Bus Trip: Blue Mountains, Waikaia Forest and surrounds, Beaumont, West Tapanui

Bus to Beaumont. Drive up Manuka Ridge to locked gate.

Short climb to top. Road along top. Locked gate to Microwave 1.5K;M/W to trig 3K.

Track down ridge.

NB. AT TRIG ON SMALL HILL, TURN SHARP LEFT AND STEEP CLIMB TO AND PAST TRIG.

then farm land to Crookston. Track to bus pick-up at Crookston 6K Total 16K. Seek permissions.

2. 10/2/2021. Trampers. Blue Mountain trip. Leaders Helen and Phil Morris

We knocked it off!! 17 Taieri Recreational trampers bounded up the Gully, leaving the car park in damp, windy, but improving weather conditions.

Not knowing what we were in for, we started up the track, the ferns and other coverage had grown since Dave had tramped it a few months ago, and going in early part was slow going, with some parts on hand and knees, but mood was chirpy, as the track improved, but the climb was upwards continually.

We came to a stream crossing which required good concentration, with a good climb 30  minutes through magnificent beech forest and very little birdlife sadly.

With a good 75 minutes walking it was time for morning tea to recharge energy levels and the odd question of how far to top. The reply was sorry a good
hour and a quarter. After 30 minutes of chatter, it was packs on and off we clambered through
some nice ground cover for 20 minutes, then some real grunty climbs , stopped the talking,
everyone showed encouragement to those needing it. Remember a lot of society, half the groups age, would have turned back long ago. We continued, a long time had passed, before the light at end of the tunnel through mist in the
bus , YES!! flax and grasses with a waratah with a white plastic cover in the rock. Sadly a strong wind blowing mist over the sign telling us it was 14km and 5 hr trek to the bottom of whiskey gully or option b, 1hr down a gully back
joining the track we came up.

After clambering up to this sign it only took about 4 minutes to decide that these were bad options, due to hands freezing from the cold wind whipping through us, we took pictures of the first 7 at top and then the next hardy ladies who made up the next group, well done crew, 17 hardy trampers all made the top of Black Gully, fantastic job!! With decision made, we descended back down for 15 minutes to a lunch spot, Well Earned. After a food recharge we returned down the nice forest, mainly beech below manuka.

This was when it hit us, how steep the climb to the top was, it became quite a hard drop for 45 minutes but the group chattered and took in the magic bush and forest, most take for granted. With stream crossing done we showed the spirit that bonded the group back through the overgrowth at the early part of trek, completing tramp bang on 5 hours, being approx. 8.9kms of hard out tramping, well done all. Back to base where we could clean up and begin nibbles and well earned drinks before we would enjoy the company of Helen’s younger brother Jeff at the family farm, Crookstown originally named by her parents.

We had meat, potatoes, salads and pudding prepared ready for all. We arrived at the farm, no brother there, but we bowled on in, sorted salads , potatoes and started up barbeque to cook meat, ten minutes on Jeff (brother) and his son James arrived back from milking cows, happy to see group and knowing his food for tea was being cooked. As all was ready, Jeff’s wife Margie arrived home , she was welcomed as the feast began, then believe it or not the sun shone and completed a great day. It was a great feed, followed by a tasty pudding. It was a great night, nearly completed, but young Jill Reid was not going to let the night stop there, with a cheeky grin she asked Jeff one last request , would you sing a song or two before we going, Jeff did not need too much persuasion, the entray from his latest CD was a song about his youngest son Ben called “That’s Ben”. He told us in his earlier singing years how the names in America, such as Arizona, Alabama, made well known songs this is where the idea came to sing a song he wrote also from CD, Down over Crookston, their family farm, with a round of applause the lucky audience asked for one more request, which he was happy to sing, and told us how Garry Morris American Country and Western star, had made famous, the song, “Take Him Home” from the famous show Les Misirables, and he if he could remember all the words, sang it to perfection, what a fantastic surprise to a special day, whoohoo what an end to a special day!!

(Anyone wanting the CD can be purchased for $15 Helen can organise purchase). On return to camp the kids of the group played on the camps swings slides, roundabouts, a nightcap then zzzzz.

The final day on Thursday, saw a few sore bodies, Camp at Black Gully tidy, we left, morning coffee at Top Nosh, with no lack of get up and go, we got to car park, then set off tramping through fabulous bush to the flowing waterfall at whiskey gully.

Some of the men took a drink from mug left on the pole, the water was pure, gold coloured being leached from lichen and leaves and chilled to perfection. After lunch we returned, to carpark, then walked up to lookout, no mist, the view of hills and Tapanui.

The three days had ended, some took off home others called in at Whitechapel Church to view antiques etc, note the owner had won a stage of tour de France in the 1960s.

Well done Taieri Recreational Tramping Group, special people, special times!!

Helen and Phil

 

1.10/3/2004 Blue Mountain Bus Trip Leader: Ian

Tapanui: Nealy 50 elderly Mosgiel trampers were helped out of the Blue Mountains on Wednesday after one group became disoriented, wet and cold.

Police Constable Ken Anderson and Ernslaw One staff used four-wheel-drove vehicles to take the Taieri Recreational Tramping Club group down from the mountain range between Beaumont and Crookston. (They were already down on the flat. – Ed)

Constable Anderson said a tramping club member used his cellphone to contact police about 1.40pm. The group had split up earlier in the day and some had not shown up at a pre-arranged location on time.

Constable Anderson said the missing party was soon located fit and well.

The main party was well-equipped and had left details of its intended route with Ernslaw One, he said.

“The problems began when the parties separated, leaving some with no idea of where to go. The disoriented groups appeared not to have a map of the area or compass, which could have helped them,” Const Anderson said.

A group of lost elderly trampers from Mosgiel, who were rescued in heavy rain by Tapanui police last Wednesday, were lucky to the day was unseasonably warm, Tapanui police said.

“Had they had the usual temperatures that come with a southerly front we definitely would have been looking at some pretty crook people,” Constable Ken Anderson said.

The group of 47 walkers from the Taieri Recreational Tramping Club were tramping in the Blue Mountain area, between Beaumont and Crookston when they got into difficulties.

The group had split in tow, so the fitter party could take a more strenuous route.

However, the guide for the tramp had gone with the splinter group and the main group had taken a wrong turn, Mr Anderson said.

The trampers, who were aged between 60 and 80, were rescued after they made contact with the police by cellphone.

It had been a straightforward operation, locating and meeting the group, Mr Anderson said.

“We knew exactly where they were from the description they gave us, and they were only about a kilometre and a half away from their bus.” (Some had meantime located the bus from a high point, making the cellphone call unnecessary. – Ed)

Police were able to drive straight to the trampers on a four-wheel-drive track and all were fund fit and well.

“Probably, at the end of the day we could have talked them out by they were certainly very grateful to see us, as it was pretty cold and wet.”

Most of the group were able to walk out by themselves but the police had given about six of them a ride to their bus.

Most trampers had been well-equipped and the intended walk had been well within their capabilities, Mr Anderson said.

However, considering the weather report for the day he believed some members should have been better prepared.

“Some of the didn’t have the gear for a decent downpour ad given the forecast they should have,” he said.

Mr Anderson said the experience had given the trampers a fright, because they were aware the situation could have been “disastrous”.

The group had also followed procedure and left details of their intended route with Ernslaw One forestry company.

Taieri Tramping Club president Ian Fleming said a combination of factors, a blockage in communication, compounded by bad weather and an unclear turnoff had led to the main group taking a wrong turn.

The group was extremely grateful to the search and rescue for finding them., Mr Fleming said.

“What could have been quite serious turned into quite an adventure.”