1. 24 May 2023. Bayfield carpark to Glenfalloch. Grade 1. Hikers. Leaders: Linda Partridge and Helen Ingram.
A convoy of cars from Mosgiel parked in the Bayfield carpark at 9.45 joining Brighton and Dunedin people. Twenty-five hikers in total readied themselves for a walk along the cycle track along Portobello Road to Glenfalloch. It was a still bright morning, the harbour sparkling in the sunlight. We walked along the side of the inlet and stopped at Vauxhall Yacht Club for morning tea.
Then on to Glenfalloch which we reached just before noon.
The gardens look beautiful every season, and that day in autumn the maples were flaming red, and a long bank of fuchsias in purple and shocking pink terraced one of the hillsides. We had a leisurely lunch and Linda had prepared a questionnaire for us to take round the gardens to help us explore the grounds.
How many spoons in the sculpture near the restaurant? Where will you find the sundial? It really brought out the competitive nature in us! But everyone’s a winner, and a bag of Cadbury Favourites was handed round.
The Portobello bus was due at 2.15pm, and most of the hikers decided to walk on to Macandrew Bay to catch the bus there.
Brandishing BeeLine Cards we filled the bus and were dropped off close to the cars.
We finished the day with a hot drink at Nicols Garden Centre. Thanks to Linda and Helen for a very enjoyable day.