25/06/2025. Grahams Bush, Organ Pipes, Buttars Peak. Grade 4. Trampers. Leaders: Phil Morris, Rod Ward.
We left 9.30 from PJ Park travelling to Sawyers Bay, to the end of Hall Road, meeting up with townies with really good numbers (26) at 10.10am.
The track passing Iconic farmland was in good condition thanks to the track clearing group and the first 30 minutes was very nice.
We then got a bit more energetic, climbing up on the side of a stream and then crossing same.
It is sheltered and well maintained and good on a day when the weather is wet or windy. The forest was manuka but higher up we could see Rimus and Miros. They had survived logging due to poor shape and are now part of the regenerated forest.
After morning tea, we got to a bridge and thought this is not too bad, but spoke too soon, when we then climbed 800 metres zigzagging in elevation 250m out onto the Mt Cargill road and entrance up to the Organ Pipes. A break of 10 minutes to catch our breaths. We climbed steps, using many of the broken basalt organ pipes, an elevation of 100m. The group arrived at a clearing which viewed the entrance to harbour and a good lunch stop.
As most of climbing was done, it took 15 mins to arrive at the Organ Pipes (geological Basalt Pillars). The wind had picked up a bit but and those that had not seen these, checked them out with some good viewing, whilst the rest continued the 150 metres to Buttars Peak.
When we had all regrouped, fifteen of us climbed 50 metres up onto Buttars Peak, “wow a 360 deg” view as far as Saddle Hill and Lake Waihola South West, out to St Clair Hills South, Rock and Pillars West, snow on the hills to the North and of course below us the Organ Pipes.
With stops excluded, the tramp up took 2 hours 50mins. We returned on the same track in around 1hr 45mins. Two students passed us at lunchtime as well as a good group from Bayfield School on our way down.
Unfortunately, Upper Junction was closed to traffic so no afternoon tea at the “Grocer” on Blacks Road was had, due to our time frame.
Cheers Rod Ward and Phil Morris
Elevation 374m onto Mt Cargill Road, across to the beginning of the Organ Pipes Track, then another 126m, taking the Total Elevation to 482 metres. Dist 9.14km, time taken 4.25hrs.
Link to background information and earlier tramps and hikes in the same area.
Does anyone reading this remember when there was a big wooden staircase somewhere about halfway up the Grahams Bush track? I asked on Wednesday and nobody did. I forgot to ask Wyn until we got home, and she remembers them too, maybe 1990s.