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

(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.)

Neighbours at War Click here for background and photos to the Finnerty Family and their house site on the Moon Track by Nicols Creek.

No. 17 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Nicols Creek. D McCabe. Year Round”

Booth Road 16.1 km from car park.
Nicols Creek – Information and Trips Library

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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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

In some places there were still pockets of hail nestled in the crowns of the ferns and talkative piwakawaka flitting from branch to branch.

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!

A great day concluded at the Roslyn Village Coffee Culture café.

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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.

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.

Here we crossed tentatively over the stream with its very slippery rocks with only one misjudging their step but thankfully no damage done.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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24. 28/04/2021. Hikers. McGouns Track. Leaders: Pam Clough and Sabina Cooney

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

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 80^th

Lovely to see her & likewise for Judy

Pam and Sabina

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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.

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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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.

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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.

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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,…

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

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…

.. 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…

…and onto the wide well-paved Pineapple Track.

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.

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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.

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…

…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

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

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18. 22/4/2015. Trampers. Nicols Creek, Moon Track.

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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.

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.

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