24/07/2024. Macandrew Bay, Company Bay, McTaggart St, Camp Road, Pukehiki, Greenacres Street. Grade 3. Trampers, Leaders: Yan Campbell, Jenny Flack.
It was a spectacular Dunedin morning, bright, sunny and calm. 26 of us set off from the playground in Macandrew Bay. We began by walking through the streets above the main road towards Company Bay and ended up on a path that drops down through Jenny’s pleasant, terraced property and back on to Portobello Road. A little further along we headed up Mactaggart Street to Camp Road which leads eventually to Larnarch Castle. Apparently, Mr Larnach liked his impressive dwelling to be known as the ‘the camp’ rather than ‘the castle’ – hence the road’s name. A DCC sign led us onto the track and private farmland which closes for lambing next week. Morning tea was enjoyed under a grove of mature Macrocarpas, the first and last significant shelter for quite a while.
From then on the track climbs relentlessly up with gradients of 1 in 7 for much of it.
There are several benches along the way which provide perfect pause spots to look back across the harbour to Port Chalmers.
The views were stunning. The sun shining through the clouds seemed to bleach the colours out of the hillsides so the landscape appeared almost black and white. It wasn’t until we looked at Pam’s photos in the Duck Cafe that we noticed the incredible cloud formation above the scene.
Our lunch stop was just outside the gates of the castle. I’m not sure what the paying customers thought of the 26 of us perched on the wall enjoying our lunch. Not one of them cracked a smile or seemed to want any eye contact.
Back on the road again we continued on to Pukehiki.
This tiny settlement on Highcliff Road boasts a village hall, a library and a beautifully restored church. A little further along Highcliff Road Greenacres Track goes down, as relentlessly as Camp Road went up, until it widens into a road lined with houses.
Soon we were back at the playground and ready for a coffee or an ice cream. It’s worth noting that the shop there still serves scooped cones.
It wasn’t a particularly long tramp, just under 10k, but still pretty satisfying. Ross pronounced it a perfect ‘3’. It was a lovely day out and pleasant welcome to our two guests, Robyn and Jan.
Link to background information and earlier tramps and hikes in the same area.