Category: Hikers

21 kms PJP to Pine Hill School (via 3 Mile Hill Rd).

4. 20/09/2023. Hikers. Pine Hill. Grade 2. $5. 21km. Leaders: Jan Butcher/Jenny Finnerty.

3. 01/12/2021. Hikers. Hidden Gems of Pine Hill. Shone Munro and John Gardiner

On a misty drizzly day, 24 hikers met in Pine Hill Rd near the school.

We commenced walking down Pine Hill Rd to a walkway leading to the town end of Hillary St which we followed to the distant end before having morning tea at “The Fern house”, an iconic house built in 1882 where we experienced great hospitality from the owner, Dr Brian Cox, who had made toilets and his sunroom open for us.

Most hikers then followed him to explore some of his property while some reneged at the muddy walkway near an old barn and tricky bridge where we waited for the intrepid to return.

It was obvious that the hikers were enjoying themselves by the happy chattering we heard and gales of laughter from Fay. We were still unsure if this was because Fay’s new shoes got so muddy or something else.

Reassembling we walked to Campbell Rd where John educated us on the history of the little dog painted into the Power box mural, walked up Campbell’s Rd , through a walkway back onto Pine Hill Rd and upwards to “The Pines”.

This owner, Lindsay Moir, also extended great hospitality, allowing us use of his barn (adequate seating for all) and toilet.

After lunch, a number of hikers went to explore his farm and the creek with him. Highlights included the monster (wooden polar bear), frog pond, converted container for honeymooners and a Nissan hut where some of our male hikers discussed politics.

There was an old sign hanging in the barn, advertising the business of our late Life member, Doug Moir and as there were only 5 telephone numbers on this, not the 7 on today’s listings, it must have been very old indeed.

A brisk downhill walk to the cars preceded a visit to CrocQueODile Café.

Thanks must go to these generous property owners for their hospitality.

Distance walked approx 9km.

2. 20/6/2019. Hikers. North East Valley, Pinehill. Jan and Jenny

On a cold and frosty morning, 27 hikers set off for Malvern Street where we parked up and commenced our hike to Pinehill.  We walked through Woodhaugh park where we located some seating and had our morning tea before setting off along Banks Street and turning left up Dolphin Street which in turn lead onto Gladstone Road. This being the home of Aquinas College.  If you thought we had a good frost in Mosgiel – well it was matched here  and we very cautiously negotiated the footpath, sometimes having to cross the road which was like a skating rink in places.  However we all climbed the hill without mishap and into the sunshine which was a relief! Walking up Pinehill Road we stopped to admire the Church where Shona and Keith were married some 44 years ago on the 28^th of this month. 

 We carried on, coming to John’s house where he picked up his dog for a walk up to the end of Pinehill Road & onto the end of a gravel road where we stopped for lunch overlooking a wonderful view of Dunedin and surrounds.

We were all suitably impressed with the view,

none of us having been up to that spot before – not even Shona!  Sitting there with our backs to the sun,

it was hard to leave, but it was time to head back down the hill again, spotting some wonderful street art in a bus shelter.

We turned left at Pinehill School and on down the hill coming to a winding Bucclough Street which eventually lead us down to the 219 Duddington steps

and on down to NEV where it was a short walk to the intersection with Banks Street and through Woodhaugh again and back to the cars.  A good 10k was the agreed distance and so called into the Village Green for a well deserved coffee & cake!

Jenny & Jan

 1. 24/5/2006 Pinehill – Gardens return Betty B, Dot T, Anne

10. 16/08/2023. Hikers. Mosgiel Street Walk. Grade 1, $0, 9km, Leaders: Raewyn Keene, Helen Morris

It was a little frosty as 14 hikers set out from Peter Johnson Park for a street walk till lunchtime. Along Reid Street to Factory Road, Church Street to Gordon Road, the pace was steady. As we approached the railway crossing (and unknown to some of us), was the plaque about our own Lester and his beautification efforts.

As we continued on to the old Mosgiel Railway Station for morning tea, it was great to see the daffodils & blossoms beginning to bloom, indicating Spring is not far away.

Refreshed and with the sun trying to shine, we headed off to Cemetery Road, ventured into the new Grange Lifestyle village as far as we could go, and back out to the underpass into Kinmont.

Some hill climbing was considered necessary to get our hearts pumping, so up Leith, Clyde & Braeside Streets we went. Back down to Quarry Road and left at Nellies, we looped back to our cars via Argyle Street & Bush Road.

Ross C joined us today and was apparently looking forward to a ‘flat’ walk (as advised by his lovely wife) – oops! Hopefully the friendly chatter along the way helped.

All in all, a pleasant morning’s walk, good company and 9kms achieved.

The Harwood hike will be rescheduled into the summer programme.

Helen & Raewyn

Continue reading “Mosgiel-Wingatui Area”

1. 24 May 2023. Bayfield carpark to Glenfalloch. Grade 1. Hikers. Leaders: Linda Partridge and Helen Ingram.

A convoy of cars from Mosgiel parked in the Bayfield carpark at 9.45 joining Brighton and Dunedin people. Twenty-five hikers in total readied themselves for a walk along the cycle track along Portobello Road to Glenfalloch. It was a still bright morning, the harbour sparkling in the sunlight. We walked along the side of the inlet and stopped at Vauxhall Yacht Club for morning tea.

Then on to Glenfalloch which we reached just before noon.

The gardens look beautiful every season, and that day in autumn the maples were flaming red, and a long bank of fuchsias in purple and shocking pink terraced one of the hillsides. We had a leisurely lunch and Linda had prepared a questionnaire for us to take round the gardens to help us explore the grounds.

How many spoons in the sculpture near the restaurant? Where will you find the sundial? It really brought out the competitive nature in us! But everyone’s a winner, and a bag of Cadbury Favourites was handed round.

The Portobello bus was due at 2.15pm, and most of the hikers decided to walk on to Macandrew Bay to catch the bus there.

Brandishing BeeLine Cards we filled the bus and were dropped off close to the cars.

We finished the day with a hot drink at Nicols Garden Centre. Thanks to Linda and Helen for a very enjoyable day.

3. Titri Wetland, Waihola Township and Lake. Hikers. Leaders Eleanore Ryan

On Wednesday 26 April 2023, it was very windy when 19 of us hikers arrived at the lake, meeting up with 3 from Outram. What a champ Bruce was joining 21 ladies!!! Also welcome to the new members.

We started off at the Sinclair, Bungard and Huddleston trees near the campground entry. My Great, Great Maternal Sinclair Grandparents arrived in 1857 from the Orkney Islands with 10 surviving family (they had 13 babies in 27 years). On arrival after 100 day voyage on the Māori to Taieri Ferry the father and older sons (my G. Grandfather bought a horse on the voyage) set off to find land and build a house. They settled at the junction of the Henley and Titri roads— which was the main road through to the early 1960’s. Between them they owned bordering farms, married and raised large families. My brother still farms Titri which has been in the family for over 100 years.

The Baumgardt (now Bungard) family arrived in 1872, along with 40 Polish families and settled round Allanton and Waihola, mainly employed building the Railway line south. They too also farmed round Waihola, and Taieri Ferry.

We walked up past the school and had smoko at a little cottage that would have housed a large family back in the day. Up the road a little further we stopped outside what was the home of Arthur Draper. He came from England and set up a Business in Outram in 1909 making Cricket Bats from Willow. He moved to Waihola in 1917. Over time he made around 10,000 bats from local Willow that had dried for 2 years. By the 1930’s lighter imported bats were proving to be more popular.

Up the hill overlooking the lake is the Cemetery, where a lot of the original Settlers are buried.

It was then down the road back to the far end of the lake where we found shelter for lunch. The lake was really stirred up with the wind.

Back to the cars and a short drive down to Titri wetland where we had seen the 2 Macracapa trees planted alongside a home built in the 1920’s. Some years later it was cut in half and dragged over the Island to the Waipouri river where it was floated down the Taieri river to Taieri Mouth—This Villa is still in ownership of a visitor we have had out a couple of times.

A short drive back to Black Swan for Coffee, cake and chat—where we were served with a smile, which is not always the case these days.

Thanks to Jenny Flack for keeping an eye on the tail Enders. Not many km’s, hopefully you all enjoyed the outing hearing snippets of local history.

Eleanore Ryan

Continue reading “Titri Wetlands Reserve and Titri Park. Taieri Ferry Bridge and Waihola.”