Frasers Gully

Then we wandered through Ferntree Reserve which was new for some members. It was originally part of Ferntree Lodge so it has some very old native and exotic  trees.

At Ferntree Lodge we sat on the grass for morning tea.

The owners Tim and Sophie shared some  history about the buildings  and details about the garden. A 200 year old cabbage tree which is in many historical photos is still there along with and lots of other varieties including one old surviving kauri,a Matai pine and a cork oak. Flowering mature rhododendrons added colour along with other spring flowers.

Tim mentioned he had made a swing from the rimu tree and we could try it out and I immediately knew Graham would.

The owners Sophie and Tim have worked restoring the house and gardens together for the last 14 years. Members appreciated the opportunity to visit here. Thank you Tim and Sophie.

For more information on Ferntree Lodge please see our Links page.

Leaving here we walked through the Waikari grounds to Halfway Bush and part way down the zigzag track to Fraser’s Gully. Here we veered off past the poisoned pine trees. It was when Graham was checking these out that  he discovered a possum trapping track route.

This created a change from our original recce as he knew members would enjoy venturing through there. Comments said it was fun to discover something new and a few laughs were heard when some of our group missed the pink ribbon markers and had to backtrack.

Exiting here our appetites were ready for lunch so we stopped under Aurora overhead cables on Ashmore St basking in the sunshine.

Energised we walked in the sun along Taieri and Dalziel Rds to visit ‘The Rocker Man Stu Robbie who designs and builds outdoor furniture. He has become a keen gardner and we walked through to visit a cabin he had built from recycled material where members enjoyed a relaxed chat. Thank you Stu.

Leaving here we went down through Frasers Gully to Graham and Carol’s for afternoon tea. Iced coffee and cold water with lemon added was a popular refresher after an eventful day tramping.

A total of 12km for the day.