16/10/2024. Ravensbourne, Signal Hill, Big Easy. Grade 3. Trampers. Leader: John Gardiner.
At 1.05pm, 31 trampers arrived at the Signal Hill Lookout, a monument to the 1940 centennial of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
Not completed until 1950 because of World War Two disruptions, the lookout contains two large bronze statues, created jointly by artists F.A Sturrock and F.W. Staub. One is of an old man, (Old Man Time), who faces north-west, and holds a history book in his hand, representing the past.
Let’s metaphorically open his book and look back on how our trampers arrived here.
Meeting at 9.30am at the Ravensbourne Boat Club carpark, were four cars from Mosgiel, eight from Dunedin. After a brisk walk into a chilly south easterly breeze, we were all soon at the Otago Yacht Club toilets, by 10.00am. Too soon for morning tea, we shortly set off again, via the under-road tunnel, and walkway along the Leith side of Forsyth Barr Stadium, across Logan Park, to arrive at the base of the Big Easy cycle trail by 10.30am.
Here we enjoyed morning tea, slightly out of the chilly breeze. At 10.55am we began our Big Easy trail ascent.
We arrived at “the plateau”, for a leisurely lunch and to admire the view looking south to Dunedin at 11.55am.
Just over an hour later, at 1.05pm, we arrived at the Signal Hill Lookout.
So, like our tramp, this report has completed a loop. We are back where we began, at the Lookout. Opposite the old man statue, facing south-east, is a statue of an elderly women, holding a ball of string wound around a stick, “The Thread of Life”.
Here we get into deep symbolism and ideology! The “Thread of Life”, being a metaphor for a person’s lifespan. This thread is said to enable us to exist, along with a “Thread of Consciousness”, which enables us to experience life. Anyway, before I lose the “thread”, of this report, let me tell you about the rest of our tramp.
After leaving the lookout at 1.25pm, we soon found ourselves back at the plateau by 2.10pm.
From here a different track took us down through Ravensbourne to the cars, arriving about 20 minutes later. Only a handful of us met at Emmerson’s for refreshments on the way home, but all seemed in great spirits, having enjoyed their day out.
Statistics:
Total time for Recce by Karen and I – 4 hours 15 minutes.
Total time for Tramp (with 31 trampers) – 4 hours 35 minutes.
Both times allowing “generous” stops for morning tea, lunch, etc.
An easy tramp, at grade 3, but one with a lot of variety. It includes beautiful bush, amazing views, and highlights some of Dunedin’s unique attractions.
Thanks to:
Karen McInnes, our original tramp leader. Karen and I completed the recce for this tramp nine days earlier, but unfortunately a bad cold caught the day before the scheduled tramp, prevented her from leading us.
Pam Clough, who having recently led the hikers on the same walk, was a wealth of information, for the initial tramp planning by Karen and me.
Dave Roberts, for acting as our Tail end Charlie at short notice.
Jane Bruce, for explaining the ideology behind the two Signal Hill Lookout statues, which sparked my curiosity to investigate further.
Feel I must end with a quote. This one from Lydon B Johnson, upon becoming U.S. President, after J.F. Kennedy’s tragic assassination – “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” John
Link to background information and earlier tramps and hikes in the same area.