Taieri Recreational Tramping Club

Split Rock history by an Archaeologist

See also: Maori Peak, Split Rock (Trampers)

View of Purakaunui from near Guilds Hill. (Bruce pic)

Wendy, Peter, Lex, Fred. (Bruce pic)

After morning tea we proceeded up Russell Road and opened the gate tied by string and a chain which was straight ahead (not the padlocked gate on the right which leads to a residence). We proceeded along this 4-wheel-drive section of Russell Road and then, when the track finished, another 150 metres to a paddock on the left over the brow of the hill where we had a view of Maori Peak below us on the right, Mt Watkin, and the surrounding valleys and hills.

Mt Watkin, Maori Peak. (John pic)

Retracing our steps, we proceeded back down Russell Road for lunch, at 1220, at the site of the Seacliff Asylum.

Lunch. (John pic)

After lunch we toured some of the asylum remains and the Enchanted Forest including the bluestone wall at the northern end of the asylum site where the sinking of the foundations began,

Bluestone wall. (John pic)

the remains of the Medical Superintendent’s house,the Admission Unit, and Clifton House.

Remnants including foundations and a brick chimney at the site of the main asylum building. (John pic)

We noted the heritage apple collection that has been established by the Truby King Reserve Committee which is available, according to the web, for foraging by both locals and visitors. Some of the apples were sampled. We looked out for the Magnolia tree, noted by Janet Frame, in Faces in the Water, to be the pride of the hospital, but did not spot it. Possibly the DCC, who administer the reserve, may be able to signpost it eventually.[(But you can click here for a view of it from another tramp – the tree) and The plaque] We returned to the cars at 1415 having had the benefit of a warm day, with blue skies and no wind, to appreciate the tranquil rural setting. – Marjorie and Bruce.

12. 22/10/2008. Hikers. Seacliff, Split Rock. Medium. Leaders: Joyce S, Lesley G

Tea break at top of Russell Road. In front: Elaine, Angela, Barbara, Bill

At Seacliff, turn left up Russell Road. Park cars at gates. Truby King Reserve sign.
Walk up road and beyond to ridge. past macrocarpa trees is a paper road to end of gorse. Turn right off road to bypass below gorse on right. Beyond and down to right at rocks find a marked track down through trees to split rock. Get permissions.

24 hikers arrived at Seacliff for an enjoyable hike on a pleasant calm day.

Cars were parked on the side of Russell road outside the gates of the Truby King reserve. Peter, Ian’s son and local resident was there to lead us as we hadn’t done this walk for a considerable time. He led us up the road and yet further up to the top of the ridge to see great views on the other side. Over, and down a paddock to avoid heavy gorse and we were on a FWD track leading gently NE to yet a better view NE to Puketapu and NW to Mt Watkins,

Mount Watkins in distance. Lesley, Peter, Fred

as well as the flats behind Karitane. Then it was down and across to the bush lining the ridge on whose other side Split Rock was hidden. But just before we did that, Joyce invited us to enjoy an early lunch on some accomodating rocks in most enjoyable calm sunshine.

Lunch above Split Rock. Wendy, Bill, Joyce, Pat, Chris, Jean

After that, it was down through the bush following markers through a twisting route to eventually arriving at the rock. Some took the trouble to clamber to its flat top to enjoy magnificent sights up and down the coast. After that, a very careful descent down the side of this huge rock revealed the split halfway down.

Several daring souls squeezed through, others electing to avoid the claustrophobic confines of the 20 odd metre journey. Then it was carefully further down the steep track,

past the rock’s bottom face and on down and across some bush to arrive at a netting fence through which a small gap allowed one at a time to squeeze through into an open grass paddock. A graded 4WD track took us a short distance down to the coastal road where we turned right and walked single file back along towards Seacliff. Opposite Peter’s place we climbed a rise and over a style Peter had built to walk up a track, stepped where necessary to eventually emerge into the wonder of the Reserve, with a beautiful round garden before us to admire. An old concrete bridge on our left introduced us to an ascending grassy road that took us past the foundations of Dr Charles Moore’s house, a bit sunken, but with steps down to the basement still intact. Further yet up the road and we admired the brass plaque inscribed with Janet Frame’s account of a walk, including fond reference to the magnolia tree just behind it. Further up yet and we arrived at a more carefully mown area at the top, centre-pieced with two magnificent spreading elms. The range of wonderful trees around us is beyond description but a huge eucalyptus and a grove of giant pines must be mentioned. A short walk and we were through the gates and back in our cars. Thank you Joyce and Lesley and Peter too for a rewarding day out. – Ian

11. 26/7/2006. Hikers. Enchanted Forest. Easy. Leaders: Jim & Thelma, Graham

10. 29/6/2005. Trampers. Seacliff. Leaders Evelyn C, George, Shirley

Accessed from Mountain Road from old forest HQ 6 hr ret, Route, DOC and private land.

(Green Hut access: 41 km from car park.)

8. 21/04/2021. The Gap. Leaders: Arthur Heenan, Peter Horrell

Eighteen Tampers set off from Mosgiel at 8.00 am and travelled to Waitati and drove up through the forestry  to the start of Yellow Ridge track.  Led by Arthur Heenan and Peter Horrell, we set off in great weather conditions, with a clear sunny day with little wind and the recent dry conditions making the track as good as possible It was a steady walk to the hut for morning tea and then up to Yellow Ridge.

“Time for a rest – morning tea.” – Photo and Caption John

“Which way? – Photo Peter

“Destination reached.” – Photo and Caption John

“No sign of rain.” – Photo and Caption John

“Me at the top!” – Photo and Caption Peter.

“The gap rocks.” – Photo and Caption John

“Amazing views.” – Photo and Caption Peter

“Panorama – as far as the eye can see.” – Photo and Caption John

“Homeward bound stop.” – Photo and Caption John.

  Continue Reading »

Photo and Caption Gordon – “We have arrived at Bendoran Hut.”

On a lovely sunny afternoon, with Arthur as our Leader, we walked up Mount Misery (714 metres) which was reasonably steep, however, we had great views of each every direction.

Photo and Caption Gordon – “On our way to Mt Misery”

Photo and Caption Gordon – “Mt Watkins from Summit.”

Photo and Caption Gordon – “Next stop top of Kerry’s Knob.”

Once back, it was time to light the open fire and enjoy a tasty selection of nibbles and have a yarn.  Followed by dinner, consisting of a rather large stuffed chicken, new potatoes, carrots, broccoli and peas.  Then, as if we hadn’t had enough to eat, it was time for Hot Cross Buns with butter and Jam (some members hadn’t matched up jam with the buns) don’t quite know who is right!!
Next morning all were eager to get to the Gap.  Kevin(Barney) Black was Farm Manager and now leases the 5000 acre  Bendoran off David Malloch, arrived to meet us.  We started off at 8:40am, stopping to watch his clever dogs bring in a mob of ewes that were being trucked off.

Photo and Caption Gordon – “Where we are heading Thursday morning.”

The morning was very clear, warm and sunny.  While the happy group were following the track up and down, all of a sudden a Falcon was spotted sitting on a fence post. He wasn’t bothered by our presence allowing us to keep creeping up to take photo’s.  Soon, enough was enough, and he flew off.

Photo and Caption Gordon – “Friendly falcon posing especially for us.”

Photo and Caption Gordon – “A view of Waikouaiti Bay.”

Photo and Caption Gordon – “The gap between two large rock formations.”

On the way up 3 of the group were keen to revisit/visit the A.B.C. Cave (refer Hamels book section 7:12).  We all went to the trig at the north end of the Gap admiring views and happy with ourselves to have made it there.
Soon after the 3 decided to delay lunch for a while and headed off to the Cave.  Leaving  3 of us to enjoy a leisurely lunch in the sun.  Meanwhile, guess who realised her phone was missing!!!  meaning a walk back to the trig by 2 to find it, while the other cut back more gorse.
We three then started the trip back.  Arthur had made a meeting point with the A.B.C. Group, so 2 of us headed off up another hill with Arthur and his Hi Vis top in view.  We waited till we spotted them heading into the rough gully——where they had spooked a ginger pig for Arthur to see.
Once again all headed towards home, meeting at a junction on the track.  The A.B.C. group were happy to have went the extra mile to visit the cave, enjoying reading entries in the visitors book.
We stopped on the same hilltop as the smoko break, to enjoy well deserved energy bars etc.

 

Photo and Caption Gordon – “Heading back to hut after the Gap visit.”

By now the hills were almost behind us and Bendoran trees in sight.  8 hours later at 4:30pm, 6 weary but happy trampers were  back home.
In no time, the water was hot and welcome showers had by all.  The open fire lit,   drinks and more tasty nibbles eaten.   Dinner tonight was a delicious (3 recipe) pasta/mince meal with a freshly made lettuce salad.  We must have been a bit weary because the Hot Cross Buns were forgotten!!

 

Photo and Caption Gordon – “Relaxing in front of fire after Gap tramp”

Lots of photo’s(Is mine better than yours?) were taken of the amazing cloud formations.  However, later on we paid the price,  battered—-huts shaking, doors being  blown open by gale force winds, which had us awake much earlier than we wanted.
Friday morning had us up and away quite smartly, this time the dust was being blown off us!!   Meeting up for coffee at Blueskin.
We all enjoyed great company, great scenery and great food on our trip into Bendoran huts—-a very special piece of Paradise.
Eleanore and Arthur

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Topo map of area

9. 30/5/2018. Orbells Crossing – Mountain Road.(Lawsons Farm.)  M-H. Arthur.

Map of route, courtesy Art.

Frost to begin with, but a sunny day followed for 11 Trampers to enjoy their exercise in.

We drove up Mountain Road from the north end and parked up.

The air was cold, but a brisk downhill walk in the sunshine took us to the bank of the Waikouaiti River where we had our smoko stop.

All important smoko. (Gordon pic and caption.)

Following the river bank upstream we soon encountered a pine plantation where the track was becoming overgrown with blackberry and gorse. You would have expected that a consciention leader would have done some track clearing!

This was the only bad patch for the day, as we were were out on grazed paddocks from then on.

Passing the junction of the two branches of the Waikouaiti River, we continued up the south branch and soon came out on a lovely river flat. On leaving the river we had a long climb, with a reasonable gradient,

Onwards and upwards. (Phil pic and caption.)

to eventually find our lunch spot on the ridge top.

Lunch among the tussocks. (Gordon pic and caption.)

Lunch with a view – a little snow was on top of Lamb Hill, Mount Misery, (Bendoran Huts had been visible a few metres back). We were looking at Mount Watkins

Reflecting on Mt Watkins (Phil pic and caption.)

as we ate, and Maori Peak, Karitane, etc, further round.

A very slight south-east, but very chilly breeze was present, and we faced into it for the return journey. Following the ridge down, and then on a slippery (newly graded) track requiring care.

Heading back to cars. (Gordon pic and caption.)

In time we came to Mountain Road, which is the old wagon road from the early days of Otago, and eventually arrived back at our cars.

We had covered a distance of about 10.5 km. Our club had last tramped here in 2012, but none of our group had been here before.

A new tramp is always welcomed, and we had a great day in the sunshine, enjoyed by all.

Blueskin Nurseries enjoyed our patronage on the way home. The Hikers arrived in too. – Art.

8. 18/1/2012. Trampers. Orbells Crossing, Mountain Road Track. Medium.

Ken’s GPS tracking of tramp

Morning Tea break. (Ken pic and caption)

Resting out of the hot sun. (Ken pic and caption)

View  from our resting place. (Ken pic and caption)

Lunch in the shade of the trees. (Ken pic and caption)

Morning Tea. (Keith pic)

Lunch on ledge above Waikouaiti River. (Keith pic)

View looking back down the willow-lined river. (Keith pic)

Rocks pose. Doug M, Hazel, Leonie, Ria, Sabina, Ken, Tash, Who?

A small but select group met at the turning to Buckland’s crossing on an overcast but warm day under the leadership of Ria and Hazel. The location of the tramp was down as Orbells crossing but there was some debate as to where this actually was. We parked in the middle of nowhere but Ria and Hazel soon had us over a couple of fences and striking across the countryside to a nice morning tea stop on the banks of the South branch of the Waikouaiti River where it was mentioned that a fishing rod would have been useful. The tramp continued along a very pleasant country track wending our way along hillsides and gullies until we stopped for lunch, looking back over to where we had walked earlier. To those with no sense of direction this was quite confusing as we seemed to do a very big figure of eight. After lunch the mystery trip continued, with Ria venturing into some uncharted territory along a gully. When the gully ran out it was a steep climb up to the top where we could easily see where we were again. One of the highlights of the day was seeing the unusual rocks just above the track,

Ria, Hazel

Ria, Ian, Tash

weathered into all sorts of interesting shapes, colour and textures. All information about these rocks would be gratefully received. A very enjoyable day’s tramping. Many thanks to our adventurous leaders. – Tash

GPS of Exploration Day in Silverpeaks – Ken

On Monday 29th Oct 2012 Dermot & Ken went exploring in the Silverpeaks. We parked at the first locked gate on Mountain Rd. & walked Nth. to where we had seen an old forestry road heading into the bush, on the west side of the road. We actually walked past it to start with, as you can see by the Google pic. After locating the correct track, we ventured off down it towards the Waikouaiti stream,
[or a branch of it.] Continue Reading »

Farm walk. Karitane  to Hawksbury Lagoon, Waikouaiti. Nick Hurst, farmer, John Saunders, Manager, over land – fences to Matanaka Drive, Beach Road, Scotia Road to lagoon. Return along farm track along River – railway bridge.

Contact:

Seek permissions

14/6/2006 Farm walk. Karitane  to Hawksbury Lagoon, Leaders: Lesley Sapleton, Diana M

Sir Truby King, a man of many parts, was for some 31 years superintendent of amental hospital at the village of Seacliff. The setting was superb, but the enterprise got off to the worst possible start. A magnificent-looking series of stone buildings was designed by R A Lawson, whose commission was at the time the largest ever paid in the colony. In Scottish Baronial style, the three-storeyed Oamaru-stone buildings were modelled on the Norwich County Asylum in England, with a 50m tower. Criticism was not limited to the design – day-rooms received little sun, bedroom windows were too high to see the view, and for the 1,273 doors there was an embarrassing diversity of keys. The very foundations proved woefully inadequate for the notoriously unstable site. Not long after the £78,000 contract had been completed, a royal commission was set up which criticised both architect and builder. For all the outcries through the years over the unsafe nature of the buildings, it was not until 1972, nearly a century later, that the last of the patients were finally evacuated to Cherry Farm.

King transformed into a hospital a place the public had hitherto regarded as a gaol. After he became superintendent in 1888, patients were given outside work, greater liberty and more exercise. The use of violence by warders was banned. The Seacliff farm flourished and King’s careful attention to livestock and seed selection drew the resentment of neighbouring farmers who envied his success at A & P shows. Poultry was raised and in 1903 the patients began a fishing enterprise that fed the asylum twice a week and supplied other institutions throughout the South Island. Even attentive to staff, Truby King emulated Johnny Jones in buying land and helping them to finance their own homes. It was while King was at Seacliff that he recognised the importance of nutrition both for mental patients and, as an adjunct to his rearing of cattle, for children.

The asylum’s most notable inmate was Lionel Terry (1847-1952), an Englishman educated at Eton and Oxford who tramped the country in 1901 lecturing on the perils of New Zealand being taken over by the Chinese. In his book of poetry, The Shadow, he extolled the virtues of “pure … unpolluted  northern blood” and saw in the quiet industry of the Chinese a subtle attempt to conquer the country by weakening the Anglo-Saxons with “luxury and idleness”. His book did not sell well. On learning this he made his point more dramatically by walking the streets of Wellington to find and shoot an elderly Chinese, who, he reasoned, was too old to care much about living anyway. He promptly confessed and wrote to the Governor complaining of “alien invaders”. Terry tapped an extensive well of anti-Chinese resentment and his trial caused a sensation. His sentence to death in 1905 was commuted to one of ife imprisonment and he was removed here after setting fire to the gaol at Lyttelton. He escaped on numerous occasions, to be fed, clothed and concealed by his many admirers, some 50,000 of whom signed a petition for his release. Finally King offered Terry a degree of liberty conditional on his not escaping again, terms he accepted for the rest of his life. At the time of his death here in 1952 he wore long flowing robes and long flowing hair, and was convinced he was the second Messiah. (Some of Terry’s poems are in the museum at Waikouaiti.)

Some History. (Can’t recall where I got it from. Sorry.)

Huriawa Peninsula. The peninsula was a superb natural pa site. Volcanic in origin, it rises sheer from the sea and had the twin blessings of a reliable spring and a small cove on its northern side where canoes could be safely beached. It was selected for this purpose in c. 1730 to serve Ngai Tahu under Te Wera, but had in all probability previously been used by Ngati Mamoe. It has excellent views to the north and south, and its natural defences of sea and cliffs is ideally suited for use as a pa.
it was originally call Pa-Katata, a name which is now used only for the rocky knob at the seaward point.

Te Wera had only just been chosen as chief by his Te Ruahikihiki hapu when they became embroiled in continual strife with his belligerent cousins, Taoka and Moki II. Trouble began when Te Wera was accused of practising makutu (wizardry) on his kinsfolk and of killing them. First he sought sanctuary at Purakaunui where Te Rehu, his brother-in-law held sway. Attacked there, the pair made a miraculous escape and arrived at Huriawa to find that a tangi for them had already begun. Together they exacted vengeance and in turn Taoka arrived at Huriawa and proceeded to lay siege. Taoka came by sea and set up camp on the sandspit, Olunepouwera, opposite the peninsula at the mouth of the Waikouaiti river. For six months the siege continued, as the pa had its own water supply, a large store of food including preserved birds, fern root and dried fish, and fishing parties could put out at night to supplement food stored on the well-nigh impregnable promontory. An anxious moment came when one of Taoka’s scouts crept in by way of the blow holes and stole the image of Te Wera’s protecting deity. Despair swept through the pa when Taoka was seen across the river saving it triumphantly above his head. But Te Wera’s tohunga Hautu restored it to the pa, some say simply through the air, by means of a powerful karakia. Finally Taoka was forced to withdraw for want of food as the defenders had denuded the area of vegetables before his taua (war party) arrived. The pa was then abandoned, and its inhabitants settled on the banks of the Waikouaiti river.

Later, Taoka turned his attention to Mapoutahi pa to telling effect. Te Wera eventually left the area altogether and moved south ultimately to die as an old man at Stewart Island.

The most prominent reminder of the history of the peninsula is the extensive terracing on its slopes. The terraces were made to provide level house sites and living and working areas. Remains of defensive banks and ditches can also be seen, though the actual palisade lines can be found only through the scientific techniques of archaeological excavation. In many places midden is exposed (shell, bone, charcoal and stone from cooking and other activities) can be seen in cliff edges, banks and slips. All cultural and historical material including archaeological sites, midden and artefacts are protected under the Historic Places Act 1980 and may not be interfered with in any way.

The blowholes on the peninsula are attributed to a romance. A couple eloped and eventually returned, expecting forgiveness. Instead, their irate families took them to the peninsula and hurled them from the cliffs. The young girl, heavier than her husband, is said to have caused the larger blowhole, that nearest Puketeraki Beach. There are in reality not two but three blowholes, but surviving mythology does not explain the third.

The reluctant missionary: A whaling station opened at Karitane in 1837 and it was here in 1840 rather than at which is now Waikouaiti that the Rev. James Watkin (1805-86) elected to live, despite the fact that he had come from Sydney at the instigation and at the expense of Johnny Jones. The Methodist missionary, who had been praying for a return to Britain, did not relish the experience; he chose for the text of the first Christian sermon preached in Otago, “This is a fearful saying”, and when his successor, the Rev. Charles Creed arrived in 1844 Watkin greeted him with words, “Welcome, Brother Creed, welcome to Purgatory.”

Certainly there was little for Watkin to enthuse over. The settlement was a hotbed of drunkenness, immorality and violence, from which the Maori mainly suffered, and the two-roomed native whare Jones provided for him was hardly suitable for one with a wife and five children. Certainly the nauseated Watkin tried, taking a firm stand against the vices of the Pakeha and the “savage customs” of the Maori. To a degree he succeeded; mission schools were established, converts made and an elementary Maori reader prepared and published. But Watkin was never reconciled to his position and was intensely relieved to sail for Wellington, leaving his degenerate parishioners behind. Tortured by ill health, he continually doubted his own considerable ability and lamented his lack of support and the depravity of those around him. A rare moment of elation came when one of his converts at Moeraki refused to give the census-taker Shortland any information because it was the Sabbath. Of Bishop Selwyn he conceded: “I think he is a good man, as far as his church prejudices will allow.”

Sir Truby King (1857-1938): In later years the settlement blossomed as a seaside resort and owes its geographical form partly to Sir Truby King, who had no sooner built his home on the peninsula than he became fearful that the river might cut through the slender isthmus that ties it to the mainland. He would not hesitate to rouse residents on stormy nights and direct them as they slaved to carry sand and build up the manuka sand-breaks he had placed on the narrow neck. Eventually the breaks were built up to such a degree that the danger passed. King was also the moving force behind the planting of various gums and hardy deciduous trees.

King is perhaps the best known of New Zealand’s medical reformers. Son of one of the first settlers at New Plymouth, he attended university at Glasgow and returned to become Superintendent, first of Wellington Hospital and then of the Seacliff Mental Hospital. A reformer in many fields he is best remembered for his founding of the Plunket Society (named after Lord Plunket, then Governor-General) which in his lifetime saw infant mortality drop by two-thirds, from 88.8 to 30.9 per 1,000 births. It was at his Karitane home that the first Plunket baby was reared. The Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (to give it its full title) remains an integral part not only of the country’s public health services, with Plunket Rooms throughout New Zealand staffed with Plunket nurses trained to educate mothers in child care, but of New Zealand society itself. Its success led to an invitation to King to establish a similar organisation in Britain. On his return in 1921 he became the first Director of Child Welfare and then, until his retirement in 1927 , Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals. Karitane nurses, trained in baby care, help mothers with their children.

The phenomenal success of the Plunket Society and the worldwide acclamation that followed have overshadowed other important aspects of his work. Truby King made major contributions in many fields – nutrition, plant acclimatisation, control of coastal erosion, alcoholism, psychological medicine and medical  jurisprudence. His many achievements in the field of psychiatric medicine include dietary innovations, the establishment at Seacliff in 1898 of the country’s first “open” ward, the early development of the villa-hospital concept, and a study of the influence of dental disease on the physical and mental well-being of psychiatric patients. Change was not easily brought about and Truby King was frequently the centre of controversy, but invariably the soundness of his forcefully expressed views prevailed.

No. 31 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Pineapple Track – Swampy Summit. Year Round”

The hills around Dunedin are superb viewpoints to see the city, coastline and ranges of inland Otago. Flagstaff is one such hill and like Mt Cargill to the north allows the walker to pass through several types of vegetation en route to the summit.

Most of the features seen from the walk have strong historic significance. Beyond Signal Hill, the site of Otakou can be seen. When the first European settlers arrived, this Maori settlement was the largest in the region. In 1817 this ‘kaika’ contained 600 very “fine houses, neatly furnished”. From 1833-1841, a whaling station was operating from here. The whalers’ township, known as Musselburgh was nearer the heads. By 1840, 250 Europeans were living around the harbour entrance. It was from Otakou that the earliest immigrants received their first supplies of fresh meat, milk, butter and vegetables. The region south to the Nuggets and inland by the Clutha to as far as the Lammerlaw Range and West Taieri was bought for European settlement of $4,800.

Almost immediately apparent from the walk is the distinctive layout of the centre of the centre of Dunedin. Charles Kettle and a party of surveyors laid out the streets in 1848, using the special features of the Scottish capital, Edinburgh as a guide. The planned settlement took its name in 1845 from the Highlander’s name for Edinburgh. The town belt, the ribbon of bush threading its way through the suburbs, cutting off the inner city from the suburbs also dates from the early surveys. Immigrants were offered land packages on or before their arrival in Otago. Each consisted of a 1/4 acre (1012 sq m) town allotment, a 10 acre 4 hectare) suburban allotment, and a 50 acre (20 hectare) rural allotment, all sold at the rate of £2 an acre ($9.60) a hectare). The town belt separated the town and suburban allotments. Most rural blocks were on the Taieri Plains.

Kettle’s name was given to Flagstaff Hill, but through common usage the term Flagstaff became accepted and superseded Mt Kettle.

As early as 1925 there was skiing on Swampy Hill and Flagstaff. Sixteen years later an exceptionally heavy snowfall convinced many of the return of very cold winters. Many Otago skiers spent several weekends clearing the hillside of stones and boulders but unfortunately for them the snow never came back.

In these early days of settlement the forests all but cut off Dunedin to the north. Long before a road was made around Mt Cargill, the track known as ‘Johnny Jones’ (the Waikouaiti whaler) track linked the Dunedin area with Waitati via Flagstaff and Swampy. In 1859 snow poles were put up along the track to guide travellers caught out in storm or mist.

A road was made between Whare Flat along the inland flank of the hill to near the saddle between Flagstaff and Swampy Hill in 1870. The settlers at Whare Flat used it to draw their supplies of timber from the bush on the other side of Flagstaff. In later years these old roads fell out of use.

The settlers, utilising a number of small sawmills, ‘cut-out’ much of the bush on the eastern flank of Swampy Hill and Flagstaff. The Pineapple Track at the northern end of Flagstaff passes through such ‘cutover’ forest. From here podocarps were milled to provide local building materials. Only an occasional remnant podocarp remains. Mahoe (whitey wood) is plentiful here while on the forest floor and tree trunks, many species of fern abound. The upper part of the track here includes totara saplings and old stunted broadleafs with twisted limbs, growing in a slightly drier soil. Hounds tongue and “hen and chicken” type ferns hang from the dead tree trunks.

The tussock on the part of the walk from the Whare Flat Road car park (known as the ‘Bullring’) is being taken over by native scrub: flax, manuka and the occasional Olearia – although these get knocked back by fires from time to time. Native orchids are common here, especially in early summer. Skylarks can be heard on this hill from sunrise to sunset.

The summit: An unobtrusive plane table helps point out the many interesting places which can be seen from here. To the north you can see the higher hill of Swampy with its buildings from aviation and scientific experiments, and to its east is Mt Cargill, topped by a TV transmitter. Further away is the city and the drowned valley of Otago Harbour with the Peninsula beyond and the sand dune suburbs of St Clair and St Kilda connecting this with the mainland.

Turning northwards, the track crosses the tussock-covered scenic reserve beyond the summit. In spring and summer, orchids and violets can be seen between the snow tussock. Boulders of volcanic rock are scattered over the hill top, some of which are clustered in lines of ‘stone stripes’ down the hillside.

The tussock grassland now largely covering the summit and upper slopes is only 2-300 years old. Before this , forest covered the entire area. Periodic fires have encouraged the tussock grassland. Snow tussock, mountain flax and Astolia are the most common native plants, while manuka is encroaching into the grassland that fire has not recently reached.

Once into the bush, the track drops through regenerating shrub-land from the signpost at the top of the Pineapple Walk. It was near this spot that in the 1920s a well-known grocer and tramper guiding parties to see the views would pause, and pass around a tin of pineapple. It became a tradition that once empty the tin would be left on a tree or fence post – giving the track the name.

From clearings on this track can be seen Ross Creek Reservoir and the city beyond, also the Mt Cargill television transmitter and the northern side of Leith Valley. Many shrubs are invading clearings from the bush edge. Fuchsia and pepperwood are common. Grazing has determined the nature of this vegetation with only the unpalatable species surviving.

The Booth Road water treatment station sits in a clearing of ornamental plants. A small round concrete tank in the pines on the left of the track halfway down  from this station is also part of the water supply scheme built before the 1950s. A tap near the edge of the bush gives cool refreshing water to the walker on his or her return.

At the Booth Road end of the walkway, the track passes through the Dunedin City Council exotic plantation. Spruce, ash, radiata pine and Douglas fir were planted over 30 years ago as part of growth experiments with these species in the area.

– From DoC hard copy information sheet.

For many years the Silverpeaks has been a major recreation area for Dunedin people. Since the 1920s excursions have been regularly organised into the hills and some very old huts used by musterers and trampers of earlier days can still be visited.

The walkway follows 15 km of one of the mot popular tramping routes through the Silverpeaks. Continue Reading »

Silver Peaks Forest lies in an area that has long been popular for family outings and tramping. It is  less that 30 km north of Dunedin, on the foothills to the west of the Silver Peaks Mountains, and branch roads from State Highway 1 give easy access. Continue Reading »

Dunedin’s hills are virtually all of volcanic origin. Several eruptions occurred near Port Chalmers from 10-13MYA. The lava flows from this volcano and its many smaller flank vents extend in a roughly circular pattern, of some 15 km radius, over the sediments.

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