Feb 25 2015
Berwick Waipori River walk
GPS of route. 12.54 km
Thirteen Hikers parked their cars by a Lavender Farm in Heenan Road. The day turned out to be largely a road walk. We walked the length of Heenan Road into the face of a ferocious westerly that didn’t let up all day, and had forced us into our parkas for warmth. We passed the former Wesleydale Methodist Camp site on our right, sighted the paddock corner where the track to Three Kings went into the bush, looked up at Three Kings standing out at the top, and passed the stock shed a little further on, some of us noting that it marked the top end of the paper road that links with the Waipori Road at its foot. But the plan was to continue further to where the Road met up with Munro Road. Turning right into it we shortly stopped in the shelter of a plantation for a brief morning cuppa, the plantation providing a measure of shelter for the wind blast. We continued to the road’s end by a built-up and fenced-off reservoir with its gate wide open. Courious, we climbed up and came across two DCC workmen, one of whom was vainly paddling an inflatable dingy against the wind, eventually managing to get to the point where it could be pulled out of the water. Quite a sight. Forgot to take a photo. Ouch.
Past the dam,the road changed to a FWD track which in turn ended a paddock, down across which we went to a gate at its other end that led down to Waipori Road.
A short distance down we turned into Twelve Tree Road which led us to a paddock, across which was the metal stock bridge across the Waipori River. Peter went ahead on the pretense of having something to attend to, but when we got to the bridge there he was holding up a sign proclaiming “Bev’s Bridge”, due to her being one of the few who could walk across upright without having to bend her head to avoid hitting the low iron cross rods above. (See later pic taken on return trip.)
Instead of turning down stream, Peter led us up, through various gates and paddocks to a patch of bush which provided shelter from the wind as we sat in the sun and lunched.
Lunch
Returning,…
Stock bridge across Waipori River
The Bev Harvey Bridge. Caution – Height Limit. (to replace yet another forgotten photo-take on the way in)
…we came out at a different spot on the Waipori Road near the Mill Creek bridge and went along to return up the paddock we had come down earlier. Now with the wind behind us, returning was easier, and an obvious road allowed us to walk at our own rates.
Stone house in excellent condition (another after-thought photo)
Thanks to Peter and Elaine whose excellent leadership was helped by a compliant group, smaller than usual. – Ian.
3/4/2002 Combined. Berwick – Waipori River walk. Medium. Leaders: Bill H, Lesley S, Evelyn C