Taieri Recreational Tramping Club

Distance from car-park: 57.5 km.

15. 06/03/2024. Combined. Waikouaiti. Grade 2.5. $16. 57 km. Leaders: Karen McInnes/ Gail Williams, Carol Morrison/Val Cayford

A great turnout of about 26 people took part in the combined outing to Waikouaiti. Continue Reading »

Directions. At Waikouaiti, turn left from SH1 onto McGrath Road, left onto Ramrock Road, left onto Garden Bush Road. Hill on south side of road. 68 km from car park. 1 hr 20 min driving time.

Click: Mark and site details for 1080: Trig HH WAIKOUAITI. Situated on the highest point of prominent hill on the Southern side of Garden Bush Road. Access is via Garden Bush road. for exact location.

11/10/1995. Horseshoe Bend, Steephill Road. (Halfway between Evansdale and Waikouaiti). Medium. Leaders: Shirley, Nancy, Molly, Betty B

[Mountain Road, Green Hut, Rosella Ridge, Waikouaiti River. 5-6 hrs 13 km, Hard.

Mountain Road, Green Hut, Rosella Ridge, River Track, Hunters Access Track, Mountain Road. 6-7 hrs 17 km, Hard. Mountain Road DOC carpark – 42 km from carpark.]

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    9. 17 April 2024. Trampers Rosella Ridge. Grade 5.5 Leaders: Ross and Neil

An early start of 8:00am was set; with only one person missing the memo.

18. 27/03/2024. Trampers. Maori Peak and Split Rock.  Grade 3 Leaders: John and Dave

I’ve always regarded myself as, and indeed endeavoured to be, an optimist. But on Tuesday night, I had serious doubts that Wednesday’s tramp would proceed. That night seemed to leave little room for optimism. A Wednesday morning early dog walk gave a glimmer of hope, that the weather, although unpredictable, might be improving.  Seventeen ‘optimistic’ trampers took part on the Split Rock tramp.

Part: Tramping Track, Managed by DOC. Rest: Not during lambing Sept-Nov. Seek Permission.

Hikers: Leaders Heather and Val Cayford

Information
Rock and Pillar via Six Mile Creek This climbs 1,005 m. (3300 feet) up the eastern face from Glencreag Station up a leading ridge south of Six Mile Creek. This is the most direct approach.
Rock and Pillar via spur south of Lug Creek. Information: Climbs 910 m. (3000 feet) up the eastern face of a well-graded vehicle track up a leading spur south of Lug Creek. Average time to Leaning Lodge is 3 hours on foot.
DoC access. 9.5km north of the Middlemarch store on SH87, just before Lug Creek, is a farm entrance (RAPID 7219 – no DoC sign). A short way up the driveway is a DoC car park. There is public access up the vehicle track to the conservation area boundary. The track is now a recreation reserve administered by DoC.
Easiest route to Big Hut from Leaning Lodge (foot only – unmarked – good visibility essential) is another 45+ minutes climbing gently southwards to cross a steep gully and then climb a gentle shelf to above the eastern basins. Sidle several hundred metres past the lower prominent rock tors before gently descending to Big Hut once it becomes visible. Route very wind and cloud-prone. Ice axe and crampons may be necessary to traverse steep snow slopes near Leaning Lodge.
64 km to Middlemarch. 66 km to Stonehurst Track.
Redan Crater- contact for access Ken Rennick.

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13. 06/12/2023. Hikers. Sutton Salt Lake – Glencreag Track. Grade 2.5. $16. 60km. Leaders: Wendy Langley/Katrina McKenzie

17 of us headed to Sutton where we walked the Sutton Lake loop. Continue Reading »

Location: 41 km.

Click Silver Peaks Forest for background information on the area.

15. 23/08/2023. Trampers. Possum Hut Circuit. Grade 3.5. Leaders Neil Hodgkin and Gwenda Farqharson.

18 trampers completed this tramp in an anti-clockwise direction on a calm mild spring day.

The track was in good condition and everyone seemed to enjoy it. We had Smoke-O after descending the track through the Douglas firs, a photo shoot at the derelict Possum Hut, and had lunch at the site of the old Green Hut.

The total distance was about 8kms and we were away from the vehicles for 4 hours.

We culminated the day with coffee at the Gallery Cafe at Waititi.

 

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At about 10.10am four cars from Mosgiel, met three cars from Dunedin, at the “On the Spot Dairy”, Waitati, and proceeded to Steep Hill Road, a short distance passed the ‘big dip’at the top of the Kilmog. A few Kilometers or so, on the gravel road, saw us arrive at Moana Farm (Lawson’s Farm.) By 10.25am Twenty four trampers left the cars, with Theresa leading the first part of the tramp, myself being Tail End Charlie.

The previous night had been a cold, stormy one, and the cold South Westerly wind, certainly made it’s presence felt as we walked further along Steep Hill Road, through a farm gate, and along the fence line parallel to the road, until coming to the next downhill fence, which we followed until turning left at the gate, bottom of the paddock.

(Please bear with me on the previous bit, that seems like information overload, but is critical knowledge for anyone planning the tramp in future.) From here the tramp goes in a roughly circular, clockwise direction, up hill and down dale , following farm tracks.
The lowest point of the tramp was soon reached, where most kept reasonably dry feet, crossing Mary’s Creek.

This creek has an intriguing little story (tall tale or true?) as to how it got it’s popular nickname, which I explained soon after the crossing. It seems Mary was a gold miner’s wife who regularly bathed in the creek.

After this bit of local cultural enlightenment, we seemed to do more uphill than downhill, until

Theresa stopped us for morning tea in a sheltered spot, out of the wind, amongst the tussocks, at 10.50am. By 11.05am we were on our way again, following the farm track, and admiring views of the valley below; farmland with native plantings in the gullies, and farm tacks, mostly following fence lines, seemingly going in all directions, zig-zagging around the property. At 12.30pm we stopped for lunch at the same spot Theresa, Sarah, Phil and I stopped on our Recce. Here sheltered from the wind, most found a ‘comfortable perch’ on rocks, logs, or the bank. to enjoy lunch.

A visit by the farmer, with his beautiful Huntaway perched on the back of his quad-bike followed, just before we started off again at 1.00pm.

I then led the second part of the tramp, back to the cars. Shortly afterwards the forecast wind change took place. The South Westerly wind, changing around to a “Nor Wester.” Just as cold, just as strong, and just as much in our faces! Some respite was found in the sheltered areas of the track as it wound it’s way around hillsides, up and down gullies, and ridges. By 1.45pm we were back at the cars after negotiating the cattle yards. (Thick squelchy mud!)

Afternoon coffee was enjoyed at Blueskin Nursery Cafe’.

In all we had covered 8.56km, altitude 240metres, a Grade 3 Tramp.
Thank-yous are due to :-
Farmer Willie Lawson, for so generously allowing us access to enjoy his property
Theresa White, for keeping me on my toes, and acting as Leader and Tail End Charlie.
Phil Keene and Sarah McCormack for help with our Recce.
Neil Simpson who has lead the tramp before, and was a mine of information on my initial contact with him.

John Gardiner.

69 km from car-park

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4. 24/5/2023 Mt Royal/Bobby’s Head Trampers. Grade 3.5 Leaders Graham Thurlow and Carol Thurlow.

On a calm and sunny winter’s day we arrived at the Tavora Reserve car park.

Some of us came via various routes! As we walked along the road towards Steven Foote’s farm and then up the paddocks toward Mount Royal, Graham explained that the Goodwood Rd had been the original wagon road to Palmerston and up to the goldfields through the Pig Route.

We walked up through the paddocks turning to admire views out to the coast, and the Pleasant River estuary to the southeast.

Then also looking further up the coast Graham explained that the large homestead on a knob facing west, was built by the Preston family in 1904. Some of their descendants still own Longlands Station inland at the end of the Pig Route as you enter the Maniototo. This house (shown below) was once their winter residence.

Then from a point higher up as we entered the valley we looked down on Ireland Road. Graham explained this valley had been occupied by many Irish families. The Kelly’s were the last to leave. We arrived at the Foote family Hut in the valley and had lunch.

After that we headed straight up to the Skyline and through the gate into Simon Engelbrecht’s farm. (Formally Graham’s farm). At the top we stood beside the survey Trig marker. We viewed Palmerston below us and up to the north the Kakanui mountain range. To the west were clear views of the volcanic peaks inland from Waikouaiti including Mount Watkin.

As we walked back down to the coast we observed the remnant native forest still on the farm largely ngaio, broadleaf, houhere or lacebark, totara, matai, kanuka and red matipo. Down Bobby’s Head Rd to the Tavora Reserve around the cliffs we observed seals lazing about in the sun.

Back at the cars everyone expressed their enjoyment to be out tramping again on a good day. Our thanks to Steven Foote and Simon Engelbrect for granting us access across their farms.

4. 26/4/2023 Mt Watkin. Trampers. Grade 4.5. Leaders Graeme Thurlow and Phil Keene.

On a cool day 7 trampers came and we headed straight up Mt Watkin first.

With wind in exposed places especially at the top we all enjoyed a rest and a sit down for a well-earned morning tea. Great views of the snow on the Rocky Pillars but slightly misty in the distance.

Descending all agreed it was a grade 5.

A welcome rest was needed amidst the rocks before continuing to the boundary fence with Smith’s farm. Graham T’s jovial comments “We haven’t got far to go’ received responses like “Yeah, right??”

After the descent to Smiths boundary when we looked at distance and time, we were shocked at how little distance we had gone for the time it took.

Now easy going to the rewards of the blackberries near the boundary and onto lunch at the DCC hut which was wired and set up for entertainment with LED lights!

Further on down the western track we exited into long grass circled by forest and then entering the forest we bush bashed.

Zig zagging and encountering vines we continued down until finally reaching the creek for our climb up and out finally to a track out through a gate into Noone’s property.

A longish walk back to the car and comments were ‘It’s good we knocked the b…. (Mt Watkin) at the start of the day’ and not had to tackle it at the end of the day.

Good comradeship, jovial comments and laughter eased the challenges of the day.

Thanks to David Smith and Zac Noone for giving permission to tramp on their property.

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Click Ben Rudd Article for background information.

Click Pineapple and Flagstaff walk for background information.

Antony Hamel in his Dunedin Tracks and Trails book has interesting information on the “Snowy Mountain Track” under his Spiers Road entry.

4. Eastern Flagstaff. Trampers. Grade 4.5. $5. 15km. Leaders Ross Davies and Gwenda Farquharson

(Redwoods bike tracks – Old Pineapple Track – No track – Davies Track – Flagstaff Walkway – Spiers Road Track – street walk)

17 of us met up in Wakari Road at the carpark for the Redwoods bike tracks on a cloudy morning and headed off into the maze at 9.20am. It’s a lovely meander through the very tall trees. We emerged at the Booth Road end of the Pineapple track and took the track up to the water treatment plant.

We had morning tea there a little after 10am on the uphill side before heading into the bush behind the plant. This was the entrance to the original Pineapple Track which was replaced by the current one in the late 1970s. Within a few minutes on a faint unmarked trail we crossed the McGouns Track  and kept on straight up. The track is reasonably obvious. It was a bit greasy in places but is a nice contrast with the new track.

We emerged into the open area beside the new Pineapple Track but didn’t head over to Pineapple Point viewpoint as we’d been enveloped in cloud by then.

Instead we retreated a little way back down the way we’d come before heading south through the bush, contouring around to the middle part of the Davies Track. There’s a slight ground trail, and some markers, probably noting trapping lines. Plus lovely big Totara trees and impressive cabbage trees. Towards the Davies Track there are blue triangle markers for another trap line and this leads on to the Davies Track about halfway up. We had a look at the alligator swamp but they were all hiding.

The upper part of the track was fairly muddy and slippery. Eventually we emerged from the bush, just below the cloud. After the fire a few years ago, the flax and gorse and grass are growing back, and it was saturated. With nowhere dry to stop, we carried on up to the Flagstaff Walkway and then a few more minutes towards the top where we found a sheltered dry spot beside the track for lunch, at about 12.45pm.

After lunch we zoomed across the summit, then down a little way towards the Bullring. You have to keep your eyes out for the Spiers Road track branching off to the left, over the ridge and then plunging down towards Halfway Bush.

After the light rain of the night before the track needing a bit of care.

This was the route of the Snowy Mountain Road, the first overland route out of the new Dunedin to the north, over Flagstaff, over Swampy, over Hightop, and on north to Johnny Jones’ Cherry Farm at Waikouaiti via what is now the Mountain Road forestry road.

Further down we passed Ben Rudd’s stone wall, and then the site of a plane crash in 1943 which everyone survived, including the plane! From the bottom of Spiers Road it was a 30-minute street walk back to the cars, checking out the houses and gardens along the way. Most repaired to Coffee Culture in the olde Roslyn fire station for the de-brief.

Thanks Gwenda for helping out, and to everyone for sharing in another happy adventure.

Ross

Tramp details: Distance – 13 kms; height gain – 730 m; moving time – 3.75-4 hrs; elapsed time – 6.25 hrs.
Discussion afterwards agreed 4 or 4.5 for grade and I’m comfortable with 4.5 because of the extra height gain and the proportion of rough track involved.