Archive for the 'Midwinter Dinners' Category

Feb 24 2024

Waihola Walk.

29 km from car park.


4. 21/02/2024. Hikers. Waihola/Milburn Area. Grade 2 Leaders: Bill and Jill

Bridge Square Thumb22 hikers assembled at a car park in Limeworks Road, Milburn on a rather grey morning with a cold head on sou’wester blowing into our faces. After traversing a farm track, we joined the Clutha Gold Trail in Circle Hill Road and began what Jill quite accurately described as a day of quirky bridges and old fossils!

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Jul 08 2021

Midwinter Street Walk. Street art.

Published by under Midwinter Dinners,Uncategorized

4. 7/7/2021. All. Street Art followed by Mid Winter lunch at the Wharf Hotel.  Leaders Chris, Gwenda, Clive and Faye

12 Hikers and 24 Trampers met at the Wharf Hotel for Street Art walks around Dunedin.

The trampers headed off to the Vogel Street area and take away drinks from Heritage Coffee in Jetty Street.

They then made their wandering way, via Moray Place and Bath Street, to the University area.

Stunning colours

Stunning colours (photo and caption Helen)

More bright colours

More bright colours (photo and caption Helen)

Love the tui

Love the tui (photo and caption Helen)

There was time to view the University Library’s Colin McCahon painting “Waterfall Theme and Variations”,

Painting at the OU library

Painting at the Otago University Library (photo and caption Helen)

the Castle Street Lecture Theatre’s wonderful mural and

Students at OU

Students at Otago University (photo and caption Helen)

some of the campus sculptures before returning via the rail bridge.

Group at OU

The group on Otago University campus (photo and caption Helen)

The hikers headed to the downtown area over the rail bridge before making their way back to the Wharf Hotel via the Vogel Street area. Morning tea was enjoyed midway at the Vanguard Café on Princes Street.

Jill Dodd and Jay organised a lovely mid-winter lunch to follow which was enjoyed by 50 members of the club at the Wharf Hotel.  There we also enjoyed a great slideshow of photos from trips over the last 6 months, put together by Clive and John.

Lunch

Lunch at the Wharf Hotel (photo Chris)

Chris

3. 3/7/2019. All. Midwinter Street Art walk and lunch. Leaders: Clive and Heather.

C.2) Some were smallc

Some were small. (Clive pic and caption.)

C.3) There was a lot to see at 76 Vogel Streetc

There was a lot to see at 76 Vogel Street. (Clive pic and caption.)

H.2c

(Helen pic.)

H.4c

(Helen pic.)

H.5c

(Helen pic.)

H.6c

(Helen pic.)

H.8c

(Helen pic.)

H.9c

(Helen pic.)

C.4) Lunch at The Wharf Hotelc

Lunch at The Wharf Hotel. (Clive pic and caption.)

2. 6/7/2016. All. Street Art Walk. Mid-Winter Lunch. E. Leaders: Bev, Judy and Alex.
31 members gathered at the Wharf Hotel car park and set out for a fascinating walk around Dunedin streets, viewing some of the amazing street art adorning our buildings’ walls.
First stop was just along the foreshore where mulled wine was served, (courtesy of Elaine and Judy), really hitting the spot on a coldish morning.  Then it was up and across the over-bridge to Jetty Street, to Princes St and Manse St.  The back entrance to the Scenic Hotel provided a look at the spectacular Cloud Catcher mural.

Cloud Catcher

Cloud Catcher. Oops Just cut “the catch” off. Dash!

We did wonder just how the artist managed to hang up there to do this amazing work.
A short puff up Rattray St, to Dowling St and then up to Tennyson St,

View

Got “the catch”! but too far away really. City view from bottom of Tennyson Street.

down View St (glad it wasn’t up), across Moray Place, through the car park and along the alleyway to the Octagon.  This alleyway is full of excellent art work, well worth browsing through.  From here it was around the Octagon, down Stuart St, and along to Queens Gardens, before crossing  to Vogel St again, and over the bridge back to the Wharf just after midday.  Thank you Bev for organising this and turning out in spite of a miserable head cold.
Here we found the rest of the crew gathered, raising the number to 62, a great turn out.  It was pleasing to see so many ‘senior’ members in attendance.
After birthday greetings to Margaret and Adrienne, Judy ran a short quiz, testing observational skills from the walk.  Thanks to Eric for his help, and for the chocolates donated.  Judy then read her ‘Ode to the Club’.  (Attached [at the bottom of the Club’s History page] if you want to read it for yourselves!).
Congratulations and thanks to the hotel staff, who took orders and prepared and delivered meals so efficiently and promptly.  This was much appreciated – the blue cod was great!  While some indulged in dessert, the ‘Four Jolly Tramping Mates’ presented two songs, ably led by Bruce.
Thanks boys, you did well!

The boys. (Adrienne pic.)

The Mates/boys. (Adrienne pic.)

All in all this was a really successful day, with everyone relaxed and happy, enjoying the food, the company and  the entertainment. – Judy and Bev.

1. 15/7/2015. Hikers. Street Art Street Walk. E. Leaders: Lance and Lois.

iPhoto GPS of route

iPhoto GPS of route

It was another of the Lance and Lois’ well-planned, well-commentated walks. We surprised them with our large group, numbering 31, crowding up at street corners and filling pedestrian crossings, but they coped. Beginning at Unity Park lookout, we first walked down Eglington Road to the former Montecillo property being developed for new housing. Lance told us the driveway in was a solid  8 inches thick concrete slab!) We then returned out to walk down through the Town Belt by way of of the ‘Steep Street’ track, stopping on a grassy slope…

 

Morning Tea stop

Morning Tea stop

…for morning tea just above the zig-zag steps.

The steps are of those awkward sloping kind, enforcing either a stretched stride or two tiny ones per step. Anyway we arrived a bit up Maitland Street above Carroll St, to enter an unobtrusive lane that led into a large centre-of-the-block grassy area that led us diagonally through to Stafford St. Having enjoyed this delightful mid-block section,  we turned down Melville St to Carroll St to view the former St Andrews Church. Lance had already prepared us at our morning tea for this visit. He had told us of Rutherford Waddell’s greatest sermon of all time at this church  on the ‘sin of cheapness’, where the Minister had declaimed against the sweated labour of the Dunedin seamstresses of the time, a clarion call that was to bring about far-reaching legislation reform of working conditions. So we viewed the historic church which has in more recent times been used by the Word of Life Pentecostals, and since 2001 by the Coptic Orthodox Church. We rounded the large old Bell Tea Co building corner into Hope St and up again to Stafford St to walk down it to our first street art, the Haast Eagle.

Haast Eagle

Chinese artist DALEast represents New Zealand’s extinct Haast Eagle and is reflective of his unique style which presents the frenetic shape of animals and people as if they have been constructed out of shards of metal. On Stafford St

We continued down and across to the corner of Princes and Jetty streets to view the “Riding Dreams” mural.

Boy on horse

“Riding Dreams” by Pixel Pancho demonstrates a complex interweaving of the human form, flora, and metal to create the surreal image of a ‘not quite human’ boy riding a fantastical metal horse reflecting his fascination with 1950s robots.

Around the corner, “Love is in the air” on Bond St was delightful.

Love is in the air

Polish artist Natalia Rak’s mural entitled “Love is in the air” is characteristic of her cheeky, playful and hyper-realistic  style and reflects her passion for bold colours.

I could go on. We went hither and thither, as you can perceive from he route map, far too much to list here. This reporter can recommend such a stop-go walk, studying buildings, renovated and old, treading pavements some, no doubt we had never planted foot on before.

Just two more ‘works of art’ now, and lunch at First Church before heading back up the hill.

First the waka and steam-punk submarines exiting a fish’s mouth. (Quietly: But aren’t the sails billowing backwards?)

waka and fish

Maori waka and a steam-punk like submarine emerge from a fish’s mouth in this piece by Phlegm. On Vogel St.

Our lunch at First Church.

IMG_2775Lunch

Panorama of lunch on seats in First Church grounds.

And finally, an art work in Rattray St.

"Chasing the Thin White Cloud"

“Chasing the Thin White Cloud” , three stories high is the largest work to date of Fintan Magee.

Then up Maclaggan St and High Street and back to the cars.

Thanks to Lance and Lois for a carefully thought out day.- Ian

(Grateful acknowledgement to Dunedin Street Art Trail information.)

 

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Jul 01 2020

Midwinter Dinner Occasions

Published by under Midwinter Dinners

6. 1/7/2020 Mid-winter Luncheon. RSA. Leaders : Eleanore and Jill.

Due to  the abysmal weather yesterday afternoon, we cancelled the planned walk along the Silver stream, thank goodness we did because the rain kept going last night and today.
Instead, It was lovely to be greeted at the Mosgiel R.S.A. restaurant by 60 Happy faces, particularly our Senior Members, who always enjoy our shared occasions.  We were all  ready for a good catch up after the Coronavirus lockdown.
Past President Jill welcomed everyone along.  Also, on behalf of the Club Jill passed condolences onto Margaret Smith, due to  the recent Passing of her  beloved  Husband Les.

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Photo and Caption Helen – ” Vice President Jill welcoming everyone.”

At our 30th Anniversary, Jill as President, had the honour to present both  Les and  Margaret with Life Membership.  Margaret  joined in 1988 and Les in 1990.   Both dedicating many years of service to the club.
President Arthur thanked both myself and Jill for organising the venue and meal.  Also, he mentioned about the trampers’ track clearing trip set down for 8 July.
Grace was delivered by Ian Fleming, another Life Member of the Club.

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Photo and Caption Helen – ” Enjoying the lovely food.”

It was now time to enjoy tasty, well presented Dinners.   Choices being—Hot Ham, Fish, Braised Steak or Wiener Schnitzel.  Followed by beautifully presented Fruit Crumble or Ice Cream Sundae.  Tea, Coffee and Chocolate to finish off with.

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Photo and Caption Helen – “Enjoying seeing everyone.”

Full credit must go to the chef, manager and staff for their effort they put into the meal, and service given.
I hope you all enjoyed the outing as much as Jill and I did.
Eleanore Ryan and Jill Dodd

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Jul 01 2015

Concord Blackhead

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

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

GPS Route Map

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 …

Down from Inn (John pic)

Down from Inn (John pic)

… 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.

Q1 (John pic)

Q1 (John pic)

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?

IRMO. (John pic)

IRMO. (John pic)

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

Harraways (John pic)

Harraways (John pic)

… 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, …

Bridge (John pic)

Bridge (John pic)

… 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.

Porch (John pic)

Porch (John pic)

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 …

Train set. (John pic)

Train set. (John pic)

.. 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 …

Underpass

Underpass

… 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.

Convivial Dining (1) (John pic)

Convivial Dining (1) (John pic)

Convivial Dining (2) (John pic)

Convivial Dining (2) (John pic)

Diners (3)

Convivial Dining (2)

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

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