50 km from car park.
14. 18/4/2018. Trampers. Welshs Road, Old Farm, Deep Stream, Weir. M. Leader: Keith and Arthur.
It was a beautiful autumn day as 14 trampers travelled for about 40 minutes, out past Clarks Junction to Welshs Road.
The cars were parked by the woolshed near Deep Stream on Steve Nichol’s farm. We all had to sign the visitors book on arrival, for “elf and safety” reasons.
The sun was lovely, but the breeze was decidedly cool, as we made our start.
To be different, the leaders had planned on a clockwise circuit, and also climbing uphill through the paddocks to extend the distance.
The steeper beginning warmed all the participants nicely, before having morning tea in the head of a gully – somewhat sheltered from the breeze.
Continuing up through the paddocks the scenery was magnificent wherever we looked. At the highest point of our day we came back to Welshs Road. The wind was keen here, but there was a good view over to the Lammermoors – the “ship at anchor” was visible.
Now it was downhill all the way to Deep Stream, road at first and then following the farm’s boundary fence.
The “Te Papanui Conservation Park” was just over the fence which we had to climb through at the last. The views looking down in to Deep Stream were great as we descended to the weir.
Time for some photographs …
… before walking the 4W.D. road above the stream.
Near the mouth of Deep Creek we stopped for an early lunch on a long table thoughtfully provided. A nice spot in the sunshine, and ideal for the occasion.
The 4W.D. road was up and down a bit, but took us back to the cars, after having walked 9.8 km.
All agreed that the walk down through the Deep Stream gorge, below the weir, was the highlight of the day. It had been another very successful and happy day’s tramp for our group.
And so back to Outram, to stop at a the ‘Goat’ for water, food, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cold beverage, etc (tick the boxes applicable please). – Art.
13. 17/2/2016. Hikers. Welshs Rd, Old Farm, Deep Stream, Weir. M. Leaders: Bob and Peter.
The leaders considerately stopped the cars about 3k short of the old farm house to give some level walking to those who didn’t wish to tackle, beyond there, the climbs over the three steep ridges on the way into the weir. (As matters turned out, they did tackle a further climb or two after all.) We all stopped first, a kilometer or so along the road, for a cuppa.
Eight of us went on to reach reached the barb-wired locked gate, (some getting further)!
En route, (whoops, too many ‘en routes’), we passed a couple of bee hive sets of frames, with Betty getting stung several times from one of them. Happily Lester was there to help remove the bees and their stings.
On our return, we stopped in the a patch of shade for lunch.
The day grew warmer but fortunately not nearly as exceptionally hot as it was a fortnight ago. We enjoyed a brief cooling passing shower when getting close to the cars on our return.
A good memory is an attribute we came to wish we collectively had more of. Driving down Welshs Road, we made two false stops before plucking up enough courage to take our cars yet further on to the actual Holiday Camp yards. (However, from recollection (what’s that again??) the “Both” 8/2009 group [indicated below] walked virtually the length of Welshs Rd just to reach the HP, well-notified on its gate).
Well, we eventually made it there by car and walked on and up a bit to stop for our morning cuppa.
After that stop, taken briefly because of a strong cold wind at the time, memory let us down again. A few recalled the road had several ups and downs in it, but the road that we then took led us only up and up and up. After some confused conferring, with nervous hope of finding the right way, we retraced our steps back down the way we had come, to a gate just adjacent to our morning tea stop. Soon the reassuring ups and downs emerged, and a morning tea spot taken on an earlier tramp confirmed we we on track. (See Trampers 11/2009 for the morning tea break pics)
However the earlier uphill foray had served to discourage four of our 22-strong group from further uphill struggles and they returned to the cars. That was too bad. But eighteen still persisted.
The stream views were most rewarding. The view of the Deep Creek (exit/entrance?? – well, confluence, then) into Deep Stream looked better from an angle different from that of a pic below taken on an earlier trip.
A locked gate (part of which can be seen at the right in the pic below) just prior to the weir proved a further deterrent, and only five persisted beyond it. On rejoining the other twelve they found them already getting into their lunch. It was the right time too.
We straggled back to the cars in a long drawn out string of ones and twos, but all eventually made it, to unsurprisingly find the earlier four long gone.
Then it was only for a dwindling ten (did Elaine deliberately hide herself behind Pat?) of us to reunite at the No 8 w Herbs cafe for a drink of …
… – you’ve guessed it – coffee, not to mention a tasty treat of chips and dips, courtesy Elaine. – Ian
We walked up the gorge all the while looking down to Deep Stream to see if we could find a more interesting walk than on the road with it’s quite steep climbs. Once again most of the ones who are going on the Motatapu trip next week were carrying their big packs with some weight in them.
We found some nice rocks to sit on for morning tea …
After examining some peoples’ packs, & the way they were wearing them, we had an adjustment session to see if we could improve the fit for one member of the group, & I’ll also be looking at mine before next week, as it seems to be sitting too low on my hips.
We are becoming the Coffee Club No. 2 as we once again called into Outram for a chat over a cuppa on the way home, although Rea, & Hazel walked all the way around to the Berry Farm shop for a Yoghurt Ice Cream !!
Everyone agreed that it was a good walk with interesting scenery along the way. – Ken.
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