30/09/2026. Moores Bush to Cloud Forests of the Leith via Sullivans Dam. Grade 3.5. Hikers. Leaders: Wendy and Sandra.
21 of us stepped out to soak up the sun after a spell of awful weather.
We welcomed Issy from Auckland and Esme from Ocean View in our group today. They are Adrienne’s great nieces who are staying with her for the school holidays. Our trip started with an unexpected detour as the road around the Ross Creek Reservoir was closed off! So, we headed into town and re-entered via Leith Valley Road.
Once we arrived at Moore’s Bush, we kicked off the hike through the reserve. This Forest and Bird reserve has been restored from a former dairy farm into a native bush area. When Percy Moore passed away in 1974 the site was bequeathed to Forest & Bird’s Dunedin branch, which has owned and managed it ever since.
A wee bit muddy and slippery in places but walking under the canopy with the native birdlife providing us with a lovely soundtrack certainly made it a very pleasant walk.
After successfully negotiating the bush and crossing the Leith Stream, we stopped for morning tea. A large kererū flew in close to us, stayed awhile, checked us out, and then flew off.
From Moore’s Bush, it was a short walk up to the tranquil waters of Sullivan’s Dam.
Skirting the edge of the reservoir, we proceeded up the track-Cloud Forests of Leith Track. This offered us some real hiking!! A steady climb dodging tree roots, low hanging branches in places, some very muddy patches, and slippery board walks.
However, the reward at the top was worth it. We enjoyed lunch with outstanding clear views over Blueskin Bay.
The plan after lunch was to navigate our way back down the same track we had come up – which was going to be tricky in places. But… a huge shout out to Gwenda who led us on an alternative route back down through the forestry. It proved to be a much easier, smoother descent!! Thank you, Gwenda.
The day ended with a relaxed walk back to the cars, in the sunshine, and chatting to each other.
Our hike today was around 10kms.
We headed from here to Emerson’s Brewery for some well-earned drinks.
PS Alison Evans sent through an article that was in the Spring edition of the Forest and Bird magazine from 2025.
The article highlighted the Moore’s Bush Reserve as a hotspot for tiny native spiders, Otago University researcher James Crofts-Bennett discovered two previously unknown micro-spiders there, including one that may represent a new genus. Moore’s Bush is home to an impressive diversity of native arachnids, adding another dimension to this special area.
Thanks for sharing this, Alison. Very interesting.
Link to background information and earlier tramps and hikes in the same area.