Jan 10 2018

North Taieri Church, Salisbury, Taieri River Lookout off Taioma Road

Published by under Hikers

Background information on Salisbury property
10. 10/1/2018 Hikers. Taieri River view lookout. E. Leaders: Doug and Ian.
Twenty-one Hikers turned out for the first tramp of the new year, parking the cars at the lay-by on Taioma Road beside the entrance  to the Taieri View Road. This tramp was to differ markedly from the last one we had done back in 1915.
First, a couple of the private forests along the forest road on the left had been ‘harvested’, as they say, the first one now replaced with paddocks.
Second, the former FWD track was now a road, much more heavily metalled and heavily dented by the double wheels of forest trucks carrying heavy loads.
And third, road’s end was now in the middle of the branch-and-trunk-strewn cleared second forestry. No longer a gentle grass-covered FWD track ending in a rough honeysuckle and gorse encroached track. A shock. A big shock.
Yes, the shocking new way of getting to the lookout was to have to pick our way through a debris of tangled branches down along a left-leaning bench-sort-of-slope that was marginalised by a messed-up fence line on  the right and a steep fall-off on the left.
The goal ahead of us was to be a line of small Manuka and gorse bush, a middle part of it dead. Just where the dead changed on its right to the dark green, the leaders knew to be the sturdy post at the end of a fence, alongside which was the track down through to the lookout. This they had found only after well over half an hour’s reconnoitring the previous week.
Seventeen of us reached the lookout unscathed by the sharp-ended broken branches we had to negotiate, with four electing, a short distance in, to prudently head back and wait for us near the safety of the road.

At the lookout, despite some reluctance to leave the wonder of the view,

Taieri Lookout. (Clive pic and caption.)

but it being still only eleven o’clock, we eventually turned back to retackle the cleared (??) forestry slope.

The hills denuded of pines made for heavy going in places (Clive pic and caption.)

This time, with leadership guidance no longer needed to find a way, a wonderful variety of routes back up to the road were found.

Back right up near road’s entrance, we stopped for lunch under power lines with the cleared area affording us a pleasant view.

Along the short distance of Taieri View Road, and out onto Taioma Road, and leaving our parked cars on our left, we headed down the road to a gate onto Salisbury property. We headed down through a couple of paddocks,

A walk down the hill with the Taieri Gorge railway in the background. (Clive pic and caption.)

the route getting steadily steeper until its very steepest part got us down to the relief of the flat. Many elderly knees didn’t enjoy that last part one bit.

A nice flat lane led us to the wonderful restored stone cottage where we stopped to again admire the beautiful work done to it both inside …

Glen Lyon Cottage inside(Clive pic)

Glen Lyon Cottage inside (Clive pic)

… and out.

Glen Lyon Cottage established 1862. (Clive pic and caption)

Then out to Wairongoa Road where two shuttle cars  ferried drivers back to their cars in the lay-by to allow everyone to return home, some by a coffee break en route.

The day was cloudy and not too hot. Just right.
The normal route would have both started and ended on Wairongoa Road, the tramp beginning with the steep climb through Salisbury paddocks to Taioma Road, morning tea half way up, and lunch at the lookout. All agreed however that through a car shuttle saving the Salisbury paddocks for just a return downhill journey and for a shorter first tramp of the year was the way to do it. – Doug and Ian.
9. 26/7/2017. Trampers.  Showgrounds, Taioma Rd, Taieri flood views. Leader: Eleanore.
Walked all but 17km and averaged 4.8km an hour.
We drove and parked at the Showgrounds.  Ten of us were eager to get out for a walk without rain.  We headed up Taioma road and had smoko at the bottom of the hill.  Then a steady uphill climb took us to the Taieri View sign, a few stops along the way were had to look at the flooding of the lower Taieri (which occurred after heavy rain on Friday and Saturday). Also, picking out landmarks and where some of us live on the Taieri.

Nice view over mosgiel. (Helen pic and caption.)

We turned left at the Taieri View sign, then veered left again onto a Forestry road that took us to where trees had recently been milled. Looking across farmland, down to the Taieri river, cleared forest and 4 goats grazing in the distance we enjoyed the vista while eating lunch.

Lunch. (Helen pic and caption.)

After lunch we walked back to the junction and decided to carry  on down the road that we veered off, where we were looking further down the Taieri towards Henley at the floods.

Water on the plains. (Helen pic and caption.)

Once we headed for home, it was down hill all the way to the cars.  We parked  back at the car park and strolled round to Blackstone where we enjoyed coffee and cake.
The weather was calm and mild, which made our outing most enjoyable. – Eleanore.

8. 2015 Aug 26. Hikers. North Taieri Church, Salisbury and Taieri Lookout. Leaders: Pam, Dawn.
GPS of route

GPS of route

Where to start with all the happenings in this report? Well, first, when the cars arrived at North Taieri Church some of the Brighton people failed to turn up. It transpired, as was later report, their car load turned back to just walk around Mosgiel on seeing the “Road Closed” Taioma Road notice. Twenty of us set of along and up…

The paddocks were as steep as ever.

The paddocks were as steep as ever.

…the Salisbury farm paddocks to emerge onto Taioma Road just above the zig-zag and stop for morning tea on the road edge,

Cuppa

Morning tea cuppa on Taioma Road in the ditch, sheltered from the wind.

nicely sheltered from the cold southerly.

Incident two. After we had trudged up the road to the Taieri View side road, we looked back to see a small group stopped back down the road. The leaders went back down to find that Peter B. was experiencing one of his very occasional breathless spells (his last one, this report recalls, was on Traquair, but that time he recovered to continue afresh again.) Cell phone arrangements were made for a one of the leaders’ spouse to drive up and take Wendy and Peter back down. This was satisfactorily achieved.

Incident three. John had driven up to meet us at the side road turn-off. But under the unwise earlier advice of this reporter, had parked just beyond the turn-off at the edge of a logginh-truck lay-by  area, but had been reprehended by a logging driver for possibly impeding their movements, so got his car neatly parked in the side road.

Incident four. Keith espied a cast sheep in the paddock over the road. Mastered the barbwire fence and righted the sheep which staggered, trotted, ran off. Bravo.

On up the road, into the forestry road

4WD

The track is wide and open for much of its way. (John pic)

and down,

Diversion

The 2013 snow dump’s legacy of fallen trees on the track forced us to to divert through the forestry occasionally. (John pic)

steadily down

Track. (John pic)

From the road end, taking the track down to the lookout rock. (John pic)

to the river look-out rock. The bold (reckless?) stepped out onto the large rock to admire the view, the timid (prudent?) stopped well back from the intimidating drop.

Lunch,

Lunch

A candid lunch pic a little bit up from the rock.

snugly tucked in among grass and gorse against the wind. The leaders shortened the lunch-stop for fear of approaching rain but it failed to eventuate. In fact, sunshine and the climb back out proved a even a bit over-warming.

Incident five. Back at Taioma Road, Mollie and George graciously accepted the invitation of a ride back in John’s car.

Incident six.. Trudging back down the Salisbury paddocks, someone remarked that Dot (of the returning car, alas) had intended sharing her big-birthday chocs with us. Sigh.

Next a stop at Mr McElwee’s beautifully restored cottage, an eye-opener for some of our newer members. Then out to the cars where we were found a cheerful Peter waiting to greet us, none the worse for his setback earlier. Relief all round! Then off to Topiary for some for their accustomed coffee fix.

A great day out, with Salisbury’s steep paddocks testing breathing on the way up and knees on the way down. A day full of interesting incidents. A tramp very well led by Pam and Dawn. A good day. – Ian.

7. 2013 Apr 3. Both. North Taieri Church, Salisbury and Taieri Lookout. Leaders: Fred, Ian.

 We started out from beside the North Taieri Church, numbering 20. We admired some black sheep along the way. Mollie pointed out that the hill ahead was Vaughan Hill, once owned by her late husband’s parents. We admired the restored stone cottage, of course. Mr McElwee had determined on everything being authentic to its old age, including …… donated from the Vaughan farm. We then set about climbing the hill ahead, this time via  a gentler track (only slightly) from around its back. At a water trough, well up the hill, we stopped for morning tea and to admire the view, and to increase our number by Lex arriving down from his car parked in Taioma Road. Light rain came on, and so did our parkas. By the time we arrived at the “No Exit” entrance to Taieri View Road we found our numbers had dropped to sixteen, five opting to seek car and home rather than carry on in the rain. On taking the forestry road turn-off, some found water off the wet grass soon got into  wet boots making for a gentle sloshing sound as they moved. But we carried on to successfully reach the Taieri River lookout, and return up that steep part o the track at its end to lunch under the shelter?? of some forestry pines. It was at this point that we had reached the dispiriting point for many. We found we had only  exchanged the fine rain outside for large forestry drops that soon soaked any part of us that was not already wet. And here any respect for the leadership vanished. It wasn’t too long before the leaders discovered numbers had now dropped to four, the rest having returned up the track to shorten what had turned into a miserable experience as quickly as possible. The leaders caught up briefly at Taioma Road, only to see the majority head off down to make a road-walk, regardless of traffic,  back to the cars. This left the leaders now with a group of only six, who returned back down through the Salisbury farm the way we had ascended, for a grand meet-up with those under their care back at the cars. So all’s well that ends well, perhaps. – Ian.
6. 2012 Jun 13. Trampers. North Taieri Church, Salisbury and Taieri Lookout.

GPS of route, courtesy Ken. We did the loop anti-clockwise. We did 16 km in all. A good day’s walk. Total altitude climbed: 500m.

Relying on Ria’s memory to guide us, 7 of us did the more extensive Salisbury walk,
which took us climbing, climbing to join the Taioma road at the very top.

Morning tea stop, halfway up the loop, on the right.

Then we had to make our way back around Taioma road to get back down to Taieri View Road. We tried to avoid the road, busy with fast, heavy rumbling logging trucks, but paddocks proved eventually too boggy.

Shortly into Taieri View Road, we stopped for a late lunch. At this point George didn’t want to go any further, so he and his car-load took the short way back to his car. The remaining trampers made their way on down the forestry track turn-off from Taieri View Road to the Lookout. The track was much more overgrown and forestry-shaded than when the writer remembered it. However this gave us good shelter from the blustery cold wind that made itself felt when we emerged out onto the Lookout.

 

Lester views the Taieri from the Lookout.

Smile please

An imaginative use of old tractor tyres on Salisbury near the end of our return

We were lucky with the weather, which held off till we reached the car. A good tramp for a cold-weather day. The tramp also had a sentimental side, as it was the last day Linzi was to be with us, before departing back home to Cornwall three days later, after tramping with us for a whole year. Farewell, Linzi. – Ian.

5. 2009 Apr 8. Hikers. Taieri View, Mount Allan Road. Medium. Leaders: Chris, Dot B.

Taieri View Rock

Taieri View Rock

4. 2008 Feb 27. Leaders: Bev.

A bit cloudy but still 15 hikers parked their cars in Taieri View Rd. and set off on a very pleasant hike along forestry roads and through the forest to another Taieri Lookout. We had our morning tea sitting on a grassy bank before we headed into the forest itself. Very enjoyable walking and only some fairly easy down and up grades to keep us from having it too easy. Got to the lookout area which was a big rock jutting out over the Taieri river. Great view of river and surrounding areas. By now the sun had come out so made it more pleasant for our lunch break which we enjoyed relaxing and taking in the view. Then the sun disappeared and it turned a bit cool and looked very much like it would rain in the very near future. So we set off back to the cars. We found a few interesting things

George by wrecked car

George by wrecked car

 

to look at and photograph for fun on the way. A goats skull and horns which made an appropriate photo for an ‘old nanny goat’! A rusty old car body which had to be sat in, also for the obligatory photo. A really lovely big bush of ripe blackberries, much enjoyed by those who took the time to pick and feast on them. A lonely little pansy, (not a petunia!), in the middle of some blackberries and long grass. George managed to knock over the post of the electric fence after holding it down for us to step across. Luckily he didn’t short circuit himself or anyone else! Back to the cars before the rain came after another happy and enjoyable day out. Bev.

3. 2007 Feb 28. Trampers. North Taieri Church, Salisbury, Lookout. Medium. Leaders: Ria, Glenice.

The View from the Taieri Lookout.

The View from the Taieri Lookout.

Abe at Taieri Lookout.

Abe at Taieri Lookout.

2. 2005 Nov 2. All. Farm Walk from North Taieri Church. Easy. Leaders: Ria, Jacqui, Graham, Eleanor W.

1. 1992 Aug 12. Taioma Road. Turn off just before Salisbury L.H. side. A hill walk, good views. Average.

    Leaders: Hartmann, Ted, Jack M, Ray

 

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