Deep Stream-Hindon Pipe Line from Highway 87

Distance from car park: 38 km.
Permissions from Mt Gowrie Station, Strathview Station, Calder Station.

13. 20/6/2019.Trampers. Deep Stream Pipeline from SH 87. M. Neil M. and Carol.

A fine but cool day dawned for the 10 trampers to depart for the big bend to start the Deep Stream walk to the East. Now just because it’s called a pipeline doesn’t mean it’s flat.  Once the water is in the pipe the line goes up and down continually.  In fact going by past reports for the distance we walked we climbed over 700 metres.

We left the cars about on the hour of 10.0 and walked up
P.1. Throwing our shadows o’er Jack Frost ( pre morning tea)c
Throwing our shadows o’er Jack Frost (Phil pic and caption.

to the top of the first hill on the line in about 20 minutes, so a break  was called for coffee and smoko.

G.2nd -- M:Tea. Great viewc
M:Tea. Great view. (Gordon pic and caption.)

After that, onwards and what do we find but the first big dip.

G.3rd -- Quite a bit of uphillc
Quite a bit of uphill. (Gordon pic and caption.)
From where we had coffee/ tea one could see the track in the distance but not all the gullies we have to go through, which could give one the wrong impression of this walk.  Although the day was cool, it did warm up as the hours ticked by. We arrived at the high point in the walk about 12.15pm for lunch where we could see back towards Mosgiel and Saddle Hill.  A good view all round.
Now the return trip started about 1/4 to one and we arrived back at the road by 3 o’clock. One noticeable thing about the return trip,  there wasn’t as muck talk.
G.7th -- Last steep pinchc
Last steep pinch. Gordon pic and caption.)
 Maybe some were getting a little tired. Well,  we walked about 16 kms and probably climbed more than 700 m so not a bad effort.
At this stage of the day, coffee calls, so we stopped at Clarks Junction Pub –  come cafe, to satisfy these cravings before returning to Mosgiel. – Neil and Carol.

12. 22/6/2016. Trampers. Deep Stream Pipeline from SH 87. M. Leader: Neil M.

10 Trampers left Mosgiel at 9.30 am. It was somewhat cloudy with a very gentle breeze but pleasant conditions.

It was 10.10 am when we left the cars and from there an approximate 30 minute tramp before morning tea.

On a few occasions the pipeline and relief flues surfaced …

Pipeline. (Helen pic and caption.)
Pipeline. (Helen pic and caption.)
Looks like a bird to me. (Helen pic and caption.)
Looks like a bird to me. (Helen pic and caption.)

… whereby Peter gave us a lesson about hydraulics (water pressure and air bubbles) before disappearing again …

Pipeline and some nice rocks. (Helen pic and caption.)
Pipeline and some nice rocks. (Helen pic and caption.)

to  wend its way …

Track. Very deceiving as no flat. (Helen pic and caption.)
Track. Very deceiving as no flat. (Helen pic and caption.)

… through stunning country of craggy rocks, sheep pastures, Deep Stream/Creek and even a lone, healthy hebe.

The many ‘ups’ were balanced out by ‘downs’ and that led us to a 12.30 pm lunch stop …

Group at lunch time. (Helen pic and caption.)
Group at lunch time. (Helen pic and caption.)

…from where we looked across to the Rock and Pillars on the west and the Kakanui hills to the north.

At 1.00 pm (after squeezing an extra 5 minutes out of our keen-to-get-going leader) we left the well-placed rock tables and seats and headed back by the same route.

Having walked 15 kms in 4 hours moving time and 720m height rise total, we arrived at the cars at 3.00 pm.  Huffs and puffs had subsided at this stage and would shortly be replaced by sips and slurps of coffee! – Carole.

11. 13/5/2015. Trampers.  Deepstream/creek pipeline where it crosses Hiway 87.

GPS of Deepstream pipeline - North. Courtesy Ken.
GPS of Deepstream pipeline – North. Courtesy Ken. Walked 16km; 3h 53m moving; 4.1 km/h; climbed 982mtrs [this is probably the most climbing we have done on a day’s tramp so far]; none of the climbs are very long, there are just so many of them.
For the Wednesday tramp, I changed the location, due to the difficulty of contacting the landowners [possibly 5 or 6] of the properties we needed access to. I don’t know why people have phone numbers, if they can’t answer their phones, or reply to messages left on their answer phone. I don’t think I will be putting the Omimi/slaughterhouse tramp back on the program ever again.
So, we went to the Deepstream/creek pipeline where it crosses Hiway 87, & proceeded to walk along the pipeline track towards Mosgiel. There was no set destination here, so it was just walk as far as we wanted to go, then return back the same way.
As there was a cool breeze blowing, we struggled to find a suitably sheltered spot for morning tea break, but eventually found a gully with not much breeze.
1 Morning tea stop. (Ken pic)
1 Morning tea stop. (Ken pic)
Then we ambled along admiring the view into the river below as we went. We found a very nice spot to have lunch in the sun, & almost completely devoid of wind, so it was a reluctant group that packed up their gear, & headed back out again.
This track has lots of up’s & down’s, so is quite a good workout, but I hope the walk was enjoyed by all. – Ken.

10. 18/7/2012. 8 Trampers. Hindon-Deep Stream Pipeline. Half of full distance. Return. Medium.

GPS of route. We walked 13.8km. GPS records level distance only so probably did close to 14.5 or more up and down. Total height climbed: 660 mtrs. max elevation 447 mtrs. Moving ave. 3.7km/hr
Moving time 3hr 46min. – Ken (edited)
A large ‘thing’ in the only cutting on the pipeline.
Panorama of our lunch spot. Pines of homestead on skyline.

9. 9/7/2008. Trampers. Hindon Pipe Line from Highway 87 to Wallaces Ford Road. Easy+. Leaders: Ian, Ria

Permissions from Mt Gowrie Station, Strathview Station, Calder Station.

The pipeline stretches into the distance
The pipeline stretches into the distance
An interesting feature
An interesting feature

A better day couldn’t have been provided. We were in the centre of a strong high pressure system that provided clear, sunny skies, a warm calm, and a quiet peacefulness, broken only by a gaggle of garrulous gulls over Deep Stream and the occasional baaing of sheep, while the remains of the snow from earlier in the week defined the lee edges of gullies against green pastures and brown tussock tops, providing us with a glorious panorama (taking in Maungatua, Silver Peaks, Rock and Pillar, Kakanui ranges). Our route was open and easy to follow and the track was broad and grassy. We had interesting man-made features, ie the Deep Stream pipeline, to accompany us.

And we had 14 companions whose enjoyment of the day we could share.

Six at a gate. George, Evelyn, Bruce, Who?, Hazel, Lex
Six at a gate. George, Evelyn, Bruce, Who?, Hazel, Lex

Bliss. Except, that is, that vigorous debate about the means of ferrying ourselves and cars from start-point drop-off at Deep Stream Bridge on Highway 87 to finish-point collection 15km downstream at Wallaces Ford Road took up quite a bit of the ride. Bruce reminded us of the old puzzle about the ferryman who had to transport a fox, a hen and a sack of corn across the river only one at a time not leaving two together when one would be devoured. (We did solve it.) And except for the fact that we were also on a roller-coaster ride. The benched track we were following that was the access road for the construction of the pipeline looked to be horizontal from a distance, but of course, Deep Stream is appropriately named and its contributories have a similar character. So we sang, “And when they’re up they’re up, and when they’re down they’re down, and when they’re only halfway up, there’s still more up and down!” as we crossed the gullies.

Looking back down at the longest and steepest climb out of a gully
Looking back down at the longest and steepest climb out of a gully

But what a feat the pipeline is, bringing water 60km from Lammerlaws to Dunedin, with siphon after siphon traversing the deeply-incised landscape. So we admired the weather, the landscape, the engineering and our good fortune at being able to appreciate it all! Thanks to Ian and Ria, and to Ken who regrettably missed all but the recce. – Bob

8. 27/6/2007. Trampers. Deep Stream Bridge, Middlemarch Rod, Hindon Pipeline. Medium. Leaders: Arthur and Barbara.
7. 7/8/2002. Combined. Hindon Pipeline. Easy. Leaders: Ria L, Mary L, Joyce.
6. 8/3/2000. Deep Stream Pipe Line. Leaders: Bev H, Colleen, Pat.
5. 15/7/1998. Hindon Pipeline. Leaders: Bob H, Ian
4. 9/11/1995. Trampers. Hindon Pipeline. Medium. Leaders: Ria L, Catherine, Peg C, Judy C.
3. 2/8/1995. Deep Stream Pipeline from Middlemarch Road. Medium. Leaders: Ria L, Catherine, Doug and Mairie.
2. 20/5/1992. Deep Stream from Middlemarch Road. Average. Leaders: Ria L, Evelyn M, Catherine, Shirley McN
1. 25/10/1989. Deep Stream. Middlemarch Road. Average. Interesting country. Leaders: Ria, Mary McG, Mary Y, Hugh and Judith.

4 thoughts on “Deep Stream-Hindon Pipe Line from Highway 87”

  1. Great trip down memory lane. I worked on the pipeline doing surveying from Deepstream to Brockville in the 70s. The work was fun. One of the truck drivers had his vehicle run backwards – travelled several hundred and rolled over in Deepstream. The Survey involved checking into wooden hubs of a previous survey. The pipeline travelled through two small hills. This was very hard work to drill through and cold wet work in winter. A possible dam survey resulted in bad results as the soil was too porous.
    Lots of beer and billiards at the local Hindon pub. Lots of sheep cast, mushrooms and rabbits.

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