Ian – Page 15 – Taieri Recreational Tramping Club

Waipori Road to Shaw Road

No. 110 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Waipori Rd to Shaws Rd (See Bill Hunt) Year Round”

32 km from car park.

10. 18/11/2015 Trampers. Rannock Track from Waipori Picnic Area to Shaw Road.
On a day with dodgy looking weather, 7 of us set off for the picnic area at Waipori Dam at Lake Mahinerangi, to do a walk through the forest roads to the old fishermans huts that are on the lake edge. These are the huts that we normally walk to from Post Office Creek end, but that track is no longer negotiable, so we decided to go from the other end.
However, when we arrived at the picnic area we discovered that the dam has been closed off with a tall gate, & there is no access allowed into the forest. This came as a bit of a blow to our plans for the day, so having to improvise, we drove back along the road till we found a sheltered place to have morning tea,

1 Morning tea spot (Ken pic and caption) — 1 Morning tea spot (Ken caption)

while we mulled over what the next step would be. We eventually decided to go back down the Waipori Rd. with the view to walk a bit of the Government Track.
We stopped off at the Waipori township to have a look at the Crystal Falls, which a few of us had never seen before. Impressive sight, although being blocked from a really good view by trees etc.

2. At the Crystal Falls viewing platform. (Ken caption)

When we got to the bridge over the river just before the Govt. track, we decided to go into the picnic area there, instead of going to the Govt. track, & have a look at the track from there up to Shaw Hill Rd.
We parked up on the entrance road, as there is also a gate across there now as well, & walked up the track to the old shed, where we poked around a bit before moving on further up past the stone seat, & up to where the 4WD track starts. This lead us up to Shaw Hill Rd. where we had a bit of a look around before settling down for lunch under some pines, just by the bee hives. After lunch, we retraced our steps, but this time we took the loop track which joins up with the other one down near the bottom.
Ian H. did some research on the old shed & the stone seat, & came up with the info that the shed, along with it’s adjacent toilet, was built for the forestry workers, & the stone seat was constructed by the workers for their own amusement.

3. Ken taking advantage of the stone seat (Ken caption)

So our day was not entirely wasted, & we all enjoyed the different things that we saw during the day.
Walked 6.5km
3.7km/h
climbed 290m
max height 474m – Ken.

9. 5/2/2014 Both. Waipori DOC picnic area over bridge. Track up to Shaw Road.

Lunch stop (Ken pic and caption) — Lunch stop1 (Ian H pic and caption)

Lunch stop2 (Ken pic and caption) — Lunch stop2 (Ian H pic and caption)

8. 9/1/2013. All. Waipori DOC picnic area over bridge. Track up to Shaw Road. Leaders: Bev, Ian.

Eighteen climbed the track and four ramblers walked up the Waipori Road.

GPS of route courtesy Ken. We climbed via the shelter and the steep true left track of loop up to Shaw Road – and beyond – and descended via the loop’s longer gentler sloping true right side.

Cuppa at Lookout outcrop on steep track.

One hiker spoke for many when he thought the climb seemed much longer and steeper than when he had last done it (about a decade earlier!).

7. 20/10/2010. Hikers. Waipori Area. McLaren Rd, Wesleydale Rd, Farmland to Mill Creek. Poleline to Wesleydale Rd. Leaders: Bill and Lesley.

Following is a brief report on Wednesday 20/10/2010 Hikers tramp.

In all there were 12 people who enjoyed the day mainly because it was a new tramp, a lovely day, and no rain.

We parked the cars in McLaren road and ambled on up McLaren turning into Wesleydale Road, stopping for morning tea out of the cool breeze. Then continued on over farm land to Mill Creek. Found a lovely spot for lunch in the sun along the Waipori river bank.

After lunch we walked up the pole line to Wesleydale Road and back to the cars. Approx 12 km all up.

The morning was cool until about 10am after which the sun shone from then on. – Lesley.

6. 17/9/2008. Hikers. Waipori Walk. Medium. Leaders: Bill H, Peter.

5. 21/9/2005. Both. Waipori area. Leaders: Arthur and Barbara, Bill H, Lance and Lois.

4. 26/5/2004 Both. Waipori Gorge. Climb from the DOC picnic area. Medium. Leaders: Bill H, Lesley, Irene, Les W, Ray, Mary M

Pause on track. Nadia, Dorothy, Lex, Bob

3. 13/9/2000. Waipori Gorge area. Leaders: Bill H, Pat and Bill.

2. 10/9/1997. Waipori Gorge. Leaders: Lesley S, Bill H, Bev H.

1. 4/10/1995. Waipori Gorge. Medium. Leaders: Bill and Lesley, Graham and Doreen.

Grainger Road Tramps

Grainger Road Tramps to Maungatua summit and Woodside.
Steep, Long. Take plenty of water.
Cars park at Graingers Road.

8. 11/11/2015. Trampers. Grainger Road.
A change of plan due to the weather. 7 of us went to Grainger Road and parked at end of road by the pylon. Steep track up the side of the Maungatuas. Steep was what Hamel’s book said and was steep. Morning tea Ken left and went back down. Rest of us continued up as far as the markers were. No more track to be found so after much looking around the decision was made to go back down. Early lunch with the paddock’s two resident horses and a shower of rain sent us on our way home. Still a good workout. – Helen.
7. 31/8/2005. Trampers. Grainger Road to Maungatua Tussock slopes only. Spaniard grass thick. Leaders: George, Doug J.
We climbed in the bush, and came down in tussock and farm. – Ian

Lunch on Maungatua slop. Hazel, Dorothy, George — Break in Bush. George, Ria, Who?

Lunch on Maungatua slop. Hazel, Dorothy, George

Descent round a large rock. Who? in rear rear. Doug M front.

6. 16/9/1998 Grainger Road, Woodside. Leaders: Bill H, Graham

5. 29/4/1998. Maungatua via Graingers Road, return – round trip. Leaders: Bill H, Graham, Ian.

4. 14/8/1996. Grainger Road to Woodside Glen. (Car Shuttle) Medium+. Leaders: Wendy, Bev H, Bill H.

3. 7/12/1994 Grainger Road, Maungatua, Woodside. Steep and long. You may go part way on this one and a leader will bring you back. Leaders: Nancy, Rob Q, Joyce S, Colleen

1/10/1994 Leaders: Joyce S, Nancy, Colleen

2. 11/5/1994. Grainger Road, Woodside, Maungatua. Med+. Long. Leaders: Nancy, Colleen, Rob Q, Joyce S

1. 11/3/1992 Leaders: Bob & Audrey, Denise, Doug M

Brighton Beach south

Location: 15 km.

5. 16/9/2015. Trampers. Brighton to Kuri Bush.

Seven trampers started out from Brighton to walk the beach to Kuri Bush. The weather was overcast, but fine all day, & no wind, which made pleasant beach walking.
As lunch was taken before we reached Kuri bush,

we never quite made it all the way there before turning back. As the tide was starting to come in,

we walked some of the way back on the road, until we could get back

onto the beach. – Heb.

4. 7/11/2013. Both. Brighton to Bruce Rocks. Leader: G Haggie.

3. 10/11/2010. Trampers. Brighton Beach walk south. Medium. Leaders: All.

Brighton-Sth. Beach walk. GPS of route, courtesy Ken

This was the first tramp without a recce or leader. Overworked leaders had begun complaining as low tramper numbers had meant frequent leadership duties. Ironically 10 of us turned up on the day. We had morning tea at the same spot as last time – at the point where the unbroken beach gives way to rocky outcrops and small bays. As you can see, the tide was well out.

The two small waterfalls pictured in the last tramp were almost indiscernible trickles, so dry had the season become. So far out was the tide, that we were well beyond the point we had reached on the previous occasion. Fortunately Ken drew our attention to the fact that we had gone over 8 km, only about 2 km short of Kuri Bush. Far enough. So we lunched. On the way back some striated rock face drew our attention.

We got well strung out on the walk back with one or two getting well ahead and a tail-end group dropping well back. But we all got there, with several taking the opportunity to enjoy going bare-foot in the surf.

However we all made good time covering 17 km all up, getting back to the cars about 2.30 p.m.

A lovely sunny day. Tide well out. Good hard sand. It was great. – Ian

2. 20/8/2008 Trampers. Brighton Beach walk south. Medium. Leaders: Ian, Sabina

Tea stop. Lex, Ken, Pat, George, Sabina, Who?. — Tea stop

This beach tramp from Brighton south was merely a replacement for a soggy winter Spiers Road circuit but proved to be a gem. After the first unbroken beach walk from Brighton, the small sandy bays at its south end were a welcome delight and of endless interest.

The rocky points between them proved not too difficult to negotiate, provided one carefully stepped between slippery seaweed. Again there was constant interesting variety of shapes and rocky pools.

(Of course a welcome sunny day interrupting a dreary wet August was quite a help too.) And to top off the specialness of the day, George observed that this was the first time the club had attempted the walk, although the Trixies had it on their calendar.
This is a walk to be planned only when low tide occurs between 12.00 and 1.00 p.m. as at high tide the sea comes right up to the steep banks. As it chanced it was a 12.00 p.m. low tide day. 1.00 p.m. would have been even better as we had to plan our return early enough to get back beyond the last rocky point and onto the unbroken beach again before the returning sea had encroached too much.

And at this point was a further point of interest. George had told leaders Sabina and Ian when they were still at the planning stage that horse riders used a parallel track through the sandhills when the tide was full, so here was a landscape of its own to vary the return trip and avoid the soft sand of the upper beach that the returning tide would have forced us onto. Mainly marram grass and lupin, the dips and rises, gullies and ridges led on and on in a world seemingly quite divorced from road on one side and beach on the other, interrupted only by a web of road-to-beach tracks constantly crossing our walk.
At last, the return to the cars with nine of us having enjoyed a day of welcome break in the weather and a rewarding treat of beautiful hidden bays of which we had hitherto been completely ignorant. – Ian

1. 10/10/2007. Hikers. Beach Walk. Brighton. Easy. Leaders: Jean, Dot B.

Protected: Committee Minutes 7/9/2015

Protected: AGM Minutes 27/8/2015

Concord Blackhead

12 km from car park
No. 103 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Concord – Blackhead – Brighton Rd Year Round”
Concord – Information and Trips Library

1. 1/7/2015. All. Midwinter Dinner. Concord Tavern. E. Leaders: Elaine and Eric.

Well! Records set. At least for the tramp. 40! Yes, 40. And 50 for the meal. Much due, this reporter suspects, to the way Elaine crafted the walk’s publicity. Easy? Well, not altogether with a bit of a climb into Abbotsford maybe a bit hard for some.

First problem was to number the carpark’s milling crowd off, but Fred got it right by standing at the corner by the road. Elaine set off at a brisk pace down …

… the “Main South Road” (surely it’s time to name it the Old Main South Road), around the corner at the bottom and then level walking towards Green Island. Then a stop. Question time.

Date of motorway completion? Wow. Peter had the exact answer. 1974. Take a prize! Then on. Stop again, outside an imposing gateway. What do the initials IRMO stand for?

More knew the answer this time. A prize again. Onward. Stop – outside Harraways Office. Now a generous distribution …

… of complimentary Oats Singles packets. Take more than one. Onward again. Across rise where most recalled the railway line that once crossed the road. To collect coal from Saddle Hill once, someone said. Last stop, at the curly beginning of the impressive overhead footbridge, spanning Kaikorai Stream, the motorway, …

… bush, and finally the railway before turning right into Neill Street and left into Matthew Street, and second entrance on our left into a property with a wonderful back covered porch.

A further surprise. We were regaled with mulled wine or soup served in pottles with generous refills. (A recent email from Elaine says a further whole thermos of mulled wine got overlooked. – Damn, as she so feelingly put it.) Next, in through a door leading under the house to view …

.. a model train set.( This reporter can testify it was even more elaborate than any he saw at the recent display put on at Wobblies.) It was N gauge (9mm). Unfortunately, the owner didn’t have it going, lest he exposed himself to an embarrassing derailment. Too bad. It was capable of running two trains at once. There’s a wealth of ancillary detail also, all to scale. A close study will prove most rewarding! To this reporter, this is the engineering equivalent of close needlework.

After this wonderful surprise break, it was back down Matthew Street and away along Neill Street to our left to reach a hidden pedestrian underpass at the foot of Armstrong Lane …

… and to emerge onto a little path that skirted round to the foot of Harraway Road, across a Kaikorai Stream bridge, out onto the “Main South Road” and back to the Concord Tavern for the Dinner. Here we met with the non-walkers and filled an almost overcrowded dining room. Some of us neglected to pick our table first as we found we were supposed to (including this reporter) before we lined up at the servery to place our meal order, but waiters found us eventually and all was well.

Again, due to Elaine’s homework with her sponsors, there were little prezzies on the tables and under-the-seat tickets for rewards. What a girl she is!

So, thanks to Elaine and Eric for such an imaginative midwinter dinner function effort. Well done, to put it mildly. – Ian.

16/8/2000. Concord – Blackhead. Leaders: Les W, Diana and Ray.

26/5/1999 Concord from Tavern to Blackhead. Leaders: Jean, Ngaire, Bev McI.

19/5/1993 Concord Corner, Blackhead, Beach, Brighton Road, Allan Road, Green Island Bush Road. Round Trip. Leaders: Jack, Rosemary, Joyce I, Joyce S

23/9/1989 Concord Hills from Wine and Spirits carpark. Easy+ Leaders: George, Ria L, Pam, Ria H

Topiary Trek.

Five intrepid (or foolish!!) tramper/hikers (of Kepler fame!) turned up for 9.30 a.m. start at the car park in spite of heavy deluge. President Les made a brief appearance to say he wasn’t going, and Lester turned up and left again when he dicovered the furthest we were going was to Topiary Café for morning rather than afternoon coffee. So, that is where Jill, Pat, Judy, Elaine and I duly proceeded [Meaning? – Ed.] to. We sat on the comfortable couches and relaxed and enjoyed coffee, pikelets and stimulating conversation.

5 Happy Hikers on a wet Wednsday (Bev pic and caption)

Back to car park and to own cars and pursuits.

I went and did usual grocery shop and then took 3/4 hr to get to my home in Dunedin, with much aqua planing and “deep river” crossings!!
Better than just sitting at home watching the rain. – Bev.

Neehoff Farm, Hindon.

23 km from car park.

1/4/2015. Both. Neehoff Farm, Hindon. M. Leaders: Ian F and Arthur H.

A goodly number of thirty Trampers and Hikers, as you can see from the GPS map, set off back alongside the road we had arrived in, the Leaders searching for one of several elusive ridges, each separated by bushed gullies and leading down to a main gully at their foot. However, due to their number (six in total!) and too tentatively choosing one ridge too soon but finding it too stunted to be the one, we ended up turning back (about 0.7 kms on GPS map) instead of going on, and descending the ridge futher back only to be forced to have to climb out of the gully beyond its foot (red spot about 1.4 kms on GPS map) and up onto the one originally planned on. By now it was time for morning tea. (Sorry about the lack of photos – we didn’t have John and his camera with us this time.)

On down the right gully now this time and into the main one across its foot, left skirting its side and crossing at a bridge and struggling up the slope directly ahead. (Red spots about 1.6 kms on GPS map.) Then it was on, up to our left, climbing gradually for the most part, through a number of paddocks and gates, until by various turns we reached what appeared a paper road. (About 3.7 kms on GPS map.) This formed a long ascending route to the point where we turned into a paddock again. (About 5.8 kms on the GPS map.) En route, we met up with the Neeehoff farm’s neighbouring owner. He reassured us he had been consulted, but it now became apparent that we had spent more time on his farm than the other! Ah well, another permission to prudently seek next time. It was in the new paddock that the mushroom pickers got really busy. There had been some mushrooms in the first paddocks, but here their number appeared endless. This led to a prolonged hunt by the aficionados while most went on to stop for lunch not too distant from one particular loiterer who shall remain unnamed. (6.1 kms on the GPS map.) Some great mushroom fry-ups would be on the menu that evening!

Around the head of the gully facing the luncheon eaters, we descended to the big gully again, but here bridgeless, with its water-way just a step (or more in some places) too wide. Many just plunged through, but the tail on the GPS map indicates a walk upstream for the few patient enough to wait to be led to the only dry one-step crossing. (About 6.7 kms on the GPS map.) From there we had to walk back along to our left and the corner of a paddock ahead, and wait for leader Arthur to switch off the hot wire of what we now knew to be the Neehoff boundary fence. (About 6.9 kms on the GPS map.) Once through the fence, ahead lay the long steep slog up the longest and principle of all those six ridges leading back up again, – also the nearest to the homestead. (Kms 7 and 8 on the GPS map.) Now we were back up onto the original paddock and soon back to the cars.

Well, this was one of the now controversial “both” walks, set down for Trampers to join with Hikers the first Wednesdays of the months. It was moderately hard only in respect to the steep climbs out of the gullies. But not particularly long or challenging. There were happily more Trampers than there had been recently, generously tolerating the slower pace of the Hikers for the sake of “Recreational” togetherness and getting to know fellow-club members better. Perhaps the emerging arrangement of this along with a track-clearing option on the same day, is becoming a way through of providing a flexibility of choice for Trampers to exercise in accordance with their own preference. – Ian

20/2/2013. Trampers. Neehoff Farm, Hindon.

22/2/1995. Neehoff Farm, Hindon. Medium. Leaders: Molly, Jack and Rosemary, Eleanor.

Berwick Waipori River walk

25/2/2015 Hikers. Heenan Road to Waipori River. Leaders: Peter and Elaine.

Thirteen Hikers parked their cars by a Lavender Farm in Heenan Road. The day turned out to be largely a road walk. We walked the length of Heenan Road into the face of a ferocious westerly that didn’t let up all day, and had forced us into our parkas for warmth. We passed the former Wesleydale Methodist Camp site on our right, sighted the paddock corner where the track to Three Kings went into the bush, looked up at Three Kings standing out at the top, and passed the stock shed a little further on, some of us noting that it marked the top end of the paper road that links with the Waipori Road at its foot. But the plan was to continue further to where the Road met up with Munro Road. Turning right into it we shortly stopped in the shelter of a plantation for a brief morning cuppa, the plantation providing a measure of shelter for the wind blast. We continued to the road’s end by a built-up and fenced-off reservoir with its gate wide open. Courious, we climbed up and came across two DCC workmen, one of whom was vainly paddling an inflatable dingy against the wind, eventually managing to get to the point where it could be pulled out of the water. Quite a sight. Forgot to take a photo. Ouch.

Past the dam,the road changed to a FWD track which in turn ended a paddock, down across which we went to a gate at its other end that led down to Waipori Road.

A short distance down we turned into Twelve Tree Road which led us to a paddock, across which was the metal stock bridge across the Waipori River. Peter went ahead on the pretense of having something to attend to, but when we got to the bridge there he was holding up a sign proclaiming “Bev’s Bridge”, due to her being one of the few who could walk across upright without having to bend her head to avoid hitting the low iron cross rods above. (See later pic taken on return trip.)

Instead of turning down stream, Peter led us up, through various gates and paddocks to a patch of bush which provided shelter from the wind as we sat in the sun and lunched.

Returning,…

Bev Bridge — The Bev Harvey Bridge. Caution – Height Limit. (to replace yet another forgotten photo-take on the way in)

…we came out at a different spot on the Waipori Road near the Mill Creek bridge and went along to return up the paddock we had come down earlier. Now with the wind behind us, returning was easier, and an obvious road allowed us to walk at our own rates.

Stone house in excellent condition (another after-thought photo)

Thanks to Peter and Elaine whose excellent leadership was helped by a compliant group, smaller than usual. – Ian.

3/4/2002 Combined. Berwick – Waipori River walk. Medium. Leaders: Bill H, Lesley S, Evelyn C

7/3/2001. Berwick. Waipori River Walk. Leaders: Bill H, Lesley S, Evelyn C.

Protected: Committee Minutes 11/2/2015

Protected: Committee Minutes 14/1/2015

Protected: Committee Minutes 3/11/2014

Luxmore, 13-27 Sept 2014.

Two intrepid trampers, geared up for a week,

With lots of lovely tucker, as adventure we did seek.

We drove down to Te Anau – not raining, but it tried;

They gave us our instructions, and a helicopter ride.

Swooping up to Luxmore, …

Hut — Swooping up to Luxmore (Judy pic, caption Ed.)

… firewood swung below,

We landed on the helipad, then inside we did go.

Our rooms were nice and cosy, the fire was blazing well.

The views were quite stupendous …

… (and the toilet didn’t smell).

We stacked away the firewood, and made ourselves at home.

(It didn’t seem to matter that I hadn’t brought a comb).

It snowed and blew and snowed again, the rain began to pour.

The sun shone for a little while, and then it snowed some more.

Our week was really busy, we met a lot of folks.

They came from all around the world, (there were some hunky blokes).

We carried water, chopped up wood, and even cleaned the loos.

And in the evenings, by the fire, we sank a bit of booze.

Our meals were really yummy, (we both can cook quite well).

We wafted to the hut below, a tantalising smell.

DVDs to watch at night, and lots of books to read.

Lots of cuppas through the day, and then, another feed.

Elaine worked the radio, and kept us up to date

With weather forecasts as they came, so trampers knew their fate.

Some of them were ill-equipped, one lot had no food.

Others came with blisters, and one was really rude.

But most of them were friendly, they came with good intent,

Ready to enjoy themselves, and think their time well spent.

Many were from overseas, and thought our country great.

To walk upon our other tracks, they really couldn’t wait.

Judy chopped some firewood – she got whacked on the leg.

Elaine put some ice on, it came up like an egg.

A good excuse for loafing, Elaine did the chores,

While Judy sat with glass in hand, and watched her wash the floors.

We wandered up Mt Luxmore, right up we tried to go,

But didn’t finally make it, because of thigh-deep snow.

The week flew by so quickly, with little time to spare.

With such a great experience, we’re going back next year! – Judy, prompted by Elaine.

Ian. An addition from a later date: May 2015 Report excerpt from:

Kepler Kiwi Catching – By Southern Contractors for Fiordland Conservation Trust

“…. we arrived at the hut just after dark to find that our message hadn’t been received and the two volunteer wardens, Judy Knox and Elaine Day, didn’t know we were coming. With 70+ trampers making the most of the first weekend off season and fine forecast Judy and Elaine had bodies on mattresses coming out their ears but they were most accommodating and kindly set us up in the wardens quarters. We fuelled up and headed out at 2000.

…

“We arrived back at the hut just after 0400 for a few hours zzzs on the hut warden’s spare bunk and floor.

“Trip diary: 2^nd

“We woke up with the light but were feeling quite jaded after the big night and less than three hours sleep and so we didn’t make it out the door till 1045.” – Ian.

Outram Glen and Traquair/Whare Creek. Cartwright Track

Outram, Allanton, Floodbanks, Lee Stream, Traquair, Whare Creek – Information and Trips Library

6. 15/9/2014.
Just been reading some of your website on this short track. You may like to know that when we were talking to the gentleman at the museum last week, he told us that the track was put in to take supplies of piping etc up the burn for the Outram water supply. Also, if you go to the end of that track, & then cross the burn, there is a track up the other side, & up there is a valve, & some old piping. So it seems that the track has nothing to do with the old mill that was there, as it got it’s water from the race that you & I found in the paddocks above the road.
He has some old photos of the area as well, but they are not very good ones. There is also a water wheel [working] at the museum, which I think he said was the old mill wheel. – Ken

5. 10/9/2014. Trampers. Outram Glen & Traquair/Whare Creek.

After a cool start to the day, the weather warmed up, & we had a good walk along the Outram Glen track to Lee stream, [where we discussed the possibilities of crossing the stream without getting very wet] & back. We had a couple of stops along the way, one was with the owner of one of the houses up the Chalkies track road. He tells us that the grumpy one has now gone, & the new owners are quite ok with groups like ours going down [or up] the track through their properties, then down [or up] their driveway. I think permission should still be sought first though, especially for the first time at least.We arrived back at the car for lunch, & then proceeded along to the short track that runs in from the one way bridge at the start of the George King Memorial Drive. this was a new walk for some in the group, & started up a discussion on the old mill that used to be there.
On the way back out, we decided to go up into the museum grounds, as this was also new for some in the party. We struck up a good conversation with one of the gentlemen working on the site, & he was most helpful with info on the old mill, it’s whereabouts, & where to find some old relics.
We arrived back at the carpark, just before the hikers returned.We walked approx 12.5km [didn’t take the GPS on the short track.]
ave. 4.2km/hr. – Ken.

4. 5/5/2012. Whare Creek Outram Council weir. Ken and Ian.

On a fine Monday afternoon and with permission and advice from the landowners, we explored down the bush track below the power lines to arrive at the water race that supplied the water that drove the old Outram Glen Flour Mill back in the early 20th Century.

Following the pink markers brought us to the point leading steeply down below the race to the creek and a weir. From Jim Sime’s later information, this was the Outram Council’s weir and pipe line to supply water for the Outram Water Supply tank, located above the Taieri Museum, now no longer in use. The weir was designed so that flood debris would wash right over it.

Old Outram Council Weir and piping, no longer in use.

Mr Sime said that the Flour Mill water race, higher up the bank, which he explored on an earlier occasion, leads on for a considerable distance to disappear at the face of a rock bluff, with no indication evident of how the fluming would have had to have been attached to the sheer rock. Mr Sime thinks that a pool yet further upstream at a streams’ confluence may well have been where the race might have begun.

Ken pic. Upstream from the weir, the creek winds round to the left.

3. 18/4/2012. Trampers. Outram Glen & Traquair/Whare Creek.

Seven of us took to the Outram Glen – Lee Stream track on an overcast & cool morning. We decided to have morning tea at Lee Stream, so we set off at a good pace, & we soon warmed up. The sun was out at Lee Stream, so a leisurely break was in order. We made our way back to the glen where we had lunch, & then we moved the cars down to the Traquair Burn bridge.

We made the short walk to the start of the Traquair Burn track & along this to the end, where we did a bit of exploring up the small tributary stream on the left. This quickly ran out of easily negotiated terrain, so we went back to the track end, & Ken went exploring up the Burn a bit further to see if it was possible to go upstream.

We returned to the cars via the Outram machinery museum grounds, where we had a good look around. – Ken

2. 23/4/2008. Trampers. Outram Glen & Traquair/Whare Creek.

Six trampers turned up at the car-park following a very stormy night to learn that the leaders, Ria and Hazel had, happily as it turned out, decided on Outram Glen instead of Whare Flat. They had carried out three Whare Flat recces only to find on each occasion tracks too overgrown to clear. We were delighted to find the reported upgrade of the initial flat (mostly) part of the Outram Glen track had been widened and metalled making for two-abreast walking. The remaining steeper bit however was literally, according to a DoC notice, “maintained to only route standard”. It was! But we made good progress arriving at the Lee Stream terminus at 11. It was there that Doug and Hazel discovered wild potatoes

Gathering potatoes near Lee Stream outlet.

of a very good size which Doug lugged back down the track for his meal table.
We lunched below the Taieri Historical Museum area prior to exploring a newly-cleared track up alongside the Traquair (or Whare) Stream – a new discovery for most of the group. Ian recounted how his Grandfather and family had owned the Flour Mill in a small area across the stream from 1911-1913 (the original Outram Glen), now buried under the present road corner alignment: a place once renowned for its gardens and picnic area for locals. Two houses, a mill, a fountain and an electric generator (which had earlier powered Outram’s street lights) as well as gardens had occupied the area. The buildings were destroyed by fire in 1918.

Fallen coloured deciduous leaves on an open area of the track would have kindled a painter’s imagination. We returned from where the track finally petered out, left wondering where it might have continued to in the past. Another satisfying day. – Ian

1. 23/4/2008 Leaders: Ria L, Hazel