2. 29/11/2023. Hikers Waters of the Leith. Grade 2. Leaders: Jan/ Pam
Having led this trip several times over the last 10 years or so, without much variation to it, this report will be reasonably brief.
16 hikers set off from the yacht club car park on a cool windy day. We followed up the south side of the Leith through Polytech utility areas, into the University grounds, ending up in a sheltered courtyard for morning tea.
We then entered the University Library and had a look round this and at the striking curved Oamaru Stone wall.
It was very quiet as the academic year has finished and there were very few students around. The amount of study places within this complex is amazing, ranging from computer outlets to small enclosed rooms and small group teaching areas. Thanks Jenny Wright for taking over at this stage – she was very familiar with this area. We then wandered back through the concourse and over to the steps by the Leith to look at the Edinburgh Sister City Stone. Carried on following the Leith, then cut through a path in the lower botanic gardens to the gardens itself. A bit of child’s play followed on the worm, with several hikers testing their balance powers.
Through the gardens, then round to the Woodhaugh Gardens.
Up the lower part of the Ross Creek Walkway to the Reservoir and back to the barbecue area at Woodhaugh for lunch. Headed straight back to the University past a section of beautifully renovated old villas in Castle Street. A group of these houses were linked together, stripped out inside, and now used as the University Creche. Just past these is a new Maori somewhat controversial sculpture, which was covered up for over a year before the unveiling.
It was commissioned by the University’s Office of Maori Development in 2019 to celebrate the 150th anniversary Crossed the historic St David Street footbridge, looked at the ‘gingerbread’ professorial houses, then returned to car park via the northern banks of the Leith. Coffee was at Oaken and were delighted when Betty and Jim Finnie unexpectedly joined us for coffee. Distance covered was 12-13ks
1. 15/6/2022. Hikers. Follow the Leith
Thirteen keen adventurers set out from the Otago Boat Harbour carpark at 10.00am on the “Follow the Leith” hike.
The weather was intimidating at best. Blustery cold winds,low grey clouds early on made it seem like a real gamble for us to get in a full hike.The weather did hold and the further we went, the more settled it became. Starting from the Leith Cycle bridge, our route initially took us alongside the Forsyth Barr stadium ,past the “Albatross bridge”, around the back of Gregg’s,and part of the Otago Polytechnic Campus.Here we encountered our first sightings of the “artwork”(a controversial term) along the concrete sides of the Leith.
We were soon into the University Campus, admiring the varied architecture of the buildings, pausing to admire the Sister Stone statue,in front of the clock tower, sculptured from Aberdeen granite by Sylvia Stewart.
Earlier a slight detour to see the Silver ferns growing alongside the Science 1 Mellar Laboratories building, at 10.35am saw us enjoying morning tea on the building’s wooden front steps, out of what wind there was.
By 11.15am we were at the Cacti house, under the Croc-a-dile Cafe’,for a comfort stop,before detouring to admire the bronze trout statue, commemorating the initial release of brown trout into the Leith in 1969.
Lunch was enjoyed at Woodhaugh garden, under cover ,by the paddling pool, having passed the Leisure Lodge Malt house and Willowbank’s old Wilson distillery buildings en route. Again some controversy surrounded the art merit of the murals (tagging?) alongside the Leith.
Underway after lunch at 12.15pm we wandered through Woodhaugh,in search of stone wall remnants from the segregated men’s and women’s swimming pools that once existed at Woodhaugh. Neville gave a rundown on the McGavin Union brewery building,now part of the leisure lodge after a quick “google ” search. Thanks Neville.
Crossing Malvern Street we followed the track along the side of the Leith, passing the Boulder trap. Next we reached the Quarry site closed in 1911,after a major flood.From here a few of our party chose not to go down a slippery patch,and along with Noi, retraced their steps back to track’s start. The rest of us completed the loop,past the merging of Ross Creek with the Leith, and paused at the Paper Mill site,also closed in 1911,after a major fire.
By 1.10pm we all posed for a group photo at the Malvern Street bridge.
Thank you Noi for taking so many great photos. A quick trip back to the cars saw us stop at the fish steps, just upstream from the George Street bridge. By 1.30pm a detour along Leith Street saw us admire “student culture” particularly with so many flats having names and interesting signs on them.
Shortcuts (questionable) through parts of the University halls of residence(Arana steps)
and the Polytech campus saw us back at The Plaza for coffee at 2.05pm.Here we looked at grey skies outside, secure in the knowledge we were only a few minutes from the cars. True to form a few drops did fall just as we arrived at the cars.
A big thankyou to Noi for being such a good tail end Charlie on the day. And the many photos she took.
John Gardiner.
In all we covered almost 10Km,(just under 15,000 steps by Neville’s watch).The Grade 2 classification being appropriate.