16. (1983).
Access to Tunnel Beach has been negotiated by the Lands and Survey Department with the farmer who owns the land the walkway crosses.
The advantage to the farmer of the walkway is that under the Walkways Act he can be compensated if there is damage done and the access can be controlled. For example, the Tunnel Beach Walkway will be closed during lambing.
…
The steps down the tunnel are worn and water seeps through it so concrete steps will be poured before the official opening.
The Tunnel Beach Walkway is a coastal walk, descending a line of seacliffs south of St Clair where the wild Pacific breakers have carved sheer headlands, sea stacks and arches, and the wind has sculptured extraordinary shapes.
From the road end the track descends across green pasture and within a few minutes reaches the clifftops above Tunnel Beach.
The rock underfoot is the soft Caversham sandstone, an extensive thick sediment laid down during the sea’s encroachment of the Dunedin area 20 million years ago. The sandstone was generally overlain by other sediments, but near here lava from the Dunedin volcano flowed over the sandstone itself. This occurred about a dozen million years ago. The soft nature of the almost uniform sandstone makes walking too close to the cliff-edge a dangerous practice, but has also allowed the magnificent carving both by humans and by nature that is in evidence here.
At Tunnel Beach the rock is seen in detail. Careful examination will reveal shell fragments and with luck a fossil such as a brachiopod shell or echinoderm (sea urchin) or even bones of an extinct whale could be found.
At the top of the tunnel and on the promontories, the rock supports a community of salt-resistant species including Austral spleenwort, Selliera sp and Samolus sp. Species that occur further up the slope do not grow here as they cannot cope with the sea water that splashes up during the high seas that can batter this stretch of coastline.
The tunnel was dug in the 1870s by workmen employed by John Cargill, a son of Captain William Cargill, and who farmed the area. It’s reputed to have been a birthday present to his daughter.
The Cargill families found seclusion and shelter on the beach at the foot of the tunnel steps.
The swift flowing current, with is load of sand and erosive potential, heads up the coast just beyond the extremities of this little bay. It must have deterred all but the strongest swimmer from entering the water. At low tide the sandy beach makes an attractive setting for picnics, with the deeply cleft sandstone buttresses towering above. Some are intricately carved, some lie scattered as blocks already tumbled to the beach. Needless to say, common sense dictates where to sit in safety.
Some of the smaller boulders beneath the cliff are derived from the lava floors above, or from Blackhead, a headland of down-thrown volcanic rock being quarried to the south-east.
Vertical rusty streaks of iron-staining make a cross-cross pattern with the near horizontal traces of each successively deposited layer, called “bedding planes”, visible on the cliff faces.
Caves and sea-arches are eroded into the cliffs and an arch at the southern edge of Tunnel Beach, when seen from the walkway above is an excellent example showing the formation of a “stack”.
When the arch has finally eroded and collapsed, the leg on the right will stand free of the mainland just as the stacks off the northern edge of the beach do. Horizontal bedding visible on these stacks suggests that these are still in situ and are not blocks that have fallen from elsewhere.
Amongst a group of trees atop the cliffs, Cargills Castle awaits further depredation by time, vandalism and weather. It was built in 1876 for Edward Cargill, another son of the founder of the Province, Captain William Cargill; and a Mayor of Dunedin 1879-98. Originally called “The Cliffs” it was not long before the Italian-designed building was given its present name by locals. It was one of the first concrete buildings in Otago.
The “castle” was of 21 rooms and cost £14,000 to erect. It was nearly completely destroyed by fire in 1892 and although rebuilt by 1923 – “the biggest white elephant in Dunedin” according to one building contractor – was unfit for habitation.
In more recent years there have been several attempts to instill new life into the building, including an opera venture and plans for a tavern, but all to no avail.
– Dunedin Midweek, Wednesday, Feb 23, 1983.