Sep 02 2023

Nicols Creek, Swampy, Pineapple Track, Moon Track, Booth Road

Published by under Trampers,Year round

(David Nicol was an early settler and dairy farmer. He reputedly bought land here in the hope that the railway line would be routed north through Leith Valley.)

Click here for Antony Hamel’s YouTube video showing his exploration of the 5 falls of Nicols Creek.

Click here for an EXCELLENT MAP of Nicols Creek showing the location of The Basins (called the Cup and Saucer on the map), and the 5 waterfalls. (It also shows the Pepper Tree track location.)
Neighbours at War Click here for background and photos to the Finnerty Family and their house site on the Moon Track by Nicols Creek.
Click Swampy ridge track for background information.
Click Pineapple Track for background information.
Click Pineapple and Flagstaff walk for background information.
No. 17 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Nicols Creek. D McCabe. Year Round”
Nicols Creek circuit Maintained by Green Hut Track Group.
DCC land.

Booth Road 16.1 km from car park.


27. 30/08/2023. Trampers. Pineapple Track-Nicols Creek Grade 3.5-4 Leaders: Sarah and John
An Interview with Pineapple Track/Nicols Creek Tramp Leader Sarah by Tail End Charlie, John

Hi Sarah. You were a late incumbent to the leadership of this tramp?

– Yes, Ross was originally down to lead it, but back problems meant he asked me to lead it instead. (Best wishes for a speedy recovery Ross.)

Did you do a recce the Saturday prior?

– That’s right, Craig went mountain biking, and I went exploring on foot, in the area, to finalize the tramp format.

Were the group lucky with the weather on the day?

-The weather was brilliant. Sunshine, little or no wind and temperatures towards the mid-teens. The tracks were reasonably dry.

And did we have a good attendance?

– There were 18 of us – arriving at Tanner Rd/Fulton Rd corner in 7 cars.

What was the tramp route?

-We started on the Pineapple Track, walking up to the Pump House for morning tea.

Getting ready for morning tea in the sun Caption and photo John

Getting ready for morning tea in the sun Caption and photo John

Then we carried on up the Pineapple Track, turning off at McGouns Track onto the Old Pineapple Track. This led us to the “new” Pineapple Track by Pineapple Point.

crossing Nicol’s stream Caption and photo Pam

crossing Nicol’s stream Caption and photo Pam

From here we followed the lower track, traversing Nicols Creek before arriving at the Mountain Bike picnic table at 11.55am for lunch.

Lunch with a view worth taking in Caption and photo John

Lunch with a view worth taking in Caption and photo John

Panorama - View from lunch spot. Caption and photo John

Panorama – View from lunch spot. Caption and photo John

After lunch it was onto the upper track, traversing Nicols Creek.

somewhere in the bush! Caption and photo Pam

somewhere in the bush! Caption and photo Pam

Then onto the “new” Pineapple Track, and back to the cars via McGouns Track.

Heading down the pineapple track Caption and photo Pam

Heading down the pineapple track Caption and photo Pam

Wahl!! I think you lost me somewhere there! Did the tramp take long Sarah?

– The recce only took me 3 hours. On the day the tramp took us much longer at 5 hours. Some technical terrain reduced the tramp down to a crawl pace in parts.

Did you manage to squeeze in coffee afterwards?

–        Only just. We were back at the cars by 3.00pm, then headed straight to the Fire Station Cafe’ in Roslyn.

How would you describe the shape of the tramp?

– Roughly a double figure 8.

Sounds lucky, I think? Thanks for the interview, Sarah.

Screenshot Sarah

Screenshot Sarah

26. 29/03/2023. Trampers. Moon Track – Nicols Creek Mountainbike
Track. Grade 3-3.5; 12 km; 450m elevation gain. Leaders: Sarah McCormack and Barbara Shackell
NB – there’s some excellent history available from the TRTC blog.
Five hardy trampers left PJ Park …. twice it turns out …. but your secret is safe with me Esther …. travelling with much levity to the Fulton Rd, Malvern St and Leith Valley Rd junction to meet up with four equally hardy Dunedinites. I’m taking license with the “hardy” description as the weather looked somewhat doubtful as we set out from PJ Park (both times!). However, upon conquering 3-Mile Hill, the vista was visible in a much better light. In two vehicles, we travelled north on Leith Valley Road, over the one-way bridge, and parking facing south in the off-road, widened, parking area.
29 Mar Moon Track 9 Trampers ready to face the elements Pam

9 Trampers ready to face the elements. Photo & caption Pam

Booted up, gaitered up, and numbered off, we re-crossed the bridge to start our climb up the Nicol’s Creek track to the glow worm grotto before backtracking to where the Nicol’s Falls track had branched off to our left. The rain we’d had earlier in the week had made the crossing a little larger but no wet feet were complained of. A brief stop was made at the site of the Finnerty’s house with its large rhododendron tree spreading like an umbrella over it.
29 Mar Moon Track All concentration Phil

All concentration. Photo & caption Phil

29 Mar Moon Track and its challenges Pam

Moon Track and its challenges. Photo & caption Pam

29 Mar Moon Track Morning tea on the track John

Morning tea on the track. Photo & caption John

Up we continued, and up, pausing among the pine trees for morning tea. Up we continued, up, and up. The recce leader had been meticulous in placing fluro pipecleaners at strategic intersections where mountainbike and walking tracks intersected.
29 Mar Moon Track Lookig back over towards Dunedin Pam

Looking back over towards Dunedin. Photo & caption Pam

Up we continued, and up, beside a fenceline to a welcoming picnic table … for a welcomed breather (and to allow Tail-end Charlie to catch up!). En-route some had caught a geology lesson about the volcanic terrain and exposed rocks we passed. The next section followed some deeply rutted unkept track which had flowing water in its depths. On emerging at a t-junction, and looking back, we discovered a “no entry” sign, which we assumed was targeted at downhill mountainbikers! With the option of a .5km bush bash left just to get to the top and another .5km return, as one we turned right to the mountainbike track. The only casualty on the difficult section was TEC’s fluro jacket which had been tucked in around the backpack, and was hijacked by some devious high hanging bush lawyer and not missed until we returned via the mountainbike route to the picnic table for lunch! On this occasion not one gentleman raised his hand to venture out in aid of a damsel in distress, and so it was an invisible TEC who completed her day.
29 Mar Moon Track Lunch with a view Phil

Lunch with a view. Photo & caption Phil

29 Mar Moon Track Dunedin spread out below our lunch spot John

Dunedin spread out below at our lunch spot. Photo & caption John

The view at the lunch stop was appreciated and a lot of envious eyes watched as a delicious chicken and corn soup was consumed by a well-organised tramper … perhaps it was a well-organised wife … but I wouldn’t voice that! All good things must come to an end and we re-entered the bush on the Nicol’s Creek Mountainbike Track, zigzagging down damp leaf-littered and slippery root-exposed track, meticulously cleared of debris on the recce!
29 Mar Moon Track Graham pointing out a Totara Pam

Graham pointing out a Totara. Photo & caption Pam

In some places there were still pockets of hail nestled in the crowns of the ferns and talkative piwakawaka flitting from branch to branch.
29 Mar Moon Track TRTC hail fern (2) Barbara

Hail on the fern. Photo & caption Barbara

The little “paths of desire” (aka shortcuts!) proved too much for one or two. In the far distance we heard the sound of SH1 traffic as we trekked down those hillsides that were open to it. Once the sound became constant we guessed we were getting closer to the cars, and so it was, as we came out on the north side of the bridge we’d left some 4.5 hours earlier. During the day there was periodic light rain and a smattering of hail. Overall it was more cold than wet, but the warm camaraderie more than made up for it. The observant among us will have noted (perhaps) that the way down was marked by NO markers!
Thanks to Sarah of the amazing memory and maps for leading a tramp that a surprising number of us hadn’t completed before!
Screenshot Moon Track

Sure looked like the leader knew where we were going. Screenshot and caption Phil

A great day concluded at the Roslyn Village Coffee Culture café.
29 Mar Moon Track TRTC social media influencers (1)

TRTC social media influencers. Photo & caption Barbara


25. 9 June 2021. Trampers. Nicols Creek – Moon – Swampy Ridge – Pineapple Tracks. M. Leaders: Pam & Colleen
On a calm sunny Dunedin day 23 Trampers parked up at Booth Rd, setting off at 9.55am with much chatter and a spring in their step down Islay Rd to the start of Nicols Falls Track.
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Down Islay Road with a spring in their step (photo & caption Ross)

A short spiel was given on the Finnerty family of 18 who lived above the Falls in the 1890’s. We climbed steadily upwards over tree roots and decaying leaves to the biggest of the five waterfalls – 15m.
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Nichols Falls – 15m. high (photo & caption Pam)

Here we crossed tentatively over the stream with its very slippery rocks with only one misjudging their step but thankfully no damage done.
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Getting across Nichols Creek (photo & caption Helen)

Onward and upward to have morning tea at the Finnerty’s house site – little indication of a house being there except for a small flat area and some very old bricks. There also was a huge rhododendron tree which may have formed part of their garden.
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Birds on a perch (photo & caption John)

We kept climbing up until we reached the first of many criss-crossing mountain bike tracks. The track levelled out here as we passed big boulder among the macrocarpas, carrying on through native bush and gullies of beautiful fuchsia trees. Very little birdsong was noted here. We proceeded on the combined Moon track/MBT, up, up a long steep hill, regrouping at the top.

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First glimpse of the view (photo & caption John)

With heart rates back to normal, taking the lower track of three we were enjoying the downhill walk when a sudden realisation by the first-time leader that the direction didn’t feel right. Ross, checking his GPS – oops- wrong track (thank goodness for modern tech) After some good banter we retraced to the junction and took the grassy track alongside the fence straight up to the top looking back with great vistas over Dunedin and Northern motorway.

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Looking back over Dunedin (photo & caption Pam)

Carrying on along the Old Cart Road we re-entered the bush which soon changed to manuka stands. After sidling the hill we emerged out into the open to vistas North over to the Microwave. The track zig-zagged through flax and embedded rocks to the top where we stopped for lunch with great vistas over Dunedin and towards the Pineapple track.

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Predator-free as well (photo & caption John)

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Panorama – Lunch with a view (photo & caption John)

1300hrs, with lunch consumed and legs rested we hit the Moon Track again where we had to straddle some very deep ruts. Now walking through tussock, we soon arrived at a T junction onto Swampy Ridge and continued in a southerly direction to the junction of Flagstaff and Pineapple Track. Down, down the Pineapple track with Dave R as ‘The Pied Piper’ and vistas over Dunedin we returned to the cars at 2.30 pm having completed approximately 12kms.

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Coffee (photo & caption Helen)

We finished the day with our coffee fix and still plenty of chatter at the Coffee Culture in the Roslyn Fire Station.
Pam.

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Strava screenshot – Start/finish at lowest point of red track (photo Ross)

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Strava screenshot – Elevation gain and loss (photo Ross)

24. 28/04/2021. Hikers. McGouns Track. Leaders: Pam Clough and Sabina Cooney
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“Pam and Sabina our leaders.” – Photo and Caption Clive

14 Hikers left Booth road carpark & walked upper Ross Creek then through the Wakari bike track.

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“Autumn leaves, a babbling brook and birdsong.” – Photo and Caption Clive.

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“Zig zag through the redwoods.” – Photo and Caption Clive.

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“Natures Cathedral.” – Photo and Caption Clive.

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“The team over the bridge.” – Photo and Caption Clive.

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“The stile over the drystone wall.” – Photo and Caption Clive.

We then walked along  McGouns to come out onto lower Pineapple track & back to cars.

The day was enjoyed by all.

We then when to “Nichols” for coffee and caught up with our “Special guest” Judy Knox

She was in Dunedin for 10 days for her brothers 80th

Lovely to see her & likewise for Judy

Pam and Sabina

23. 22/1/2020 Trampers  Morrisons – Pole Line – Swampy – Moon – Nicols Falls M Leaders Carol and Neil

Wednesday 22 January on a warm, cloudy morning, 26 Trampers travelled to Morrisons Track entrance 1.5 kms past Nicols Creek.  The cars returned to Nicols Creek for parking.

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Photo and Caption Gordon – “26 members starting off in the shade”

9.50 am, the walk started at the gate on Morrisons Access Road instead of the Pipeline bridge which was blocked off and so began the Morrisons Track climb of 3/4 hour.  Morning tea under the trees was very pleasant and we would say, well deserved.
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Photo and Caption Gordon – “A very pleasant smoko in the shade”

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Photo and Caption Gordon – “Out of the bush and heading to Swampy”

 On Saturday, the Recon Pair were greeted by a fallow deer just past this spot, but not so today.
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Photo and Caption Ross – “Onto a 4 wheel drive track and upwards!”

Out in the open, and the first Pole appeared …. obviously we were on track …. and a 4-wheel drive track led us up to Swampy summit and the microwave tower. This was a 50 min steady climb.
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Photo and Caption Ross – ” Its hot here and we not at lunch stop!”

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Photo and Caption John – “From the Top”

There was a background of rolling mist and an outlook across to Mt Cargill.  A 50 minute walk along Swampy Ridge Track brought us to the start of Moon Track where a couple of bikies joined us while we were having lunch.
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Photo and Caption Gordon – “Finally lunch in the hot sun”

At this stage the day had heated up as the sun had broken through and unusually, we had a leisurely, relaxing time which invited at least one Tramper to have a stretch-out doze.
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Photo and Caption Gordon – “Heading off to start the Moon track”

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Photo and Caption Ross – “A panoramic view as we walked down”

Moon Track with its varied downwards contours of grassy, dusty, rooted, rocky surfaces led us to the aged macrocarpas where a house had once stood after which we criss-crossed many bike trails. A hidden marker was missed by the leader but a shout from the back rectified this mistake: thank goodness.  We passed through alleys of foxgloves, dancing daisies and masses of shiny ferns as we worked our way down towards Nicols’ Falls, all with the feeling of cool, clean and green.  Quite delightful.
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Photo and Caption Ross – “Masses of shiny ferns”

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Photo and Caption Ross – ” No one showered under the waterfall”

No one decided to have a shower under the waterfall so we continued on to the bottom where the morning car shuttle proved of worth as we reached them at the bottom of the track. These vehicles, being well trained, then headed towards the local Cafe for the drivers to muse over a very pleasant day.
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Photo and Caption Helen – “Together at the café, the conclusion to a great day

Climbed 650 m
Walked 10.8 km
 Morrison & Morrison

22. 28/11/2018. Trampers. Nicols Falls, Pepper Tree Track, and beyond circuit. M. Leader: Arthur.
A cool north-east breeze greeted us when we parked our cars at Booth Road to begin our tramp. The cloud was down on the higher hills, Mt. Cargill for example was hidden to us.
There were 7 in our group today, and we began with a one kilometre, or so, road walk before going up to Nicols Falls.

[And if you haven’t already done so, Art recommends you click here now for Antony Hamel’s YouTube video of the OTMC exploration of Nicols Creek’s 5 falls – Ed.]

Today’s circuit was to take in some of the older tracks, beginning with Nicols Falls. A short trip was made in to the glow-worms to familiarise all with their location.

We stopped to talk to two young Frenchmen who were returning from the falls. After crossing Nicols Creek we climbed up to have our smoko at Finnerty’s house site.

From here the old, original walking track was followed through the area now somewhat spoilt by cycle tracks.

A brief stop was made at the big macrocarpas to admire the rocks, then on up the Moon Track following the old cart track, and then the fence line further up.

Eventually we turned left onto the Nicols Creek track and followed it to find the junction with the Pepper Tree track, which took us to the Pineapple Track.

It was getting close to lunchtime now, so going up the Pineapple Track allowed us to lunch in the same spot as we had four weeks ago – only we sat on the other side of the track, as the breeze was from the opposite direction today.

It was all downhill in the afternoon. Going down we soon turned aside …

The intersection of the present pineapple track and the original. (Dave pic and caption.)

… to follow the Original Pineapple Track through the beautiful bush. Conditions underfoot were muddy, as they had been all day, so care was exercised by not hurrying.

The team down the original, well worn, Pineapple track. (Dave pic and caption.)

The old track is worn in places, by many feet and much water, to something resembling a trench. One was saying we were stuck in the groove!

At the bottom we followed McGouns Track to have a rest stop at the Forestry Plaque and seats,

At the cairn commemorating forestry in the Dunedin area. (Dave pic and caption.)

before finishing back at the cars at 2 p.m.

The sun was shining back in Mosgiel on our return, where we Blended in.

It had been an interesting and enjoyable day in the bush, with new (to most) tracks to enjoy. – Art.

21. 31/10/2018. Hikers. Moon – Nicols – Pepper Tree – Pineapple – circuit. M. Leaders: Ian and Jim.

Twenty-one Hikers plus two Ramblers parked at Booth Road. From there they walked down Islay Street to Leith Valley Road and up to Thomson’s Bridge over Nicols Creek. The two Ramblers left to trek on their own account further up Leith Valley Road, with the Hikers setting off up the Nicols Creek Track. A wee way up, we turned off to take the track on the right down to the 14.5 metres high first of the five Nicols Creek Falls for Morning Tea.

The promise of the day was to walk the old Moon Track that was there before the Mountain Bikers in 2006 carved it up almost beyond recognition. So after our cuppa, we crossed the creek to climb steeply up on the other side, first to pass by the empty Finnerty’s house site, of which there remains little indication except a flat area alongside the left of the track and a few bricks.

The going was easier now until reaching and crossing the first of the many zig-zag mountain bike tracks to wend our way through bush and over some other zig-zags up to the big boulder clump among some macrocarpas, where we stopped to briefly look around the area. Beyond here the track followed the the old fence through some bush, gorse and grass to come back on another “zig” of the trail. Avoiding the trail above us to the right we took the lower one along to where it dropped slightly to the left. Here we took the route straight ahead. We were back on the old track again. A bit along this one, it swung uphill to the right. Here was the almost straight up, but moderately graded, old cart track that returned us to the fence again, happily avoiding the steep hill on our right in the process.

Back alongside the fence again, was a grassy track which first dipped and then rose up and yet up to the corner of the fence’s paddock where there was a welcome table and plank seat to rest on and regroup. Going was now more level but muddier, not helped by the rain two nights ago, but eventually the track led out, over an old large log to the sign posts. One indicated yet father up to Swampy, another indicated our Nicols Creek Track route ahead, and the third back down the way we had come. But on it was the lettering: Moonlight!!! It’s Moon, not Moonlight. Where did the printing instructions get it wrong? Anyway, it was now lunchtime, which made for a leisurely stop.

The  old cart track, now well wooded in, led us along the the contour across the Nicols Creek headwater tributaries. Again there was that rain-worsened mud In places. A major creek crossing we encountered was through a steep-sided rocky ditch, with the climb-out on the further side one or two paces along a wet but fortunately not slippery rocky forty-five degrees slope and then into a brief dip with a steep drop below before clambering out onto the reassuringly safer part of the track again. We all made it across safely.

And then on, across another creek tributary, until we reaching on our right the Pepper Tree Track turn off. This was the junction we had come to a year ago from the other way, when we had climbed the  Nicols Creek track  from the other end. Well, on then, on the hew track, another creek crossing, and finally gradually up, out of the bush, into grassy area and out onto the Pineapple Track.

The intention here had been to complete the original track circuit by crossing over to where the old fence post on the edge of the bush indicated the entrance to the top of the old Pineapple Track. The bush is nice and open, although the track is steep and deeply clay-trenched in places, but today was out of consideration after all the rain we had had lately. The writer has fond memories of it being route to Flagstaff in his youth.

But back to the newer track opened in 1975, which we were now on. The cars were at its foot, on Booth Road, waiting to whisk us off to coffee at Sunnyvale. So down we went now, each at our own pace to the bottom. The old track had been a revelation to all but a few older hikers. The most ambitious one for them in a long while. Challenging? Yes. Regrets? No. Satisfying? Yes, – to the writer, especially. Now over to the club to keep this old track alive and back on the programme again. – Ian.

20. 11/10/2017. Hikers. Nicols Creek, Pepper Tree Track, Pineapple circuit. M. Leaders: Ian, Clive.
The programmed Deep Creek Tramp was out because of Lambing. Where to go instead? Well, Nicols Creek had not been programmed since 2004, (Except for one calendared for mid-winter but not carried out). So a last minute recce, relying on one old man’s 13-year-old-memory, (helped by an above-listed clickable excellent map q.v.), rediscovered the route, – a new tramp for most of the club’s current hikers. Contrary to last month’s Trampers’ route, ours was up the Nicols Creek true right side, uncomplicated by the newer Mountain Bikers’ zigzag track on the other side.
18 Hikers had turned up, after some unnecessary precautions taken by the leaders about helping drivers locate the parking spot.

We set off, and there we were, after first stepping out of the wide smoothy graded Glow-worm route, (nostalgically for the writer) on the old, steep, boulder- and root-strewn track, taking us up and yet up. But it wasn’t too long before we could gratefully turn off to the right and follow an easy side track taking us down to the first of the stream’s 5 waterfalls. We morning-teed there,…

Unpacking for tea break. (Ian pic and caption.)

…drinking in the scenery of this local rival to Fiordland’s fabled attractions. A 15 metre bush waterfall!

(Clive pic.)

Refreshed, we forewent the opportunity afforded to us by the track continuing on across the stream that would have led us up the further side and out into the zigzagged area. Such a venture to disentangle the original track from the new zigzags could wait another day.

So we returned back out to our original track, which was now taking an easier grade. Soon a fork ahead gave us an option of continuing ahead on the original track or swinging level and wide on a newer one to our left. We took the latter. Both would lead out into open grassland on our left, with our choice swinging out further before returning into the bush. Now it was just steady up and up and up, with many regrouping stops for rest and recovery, but there was plenty of day ahead of us, anyway. Eventually we were on a part of the track that was newer and wider, and that just alluringly continued on straight up. However, an old memory had prompted the writer, on the reece, to turn off this, when discovering an insignificant narrow side track on the right, which he recognised as the actual original track, the other newer one leading who knows where.

At this point, stern reminder to the writer! On realising an intended regrouping immediately following the turn-off was proving impracticable due to broom restricting vision, he neglected leaving a guide at the fork for any late-comers.  This oversight led to a potentially serious consequence, because a little further along the track, we noticed the absence of 3 of our number. Back-marker Clive went back and eventually found them, returning back down the newer track. They had become distanced from both us ahead and those yet further behind being looked after by Clive, and, seduced by the newer track, had carried on up it, failing to notice the side track’s orange marker, its significance. and with no guide there to prompt them.

Reunited again, we went on. Here, the writer’s memory failed him at a critical point. He was looking for yet another  fork, this time to the left, and in his mind had pictured it as an obvious T-junction, but which in reality was much less significant, and he led right past it! It was only when descending to cross one of Nicols tributary crossings that he realised his oversight. About turn! Retrace!

Back at the aforementioned junction, we lunched…

(Clive pic.)

.. and the leaders did a short reconnoiter of the turn-off and reassured themselves it was indeed the route they had planned.

Lunch consumed, legs rested, it was now Clive’s turn to take up the leadership. So it was along, through, and eventually up, out of the forest, past the bushes of the well-named Pepper Tree Track, across the grass…

(Clive pic.)

…and onto the wide well-paved Pineapple Track.

(Clive pic.)

All downhill now and out onto the Booth Road entrance. A few here opted to wait for Bob to drive back and pick them up. The rest of us carried on, down Islay Street, out onto Leith Valley Road, up past the Old School Building and around a last corner to the Nicols Creek Bridge and the cars. And  to the start of the afternoon’s rain! We had completed our 8 kilometre tramp in the dry.
A wet drive to Mosgiel and a coffee-break finish. And behold, just as we were draining our last mugs, in trooped the Trampers, who, poor things, unlike us, had had to finish their tramp in the wet! – Ian.
19. 27/9/2017. Nicols Creek, Pineapple. M. Leader: Jill.

15 trampers set off up the Switchback Nicols Creek Mountain bike track from Leith Valley on a mild overcast morning. Originally we were going to visit the waterfall but the track was suffering the effects of the recent stormy weather we’ve experienced. The MBT was of  a gentle gradient with some very narrow areas following washouts but generally in good condition. We walked through native bush and often accompanied with pleasant birdsong.

Note the rock that looks like a Kea!!!(Margreet pic and caption.)

Morning tea was in a open area a  with lovely vista over  Dunedin all looking pristine.This mountain bike track continued for approx 6 kms up,  round and round again, at 1 stage  passing through a glade of very gnarly old macrocarpa trees. .Eventually the mountain bike track disappeared and is being prepared for a further extension of same so very much like a mini river bed at present. There was much evidence of pig rooting at the higher end of the track. Eventually we traversed tussock land coming along the Moon track to Swampy ridge track. The sun came out to allow a pleasant lunch break…

Lunch on the tops. Swampy.(Helen pic and caption)

…before continuing in a southerly direction to the junction of the Flagstaff, Pineapple track. Down the Pineapple track provided us with again amazing vistas of Dunedin. 2pm saw us back at the cars having completed approx 14.5 kms. The day finished with our coffee fix

Coffee at Roslyn Fire Station.  (Helen pic and caption.)

(and a  big  thanks to Eleanor’s Uncle) at the Roslyn fire station. – Jill.

18. 22/4/2015. Trampers. Nicols Creek, Moon Track.
Nicols Creek Swampy Ridge track Pineapple track

Nicols Creek Swampy Ridge track Pineapple track. (GPS courtesy Ken)

A good turn out of eight trampers, including one new member, met up at the car park on Leith Valley Rd. to start the tramp up Nichols Creek. We walked up to where the glow worms hang out [pardon the pun], but of course there were none to be seen at that hour of the day, so we then went & had a look at the Nichols Falls, which were really quite spectacular, after all the recent rain.
1 Dermot with Nicols Falls behind

1 Dermot with Nicols Falls behind. (Ken pic and caption)

We crossed the creek here & made our way up the track on the other side, to find ourselves on the cycle tracks that had been made in this area.
The original idea was to go up Nichols Creek, onto Moon Track, then along to the pole line track, & back down there. After making our way up the numerous cycle tracks in the bush above Nichols creek, where none of us really knew where we were going, except we all agreed that UP was the correct way. We eventually found ourselves on what Dermot assured us was the Moon Track, which is badly overgrown, has lots of gorse, & has very deep ruts in it, many containing water, which caught a few members out, as it was very slippery, & easy to slide off the sides into these pools. 
On arriving at the top, at the junction with the Swampy Ridge Track, we had an early lunch, while I contemplated the weather over Swampy, where we would be going. It was completly covered in cloud, almost down to where we were sitting at times, & I decided that it wouldn’t be much fun going that way, so after a consultation, it was decided that we would go over to the Pineapple Track, & back down there. I think this was a good decision, as when we got down to McGouns Track, we went along there to the seating area with the monument, & had a lengthy break sitting in the sun.
3 Happy group relaxing in sun

3 Happy group relaxing in sun. (Ken pic and caption)

Then it was back out to the road, & along to the cars.
A reasonable day, & a bit of a challenge in places.
 Walked 10.1 km
3.7km/hr
2 3/4 hr walking
Climbed 463mtrs. – Ken.
17. 22/8/2007. Trampers. Booth Road, Moon Track circuit. Medium. Leaders: Lex, Sabina.
16. 25/10/2006. Trampers. Nicols Creek, Swampy, Moon Track. Medium. Leaders; Ian, Arthur H
15. 3/11/2004. Both. Nicols Creek, Basin. Leaders: Lex, Ria L, Val and Brian, Irene.
14. 24/9/2003. Hikers. Nicols Creek, Moon Track, Skyline, Pineapple. From Booth Road. Medium. Leaders: Donny, Irene.
13. 27/11/2002. Both. Nicols Creek, Moon Track, to Skyline. Medium. Leaders: Irene, Ria L, Eleanor, Joyce.
12. 17/3/1999. Nicols Creek, Basins. Barbara McC, Sabina, Irene.
11. 20/2/2002. Alt. Nicols Creek – Moon Track to Skyline Track. Start Booth Road. Medium+. Leaders: Betty, Denise.
10. 27/1/1999. Pineapple Track – Swampy area. Leaders: Shirley R, Lance and Lois.
9. 28/5/1997. Leith Valley, Nicols Creek return Skyline. Leaders: Bob H, Bev H, Molly.
8. 9/10/1996. Nicols Creek, Basins from Booth Road. (Park Booth Road.) Average. Leaders: Jack R, Dot T, Patricia J.
7. 18/10/1995. Nicols Creek, Swampy. Medium. Leaders: Jack R, Barbara McC, Mairie and Doug.
6. 6/7/1994. Nicols Creek/Moon Track, Alternative – Pineapple Track.  Medium. Leaders:Nancy, Bob H, Shirley R, Joyce.
5. 27/5/1992. Nicols Creek from Booth Road to Swampy Pineapple. Average. Leaders: Marie, Nel, Les W, Margaret D.
4. 3/7/1991. Pineapple Track carpark round snow trip. Wrap up well for this mountain trip. Average. Leaders: Jack M, Mary McG, Bev McI, Shirley.
3. 6/6/1990. Pineapple carpark round trip.Average+. Leaders: Marie, Mary McG, Shirley, Helen.
2. 17/3/1989 Barbara M, Irene, Sabina
1. 26/7/1989. Swampy round trip from Pineapple Track carpark. Average+. Great views. Leaders: Denise P, Mary McG, Peggy M.

 

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