Orokonui Ecosanctuary
Orokonui Ecosanctuary nr Dunedin, NZ
34 km from car-park.
9. 14/3/2012. Hikers. Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Leaders: Chris, Lesley
8. 12/11/2008. Hikers. Orokonui. Medium. Leaders: Lesley G, Wendy B, Joyce S
Well, the Sanctuary is BIG. Much bigger than the writer had imagined.
13km we went, with 9 of them around the perimeter, starting from the
bottom carpark, going around the estuary and clockwise thereafter
ascending from sea level
to near the top of Mopanui (400m+), then down
to the main top gate where the visitor centre will later be built,
near the junction of Blueskin and Mopanui Roads. We lunched there, couldn’t find the sleeve to Joyce’s thermos though we looked hard (and that was because it was back on her kitchen bench) and then it was all downhill
back to the cars, but in calm, warm conditions. A really
pleasant walk.
The fence that encloses the Orokonui Ecosanctuary ( the old Orokonui
DoC reserve which includes NZ’s tallest tree, plus all the additional
land) was closed off in July 2007. Almost all pests have been
eradicated, even down to the last goat. An employee behind the fence
explained that they were currently on a spraying programme around the
fenceline as even a bit of gorse widening a gap in the wire mesh will
create a ‘mouse breach’! While it is not yet open to the public, it
is possible to walk around the fence and marvel at what is being
planned. There are steep sections, especially at the northern end of
the fence but in general the 3 to 4 hour walk was very
straightforward, following the wide, gravelled perimeter track. There
was plenty to see: great views, named fence posts (we spotted No.10
Fleming Street where the PM is in residence) (well, actually it was
Prime Mover Ian and Shirley Fleming’s plaque on fence post No.10) and
varying vegetation. We could hear rosellas and a rifleman, but we
didn’t catch a glimpse of the 6 Kaka that have been released, although
Leslie Gowans, who visits regularly to detail sightings of birds, says
that they have not strayed much further than 100m from their release
site so far. The Orokonui website if you want to know more, can be
found at: www.orokonui.org.nz – Bob M
7. 7/7/2004 Leaders: Ian, Bill, Pat Before fenced in. Right around through entire gully.
6. 1/3/2000. Orokonui, Big Tree. Leaders; Shirley McN, Val.
5 .28/7/1999. Orokonui, Big Tree. Leaders: Shirley McN, Judy C, Val.
4. 30/9/1998. Orokonui, Big Tree. Leaders: Shirley McN, Judy C.
3. 7/5/1997. Orokanui – Big Tree round trip.
2. 6/11/1996. Orokonui – Big Tree Round Trip. Leaders: Shirley McN, Judy C, Wendy.
1. 22/5/1996. Orokonui – Big Tree round trip. Medium+ Leaders: Shirley McN, Judy C, Wendy
Roberts Station to the Microwave
Distance from car-park: est. 30 km.
A good walk through tussock country. Summer tramp
29/2/2012. Both. Roberts Station.
On a drizzly day, 8 hardy hopefuls elected to do the tramp, under the leadership of reluctant leader Lex, who, like most of the rest of the club would have preferred a warm dry stay at home, but eventually confessed he had enjoyed the day.
Finlayson, Wilkinson, Waihola, Skyline Roads
Waihola Forest Road Tramps
No. 63 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Waihola – Wilkinson Rd. Easement Rd. Skyline Rd. Wenita. Farm”Waihola tramps
Distance from car-park: 27 km.
Year round. Winter option. Contacts:
Parking: Contact Manager, Christian Youth Camp, Mr Kinnon 03 417 7120 for permission to park on the old wooden two-storey house property.
Carpark to Wilkinson Road 45 minutes.
15 minutes
Wilkinson to top of Easement 1 hour.
Easement to Bluff 30 minutes.
Bluff to Waihola top 1 hour.
Down Finlayson Road to car park. 30 minutes.
Wenita permit. Require 6 weeks notice, but less from us.
16. 18/1/2012. Hikers. Finlayson Road picnic area. Wilkinson, Easement, Skyline and Waihola Roads, round trip. Leaders: Marjorie and Bruce.
We parked our cars at a rest stop on Finlayson Rd, near Wilkinson Rd turn-off. Bruce led us round the area, planted with a variety of interesting trees, not the least being this large macrocarpa.
Continue reading “Finlayson, Wilkinson, Waihola, Skyline Roads”
Portsmouth Drive to Sports Arena
9/11/2011. Hikers. Portsmouth Drive to Sports Arena. Leaders: Chris, Bev.
Nicols Creek, Swampy Saddle, Davies Track
Click Dunedin’s Hills’ History for background information.
Click Swampy ridge track for background information.
Click Pineapple Track for background information.
Click Pineapple and Flagstaff walk for background information.
No. 17 on old hardcopy list of 113 club tramps. “Nicols Creek. D McCabe. Year Round”
Year round.
Nicols Creek circuit Maintained by Green Hut Track Group.
3. 9/11/2011. Trampers. Booth Road, Davies (formerly Warburton), Swampy Saddle, Nicols Creek.
Nine of us met at Booth Road. We entered Davies Track via McGoun this time, exiting it on the left a short way up past the cairn. A light shower came on during the bush section, sounding quite pleasant as it struck the leaves overhead. Out in the tussock at the top, the weather was clear again. Ria and Hazel had discovered a new track had been made above the bush, this time striking to the left instead of the one to the left, the one that got several of us lost last time where overgrowth had rendered a crucial turn invisible.
We emerged on the Flagstaff walkway above a rock outcrop and headed down to the top of the Pineapple. Here Gay, a visitor, left us and we continued along Swampy Ridge to the top of the Nicols/Moonlight track. A little way in and we found the track has been ruined by mountain bike wheels cutting a narrow deep groove down the track middle, making keeping our footing on the restricted track-sides difficult and dangerous. Further down, we kept to the Moonlight side of Nicols Creek and traced, where we could, the original track, bisected however by the zigzags of the mountain bike route. Rain now really set in and we sheltered in nearby bush for lunch. We then continued down the old track, through the macrocarpas, the stone outcrop and yet further carefully down to emerge at the creek crossing below the waterfall – to Ian’s delight but Ria’s chagrin who had hoped to emerge onto the Leith Valley road on the north side instead of now forced across to the other side. So it was down and out and up Islay St back to the cars. All felt it had been another good day out. Too dull and showery for photo opportunities however. – Ian.
2. 14/11/2007. Trampers. Woodhaugh, Ross Creek, Davies, Pineapple, Ross Creek return. Moderate. Leaders: Ria, Hazel.
The route Ria and Hazel took ten of us on provided plenty of variety both in scenery and weather. We approached Davies track by way of Ross Creek Reservoir from Woodhaugh. After Ross Creek it was through cleared forest before climbing through secondary growth …
… on the foothill slopes of Flagstaff before entering beautiful native forest and and hour later emerging on Flagstaff’s tussock and flax with overcast views of the harbour and Dunedin both north and south. We had encountered occasional showers to this point and now out on the tussock it was turning really cold. We were still not prepared upon reaching the upper Pineapple-Flagstaff track …
… to be pelted by a fierce but fortunately brief hail storm. We quickly made our way down to the junction with the Swampy Ridge track where now the hail had now been …
… replaced with snow. So it was down, down the Pineapple to the sheltered edge of the bush where we lunched in the now fitful sunshine. Then the bush, Booth Road, back through Ross Creek tracks and down past the reservoir until the last scenic bush gave way to Woodhaugh St and back to the cars. An interesting day. – Ian
In Leith Valley, where Otago’s first industry – sawmilling – is reputed to have started about the 1860s, is the start of the old Pineapple Track.
Originally, it was named Ross Track, after Archibald Hilson Ross, who owned most of the land in the vicinity. In the early 1920s, Mr Oscar Balk, first president of the Otago Tramping Club, led parties of trampers up this route. At the top of a rather steep section, the parties would stop to rest and often refresh themselves with a tin of pineapple. This tin was sometimes left hanging on a tree or fence, and the track came to be called the Pineapple Track.
The line of the Pineapple Walkway has deviated from the original track in places to provide more scenic variation.
The original vegetation of the area has been modified as a result of early milling, burning and stock grazing, but remnants of the milled species (podocarps) still remain. Rimu, miro, totara and matai are found in isolated pockets, mainly in damp gullies. Even so, the overall distribution of plant species retains some semblance of natural order with the larger forest trees growing at lower altitudes. Podocarp broad-leaved forest type occurs with shrub species which grade out into Dracophyllum shrub land and ultimately tussock grassland communities on the summit area.
Some common plants: fuchsia, pepper tree, lemonwood, broadleaf, totara, five’finger, wineberry, lancewood, Muehlenbeckia, Dracophyllum, Coprosma, Hebe, and wild spaniard tussock.
There are many varieties of birds in the bush areas where there is an ample food supply to sustain many nectar-, berry-, and insect-eating native birds.
Some of these are: New Zealand pigeon, bellbird, fantail, tomtit, brown creeper, tui, silvereye, rifleman and pipit.
1. 17/10/2001. Trampers. Nicols Creek – Swampy Saddle – Warburton Track. Leaders: Lex, Mary L, Irene.
Leith Saddle and Morrison Tracks
Location: 25 km.
Click Swampy ridge track for background information.
2. 26/10/2011. Trampers. Cars at Thompsons Road. Sullivans, Leith Saddle, Swampy, Morrison Tracks.
7 of us met at the parking spot opposite Thompsons Rd. Continue reading “Leith Saddle and Morrison Tracks”
Protected: Concertina File. Hard Copy Contents held by secretary
Protected: Committee Minutes 5 Sep 2011
Annual Report August 2011.
TAIERI RECREATIONAL TRAMPING CLUB
ANNUAL REPORT
FOR YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2011
I believe this to have been another good year for the Club in terms of tramping, and by my criteria, ie no major accidents, no missing persons or any other dramas on the track. Nor should there have been of course, considering the experience of our members and their knowledge of the area.
’Just one negative. If I don’t mention it, someone else is bound to. I’m thinking of the occasion of 22nd of June. Some things are memorable for the wrong reasons, but let’s not dwell on it.
Welcome to those who joined the Club in recent months; Betty and Jim Finnie, Pam Clough, Jill Dodd, Judy Knox, Ann Bailey, Dawn Pool, and Linzi Murray. I had imagined that the number of new members would have reflected in enhanced weekly average attendance numbers but in fact there has been no change in any of our three groups when compared with the previous year, and in analysing individual’s attendances over the past two years the reason is confirmed – aging, and in some cases, indifferent health.
| 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | |
| Number of Members | 72 | 73 |
| Number of Tramping Days | 48 | 47 |
| Av. Numbers Trampers | 5 | 5 |
| Av. Numbers Hikers | 14 | 14 |
| Av. Numbers Ramblers | 3 | 3 |
During the year we farewelled two members, Les Wiffin who died in July 2010, and Sr. Catherine Tither who died in June 2011.
We are very fortunate to have so many tracks in our area and it surprises me that the D.C.C hasn’t thought of closing some to save the cost of maintenance. So remember that the invited speakers at last years Annual Meeting were sincere when they emphasised that they appreciated feedback from tramping clubs. Let’s not disappoint them. Also, a matter of pride to us is the (usually) readily given permission to the Club to access private land. Please continue to respect the owners’ trust leaving everything as you find it, particularly gates, and with lambing time approaching a timely reminder not to deviate from the permitted route and enter lambing paddocks.
Again, a thank you to the following for their services to the club, Hazel for cards, Bev.H. for typing and distributing programmes, Pat for attendance rolls, the Outgoing Committee, and the Programme
Committee, Ian for support and everything else including half of my work, Tom, our Auditor, and Fred for sustenance.
(Signed)
W.A.McLean
President,
Taieri Recreational Tramping Club
AGM Minutes for 25/8/2011
Minutes of the 24th Annual General Meeting of the Taieri Recreational Tramping Club held in the Mosgiel Presbyterian Church McKerrow Room on 25 August 2011 at 1.30 p.m.
ATTENDANCE. P Bathgate, W Bathgate, E Cooper, E Day, F Deans, B Finnie, J Finnie, I Fleming, L Gowans, J Knox, G Haggie, B Harvey, C Hughes, R Lippers, B McIntosh, P McLean, W McLean, K McVie, D Moir, J Shaw, M Smith, T Stratton, M Vaughan, L Woodfield. (24)
APOLOGIES. D Bennett, A Carian, P Clough, L Donaldson, R & E Entwistle, W Hunt, H Leslie, A & B Landrebe, L Murray, D Pool, G Such, L Smith, B Spittle, M Spittle, L Stapleton. (17). Moved, I Fleming, seconded P Bathgate, that the apologies be sustained. Carried.
MINUTES. I Fleming moved that the minutes of the 23rd Annual General Meeting held on 27 August 2010, having be circulated, be taken as read and confirmed. Seconded B Harvey.
K McVie indicated a misprint:. As a result, “chairman called” was corrected to “chair and called”. With this emendation, the motion was carried.
CORRESPONDENCE. There was no correspondence.
ANNUAL REPORT.
President W McLean presented his report and moved it’s adoption. Seconded, I Fleming. Carried.
FINANCIAL REPORT.
I Fleming presented the audited Statement of Accounts, and moved that it be adopted. Seconded, K McVie.
T Stratton pointed out the importance of the Locator Beacons and the benefit of keeping a log of their uses when applying for funds for their replacement. Motion carried.
JOINING FEE
I Fleming moved that the Joining Fee be increased to $10.00, subscriptions to remain at $5.00, explaining that pack tags now cost $6.00 each. Seconded, L Gowans. Carried.
ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS.
PRESIDENT.
President W McLean called for nominations.
I Fleming nominated B Harvey. This was seconded by P Bathgate.
There were no further nominations.
W McLean declared B Harvey elected. This was greeted by applause.
VICE PRESIDENT.
W McLean called for nominations, and nominated K McVie. Seconded, G Haggie.
There were no further nominations.
W McLean declared K McVie elected. (Applause).
SECRETARY-TREASURER.
B Harvey nominated I Fleming. Seconded P McLean.
There were no further nominations.
W McLean declared I Fleming elected. (Applause).
HONORARY AUDITOR.
I Fleming nominated T Stratton. Seconded, M Vaughan.
There were no further nominations.
W McLean declared T Stratton elected. (Applause).
COMMITTEE. (to comprise six)
W McLean read out the names of the members of out-going committee, viz D Bennett, L Gowans, C Hughes, A Landrebe, K McVie, and F Weedon. Of this A Landrebe had given notice of resignation.
B Harvey nominated D Bennett, L Gowans and C Hughes. Seconded M Vaughan.
B Harvey nominated P Bathgate. Seconded, L Gowans.
B Harvey nominated L Smith. Seconded, C Hughes.
There were no other nominations.
W Mclean declared elected to the Committee: P Bathgate, D Bennett, L Gowans, C Hughes and L Smith. (Applause).
GENERAL BUSINESS.
MEMBERSHIP.
I Fleming moved that J Knox and L Murray be added to the Club’s membership. Seconded, R Lippers. Agreed.
FEDERATED MOUNTAIN CLUBS OF NZ (INC) MEMBERSHIP.
I Fleming moved that we renew the Individual Supporter Sub of $35.00 for K McVie. Seconded, B Harvey.
K McVie took orders for a FMC calendar. The motion was carried.
Attendance Roll.
I Fleming moved that the matter of keeping an attendance roll at weekly tramps be referred to the committee. Seconded P McLean. Carried.
B Harvey thanked W McLean for his leadership during his Presidency. This was carried by applause.
W McLean declared the meeting closed.
ADDRESS.
J Knox presented a power-point address of her hair-raising adventures in Tibet, some through dangerous Chinese-controlled areas.
C Hughes thanked her for the address and presented her with a gift.
This was followed by refreshments, including receipt of 26 subscriptions and one joining fee, by P & W Bathgate.
Confirmed……………………………………….. Date……………………………
Protected: Statement of Accounts YE 30 June 2011
Protected: Committee Minutes 28/7/2011
Potato Point, Purakaunui
Distance from car-park: 39 km.
5. 20/7/2011. Purakaunui, Potato Point, Bay track, round trip.
4. 22/4/2009 Purakaunui, Potato Point, Long Beach, Bay track, ret. Leaders: Doug, Ian.
3. 26/9/2007. Trampers. Purakanui Circuit. Medium. Leaders: Shirley, Helen.
2. 1/12/2004. Trampers. Purakanui, Potato Point. Leaders: Doug M, Barbara McC, Arthur H.
1. 4/6/2003. Both. Potato Point, Purakanui. Leaders: Doug M, Barbara M, Donny and Frank
Hindon Road, Mains Road, Taieri River
32 km from car-park.
Mains Road, Hindon Road, Taieri River. Seek permission. Lambing Sep – Nov.
13/7/2011. Trampers. Mains Road, off Hindon Road.. Track to river.
