Frasers Gully – Friends Hill

….set off on a very frosty morning through the deep winter shade of Fraser’s Gully walking uphill beside Fraser’s Stream and Kaikorai Stream towards the sun on Dalziel Road for our morning tea stop. Fraser’s Gully is part of the Dunedin town belt, areas of green space set aside for recreational use when Dunedin was settled in the 19th century.

Unbeknown to the walkers on the day this track was used by early gold miners walking towards the gold fields in central Otago. 

We were joined by one late arrival for morning tea making our group 14 all up. We won’t disclose the identity of the latecomer  or his reason for being late.  he can tell that story.

After the morning tea respite in the sun the group continued in now perfect weather up Brinsdon Road, past the water works to take a short section of flat paper road to join Halfway Bush Road and onto another paper road, Friends Hill Road, popular with walkers, some mountain bikers and dog walkers in the area.

From the top of Friends Hill excellent views were had looking out towards Brighton and over Mosgiel and Tairei Plains.

It was a steep downhill walk towards our lunch spot, approx half way down the other side of Friends Hill, the clay road is deeply rutted and on this day a bit slippery as the frost and ice melted  but luckily for everyone the recent rain in the past two weeks hadn’t left this section of the road a muddy quagmire.

A lunch spot was selected with views, sun and relatively dry grass to sit on. As this was a “there and back” walk there was only one thing to do after lunch and that was to walk back up that steep hill with a couple of rest stops to regroup before the downhill return walk through Fraser’s Gully.

Due to frost and ice still being present in areas of Frasers Gully the decision was made to avoid the planned return route down steep narrow steps and bare earth track which at this time of year would not have seen the sun all day and been potentially very slippery.

Accompanied by curious Piwakawaka a downhill walk on the wide path through Frasers Gully remnant podocarp forest and regenerating bush bought the group back to the Ellis Road car park where members set off for home or a restorative hot chocolate and sweet treat at Sunnyvale.

We were blessed with beautiful sunshine all the way after leaving the gully, and no wind, a thoroughly enjoyable and challenging enough walk for leaders and group by all accounts.

The walk was approx. 11kms of up and down with some flat walking, morning tea – 1040 at Dalziel Rd…lunch 1200 -1230 Mosgiel side of Friends Hill….return to car park 2.30

Maria and Sandra