Taieri Recreational Tramping Club

No. 72 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Leith Saddle Sullivans Dam. (Green Roof House at Bridge) Year Round”

22/7/2009. Hikers. Sullivans Dam. Medium. Leaders: Lesley G, Bev H.

12/7/2006. Sullivans Dam. Easy. Leaders:  Bob & Nadia, Mary M

20/6/2005. Hikers. Sullivans Dam. Leaders: Frank and Lesley, Eleanor W.

29/8/2001. Alt. Pigeon Flat – Sullivans Dam. Leaders: Nelson and Dot, Wendy J.

14/3/2001. Pigeon Flat and Sullivans Dam. Leaders: Joyce, Mary M, Daphne.

11/8/1999. Sullivans Dam. Leaders: Joyce, Nancy, Pat.

2/9/1998. Leith Saddle Sullivans Dam. Leaders: Joyce, Nancy.

12/7/2006 Leith Saddle, Sullivans Dam, Bridle Track Leaders: Bob & Nadia, Mary M

29/8/2001 Leith Saddle, Sullivans Dam, Bridle Track Leaders: Nelson, Wendy J

1999 Leith Saddle, Sullivans Dam, Bridle Track Leaders: Joyce S, Nancy, Pat

1/10/2003. Trampers. Patmos Avenue, Cowan Road, Bridal Track, Pigeon Flat, Leith Valley Road. Medium. Leaders: Sabina, Shirley McN.

1/10/2003. Hikers. Patmos Avenue, Cowan Road, Bridal Track, Sullivans Dam, Leith Valley Road. Medium. Leaders: Eleanor, Val.

13/11/2002. Hikers. Patmos Avenue, Cowans Road, Cowans Road, Bridal Trail, Leith Valley Road. Medium. Leaders: Nancy, Dot T.

13/11/2002 Trampers. Patmos Avenue, Cowans Road, Bridal Trail, Pigeon Flat, Leith Valley Road. Medium+. Leaders: Ian, Barbara McC, Nancy, Dot T

5/6/2002 Leaders: Nancy, Arthur & Barbara, Barbara McC

11/7/2001 Leaders: Colleen, Lex, Peter B

3/5/2000 Leaders: Nancy, Bill & Pat

15/9/1999. Patmos Avenue, Bridle Track. Leaderx: Colleen, Wendy, Sabina.

22/4/1998. Patmos Avenue, Cowan Road, Pigeon Flat, Sullivan Dam, Leith Valley. Leaders: Nancy, Irene, Colleen.

23/7/1997. Leith Valley, Nicholls Waterfall, Sullivans Dam. Meet at Duke Street. Leaders: Jack and Rosemary, Daphne.

Click Swampy ridge track for background information.
See also: Leith Saddle and Morrison Tracks
Leith Saddle, Waitati Valley Road, Sawmill Track, Swampy Ridge, Burns Track

No. 56 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Deep Creek from Old Dunstan Road. (Rocklands. Year Round”

Est, 50 km from car park.

See Deep Creek Water Scheme Pipeline history.

Click Mount Cargill history for background information

4. 13/09/2023. Trampers. Pine Hill, Mt Cargill. Grade 3.5, $5, 20km, Leaders: John Gardiner, Dave Roberts

Having already somewhat created a “rod for my own back”, in starting the Wizard of Oz theme in my tramp preamble last week, after some prompting, I’ll try to intertwine the “Wizard” theme into this report. Inevitably particularly pertinent to trampers, some yellow brick road references.

On an overcast morning with a chilly wind, 21 trampers, who arrived in 6 cars, set out at 10.00am, on the start of our tramp in Cowan Road. Like Dorothy at the beginning of her yellow brick road journey, most trampers had no idea where they would venture during the day.

– One interpretation of the “Wizard Fable” is that on life’s journey, tenacity, and perseverance in striving for a goal is a core value.

Following the previously described, muddy, gorse lined portal to what lay beneath, morning tea was enjoyed at 10.40am on the lower, wider, gravel road, at a sheltered spot.

– Some believe the gold colour of the yellow brick road and the green “Emerald City” represent the currency arguments the US experienced in the 1900’s.

Soon we were on the track leading down through the forest, with a pine needle carpet underfoot, and after following a fence line, we were soon on the gravel road to Sullivans Dam, arriving at 11.20am.

-During the making of the “Wizard” movie, the snow scene contained fake asbestos based snow that left many on set chronically ill!

Lunch was enjoyed at the beautiful Sullivans Dam, beginning a little early, at 11.50am, in a sheltered spot. We had reached our destination.

-In the Wizard story the Emerald City is a place to which Dorothy, the tin man, the lion, and the scarecrow journey in order to achieve their various dreams.

By 12.15pm we were on our way again, walking around the side of Sullivans Dam to the start of the “Cloud Forests of the Leith” track. This track, with it’s many boardwalk sections and beautiful bush (even a ‘bush telegraph’ and Gnome Grotto) adding yet more variety to our tramp.

-In the Wizard story the yellow brick road was at times very rough. The scarecrow often stumbled over the yellow bricks, which were very uneven, sometimes even broken, or missing altogether, leaving holes that dog Toto (a West Highland Terrier) and Dorothy jumped across or walked around.

Arriving at the top of the Cloud Forests track by 1.20pm, we regrouped with a magnificent view north to Blueskin Bay and beyond, before following the gravel road to the base of the “portal” gorse lined track.

On this section a navigational error by your’s truly resulted in everyone walking a bit further than necessary to a dead end part of the road. The greatest consequence of this being my embarrassment!

– In the Wizard story, Dorothy follows the yellow brick road, intending to find the Wizard, who would bestow on her the knowledge to achieve her goal, only to find that she had the answer within her all along.

Heading up the gorse lined final section of our tramp took us back to the cars by 2.30pm, having covered approx 8 km. A Grade 3 tramp.

-So where was the yellow brick road? Some believe it is a brick road in Peekshill, New York, where author L.Frank Baum attended Peekshill Military Academy. Others believe it was inspired by a road paved in yellow bricks near Holland, Michigan where Baum spent many summers.

Afternoon tea was enjoyed at the Crocodile Cafe, Dunedin Botanic Garden, on what had developed into a mild , sunny day. As a footnote – I did apply and receive a permit to walk on the City Forests section of this tramp, only to receive a later email, stating that it wasn’t necessary if we stayed on the Escarpment or 3 Peaks tracks.
Special thanks to Dave Roberts for acting as tail end Charlie and Graeme Souter for his help with the rece.

– Goodbye yellow brick road.

John Gardiner.

Background.
The Deep Creek Water Scheme was built during the depression of the 30s.
The Pipeline is 58 years old and 64 km long.
The intake is 675m above sea level.
The catchment is 5420 hectares; mainly tussock with some grassland.
The steel pipeline, lined with bitumen, was in a bad state of repair by the 80s and the leaks were constantly plugged with tapered wooden plugs until it resembled a porcupine.
The authorities were eventually persuaded to renew the worst section, this being done with the aid of a helicopter in 1992. It is a useful supplement to Dunedin’s water supply.
The Pipeline is made of bitumen-lined steel excepting the first 1.4 km which was replaced in 1992 with concrete pipes.
Water quality is variable and often discoloured.
Over the 58 years the yield has dropped from 11,000 cubic metres to 6,800 cubic metres a day.
The water goes to Booth Road Treatment Station and Sullivans Dam.
Replacing the rest of the pipeline is estimated at $20,000,000 and would increase the flow to 17,000 cubic metres a day.
– From a hand-written record in the President’s file and supplemented with other data.

5. 18/1/2017. Hikers. Moores Bush – Sullivan’s Dam. E. Leaders: Bev and Lesley.

4. 19/9/2012. Hikers. Moores Bush, Sullivans Dam. Leaders: Bruce and Marjorie

3. 17/2/2010 Hikers. Thompson Rd, Moores Bush, Leith Valley Rd, Sullivan’s Dam, Leith Valley Rd. Leaders: Bev, Leslie.

Have included the website for anyone interested in looking it up. http://www.ecoimages.co.nz/ForestandBird/mooresbush.html The photos are ones from that site.

Just a short walk to the entrance of Moores Bush for our morning tea and then off we went through the bush. Track rather overgrown and we had to wade through Leith Stream to get to the exit but everyone was interested to see Moores bush and check out what work had been done by the Forest and Bird Soc., over the years. We didn’t see much “bird”, but we loved the “forest”, with  some grand Rimu trees, lots of mature Fuchsia, a Big Red Beech, many mature Lancewoods, heavy undergrowth, and more recent plantings of Totara, Rimu

We exited again onto the Leith Valley Road. From there it was up the road to Sullivans Dam with a very pleasant walk round the dam to find a sheltered spot on the motorway side for our lunch as it had turned quite cold. We admired the birdlife on the ‘lake’ and the unusual North Island Cabbage Tree planting. Then it was back down the Leith Valley Rd to the cars. While it was not a long walk, it was varied and satisfying for the 12 people most of whom were discovering new territory. – Bev and Bob. (Amalgamation of two reports. Thank you, Bev and Bob. – Editor)

2. 5/6/2002. Combined. Patmos Avenue, Pigeon Flat, Moore’s Bush. Medium. Leaders: Nancy, Barbara and Arthur, Barbara McC

1. 3/5/2000. Patmos Avenue, Leith Saddle, Moore’s Bush. This incorporates and longer and shorter walk. Starting together. Leaders: Nancy, Pat and Bill.

Location: 25 km.

Click Swampy ridge track for background information.

7 of us met at the parking spot opposite Thompsons Rd. Continue Reading »

8/9/2010. Trampers. Paradise, Braidwood, Sandfly Bay. M. Leadership: Informal.

Weather looked fine at Mosgiel, but when we four trampers arrived at Sullivans Dam for the Cloud Forest-Escarpment Tramp, we struck a drizzly cloudy shock. For mud and safety concerns we turned back to town and on the way decided to try the Peninsula. We parked at the top of the Paradise Road track and the weather was quite a degree clearer. However, our second shock was to find the track the WETTEST we have ever found it. No one slipped over, (miraculously), but we had to be extremely cautious in placing our feet.

Continue Reading »