Paradise Road, Braidwood Road, Sandfly Bay
1. 8/9/2010. Trampers. Paradise, Braidwood, Sandfly Bay. M. Leadership: Informal.
Weather looked fine at Mosgiel, but when we four trampers arrived at Sullivans Dam for the Cloud Forest-Escarpment Tramp, we struck a drizzly cloudy shock. For mud and safety concerns we turned back to town and on the way decided to try the Peninsula. We parked at the top of the Paradise Road track and the weather was quite a degree clearer. However, our second shock was to find the track the WETTEST we have ever found it. No one slipped over, (miraculously), but we had to be extremely cautious in placing our feet.
Protected: Annual Report 2010
Protected: Annual General Meeting Minutes 27/8/10
Join Our Club – D Scene entry
Protected: Committee Minutes 11/8/2010
Protected: Committee Minutes
Protected: Committee Minutes 7/7/2010
Bull Ring, Flagstaff Walkway, Pineapple, McGoun, Davies, return.
Location: 15 km.
See Flagstaff Name for its origin.
30/6/2010. Bull Ring, Flagstaff Walkway, Pineapple, McGoun, Davies, return. Moderate. Leaders: Hazel, Ria.
Continue reading “Bull Ring, Flagstaff Walkway, Pineapple, McGoun, Davies, return.”
Silver Peaks No. 3
Location: 41 km.
21/4/2010. Silver Peaks No. 3. Trampers. Leaders: George, Ken.
Eight of us started off from the nearer Hightop entrance to avoid taking the cars through the deep ruts on the road further on. The day was perfect. The dry weather meant that muddy patches on the track were nothing to worry about. We had morning tea at the Sleepy Hollow signs before setting on towards Green Hut. On the way someone had signed up the Eucalypt Spur track. It was nailed only to manuka, but still a pity the nails were not galvanised.
Camp: Albert Town Lodge – Wanaka
16-19/4/2010. April Camp. Albert Town Lodge. Leaders: Bill and Pat.
Friday. Mount Iron.
Those of us arriving in the early afternoon agreed to tackle Mount Iron. Some drove and arrived early, others of us walked the distance. Here are the ‘walkers’ climbing the zigzag track.
We had been preceded by those who went by car and had already ‘peaked’ and departed again.
We descended by the track on the far side and had good views across to Albert Town.
At the bottom of the steep track, we did a bit of cross-country work to arrived back at the camp. En route, we got a phone enquiry from Bill as to the whereabouts of some of those still descending the track. As a result, a considerate car set out to pick them from the track bottom. Brilliant day. Good start to the camp.
Saturday. From Raspberry Flat.
Aspiring Hut Track.
Rob Roy Glacier track.
Eight of us set off across the swing bridge across the West Matukituki to climb through the lovely Beech Forest track. At one point on the track a sign warned us not to linger below this big overhang.
The track led us onward and upward to finally emerge on a heavily washedout area, obviously having happened quite recently, as indicated by the still-flattened grass on its edges. It would have needed a very heavy deluge to have left so much destruction. Washed-down boulders were enormous.
Recently-formed tracks led us across the washout to an area beyond where grass and shrubs had escaped the destruction. We found a spot partly sheltered from the cool breeze. We had small birds and scuttling mice for company.
After our leisurely lunch before the wonderful view, we picked our way back across the devastation of the washout and were pleasantly surprised to find the other half of our group had arrived and we now enjoying their lunch. We stopped to talk.
We eventually turned back down the track. Down a bit, we re-examined an up-to-date toilet, standing bravely alone, surrounded by another local washout, but one not as severe as that further up.
Back at Raspberry Flat, and prepared to await the trampers to Aspiring Hut, who had a much longer tramp, we were surprised they had truncated their walk and were instead awaiting us.
We stopped occasionally on the way back to catch glimpses of Mount Aspiring, now quite clearly visible and with a trail of cloud streaming off its lee side. Great sight.
Saturday evening.
Most of us sat down to an arranged meal at the pub before returning to the lodge for the Happy Hour and arrangements for Sunday.
At the Happy Hour, the planned ascent of Roys Peak (formerly known as Mount Roy) was cancelled due to only two trampers wishing to tackle it and and concerns about safety with only two going. Instead, a walk along the Hawea River track for all was the eventual decision, with car shuttle arrangements engendering much discussion.
Bob provided some lively and much appreciated Scottish music on his violin. Thanks Bob.
Sunday.
Although there had been some (needless as it turned out) concern about how Saturday’s weather would develop, Sunday dawned, and remained, brilliantly clear. It was to be a short walk, so it was a case of stringing out the time in order to avoid getting back to the Lodge before lunch! This we accomplised by stretching ourselves out over a considerable distance, occasionally stopping to regroup.
Of course the two tea stops got us all together again. On both occasions, we found excellent river views to relax by.
The lunch stop was a happy discovery at the last spot before the track diverged away from the river. It was rather early, but heck, we had to spin out the time somehow. A steep bank provided a brilliant opportunity for ancient legs to dangle comfortable over its edge.
A surprise along the track was the large number of cairns formed from a plentiful supply of convenient rocks. Young Joyce had a great time.
The highest quality swing bridge we had ever seen took us back across the Hawea River. Would love to know what it cost! Then it was just a short walk across to the Lodge. A wide, gravelled, level walk all the way. Very appropriate for cyclists, of whom there were many. But rather hard-surfaced for walkers. And we had managed to get back to the Lodge after lunch-time after all.
Sunday Evening.
Line-dancing teachers, Lesley and Evelyn got a lot of us moving with some easy and more sophisticated steps. Later, the other Evelyn taught some Scottish dancing with the help of Bob and his fiddle.
Thank you Bill and Pat for organising and leading a very successful camp. Facilities were superb and 22 live-in and three live-out members had a very enjoyable time. Unfortunately two others living more remotely were unable to join with us as it turned out. – Ian.
8-12/11/2004. November Camp. Albert Town.
31/10/1997 Albert Town Camp. Leader: Margaret D.
During the first weekend of November, 1997, 25 members of the Taieri Recreational Tramping Club spend a most enjoyable time in the Wanaka area based at the very comfortable Albert Town Lodge.
Their first walk covered the Mount Iron area on Friday afternoon, followed on Saturday by a longer walk through the Wanaka outlet, along the shores of the lake and back to Albert Town.
On Sunday, a more ambitions 50km trip was taken to the Mt Aspiring National Park area where the destination was the Rob Roy Glacier. The weather was fine but extremely windy so crossing the swing bridge over a branch of the Matukituki River was an exhilarating experience for most club members, but well worthwhile once the shelter of the beech forest was reached.
A 2 hour zigzag climb thorough the bush afforded some wonderful views as the glacier-fed Rob Roy stream cascaded down the mountain.
Finally the track opened above the bush line revealing fantastic views of the Rob Roy Glacier across the valley. As members sat and enjoyed a well-earned lunch joined by a family of voracious keas, several huge avalanches thundered down the opposite slopes, providing an unforgettable sight.
The downhill return journey to the vehicles was accomplished in quick time but it was discovered that the warm NW wind had caused a thaw on the tops which, while providing many spectacular waterfalls, played havoc with several fords across the gravel access roads. As a consequence of the startling rise in the level of these streams several cars had to be marooned for the night although sufficient transport was available to shuttle all members back to base.
Friday 11/2/1994 – Monday 14/2/1994. Combined meals.
2/1993
Owned by Tekapo Ski Club.
32 people in 7 bed-bunk rooms.
PO Bx 234 Wanaka. Ph/Fx 03-443 9487 Mal Brown 6 Kingston St, Albert Town, Caretaker
Contact: Don Malcolm, 621 Harewood Rd, Christchurch
Contact: Don Malcolm, 621 Harewood Rd, Christchurch
Mill Creek Track
Follow directions to Government track.
After crossing the bridge, turn right into what appears to be a farmer’s driveway.
DoC sign, stile and yellow post indicates start of Mill Creek route. ????
7/4/2010. Recce. Mill Creek. Leaders: Ian, George.
We failed to find, at the back of the yards, both the DoC sign, the stile and the yellow post, but found the (yes, overgrown) vehicle track. So we did a lot of rough track clearing, especially one or two old-man gorse patches. The grassed clearing at its top is very rough due to slippage.(?) Continue reading “Mill Creek Track”
Deep Stream Water Supply
… The final example of an engineering achievement worthy of the title ‘built to last’ comes from the 1970s, the Deep Stream Water Supply. Water supply has been a major problem to successive City Corporations and Councils for most of the city’s life. We have a modest rainfall with lengthy dry periods every few years, and very limited space to store water to cover such dry periods. Run-of-river sources are a long way from the city so are very expensive to use. The City lived a hand-to-mouth existence for its water until well after the Second World War. In 1956 the City tapped the river gravels beside the Taieri River at Outram, and this gave us adequate water for the next twenty years. However by the late 1960s it was clear that another major supply would be needed to cope with the ever increasing demand for water. The search was on again for more water.
In the early 1970s the options had been narrowed to two. More pumped water from the Taeri River, or a gravity supply from Deep Stream in the Lammermoor Range. The Deep Stream scheme had been proposed by City Engineer J G Alexander in 1930, but it was rejected by the Corporation at that time as too costly. The more modest 1936 Deep Creek scheme was built instead. However, detailed survey plans of the 1930 Deep Stream scheme were held in the City’s records, and an Act of Parliament in 1930 authorised the taking of water from the Deep Stream. It comprised some 58 km of pipeline falling from an intake at 425m above sea level to Mt Grand at 300m above sea level. A treatment plant at Mt Grand would be able to supply water to almost the entire city.
The choice between the two options was made on the economics. Deep Stream was very high capital cost but low operating cost (no pumping needed). Taieri was relatively low capital cost but high operating cost (requiring electricity for pumping). In the event the Deep Stream option was approved by the Council in 1972 and it was completed in 1977. Just after the decision was made, the first oil shock in 1973 occurred and huge increases in energy costs resulted. This markedly increased the advantage of the low-energy Deep Stream option, and is reflected today in our relatively cheap water charges.
The Deep Stream Scheme was forecast to meet the City’s water needs till the early 1990s. In the event the Burnside Freezing Works, a heavy consumer of water, closed and population did not increase as much as expected so the water supply system, including the Deep Stream Supply, is still meeting the demand, indeed is supplying areas of the post-1989 amalgamated city not envisaged over 40 years ago in 1968 when the demand forecast was made. Deep Stream was certainly built to last! It cost some $6.2 million (($55.1 million today).
Extracted from: Otago Settlers News, March 2010, Issue 104, In the Pipeline. Engineering Feats Beneath Our Feet. Trevor J Williams, BE FIPENZ MICE MNZIS NZIM, former Dunedin City and Drainage Engineer.
Brinns Point to Seacliff
Brinns Point to Seacliff.
The North Otago coast is lined with old Maori settlements, and Brinns Point is no exception. The bay south of the historic urupa (cemetery) on the headland was occupied by Moa-hunters, and much later was an out-post whaling station. A channel has been cleared through the boulder beach to enable boats to reach the shore especially at high tides. This is thought to be the work of the whalers but the channel clearance may date from much earlier, for all we know. This bay was investigated in the 1950s by the Blake-Palmers of Seacliff. This was published in the Journal Polynesian Society by Blake-Palmer senior who was superintendent of Seacliff Mental Hospital at the time. This was the first ‘proven’ association of man with the largest species of moa: Dinornis Maximus, thought by some scientists to be extinct before arrival of man. Later studies showed Dinornis had been found on archaeological sites beforehand however. There was an old Maori settlement on the flat at Ross’ Rocks. The next known settlement south is at Omimi, where moa bones have been excavated on what was largely a fishing site.
The cliffs after which Seacliff township gets its name are lined intermittently with Maori umu, most being umu ti. Parts of the coast road from Warrington to Karitane followed original Maori tracks according to early survey plans in LINZ archives. The hills along this coast were heavily forested and only cleared when the land was subdivided for framing. The original route of Coast Road has been modified in places since the 1960s but many portions of the old routed can be seen with associated stonework on both sides of the present road. Coast Road remains an active connection with the distant past.
– Taken from Karitane … Split Rock … Seacliff Coastal Walk. Notes by Brian Allingham, Archaeologist, January 2010.
Split Rock
Split Rock.
This large outcrop probably had significance to Maori given its dominant presence. It would make an ideal lookout of the coast over the treetops. The hills east and south of Maori Peak were rich resource zones where forest resources such as timber, foliage, berries and birds, especially Kereru (pigeon) and tui were taken. Young stems from mature cabbage trees were steamed for up to 48 hours in large earth ovens (umu ti) to obtain the sucrose from the fibrous centre of the stems. Several umu ti are known to survive in the Seacliff bush today and some may remain unidentified in the field. Keep your eyes open for a generally circular pit of 4-5 metres across and with a raised rim around the edges. Some are up to a metre deep.
– Notes by Brian Allingham. Archaeologist. January 2010.