Bucklands Crossing. Eldorado Station, stone wall yards. Scratch Back.

Distance from car-park: 67 km.
11/5/2011. Trampers. El Dorado Station. Eldorado Road. Medium.
The drive in from Hawksbury was quite long but eventually the (surprisingly smooth) road wound down to El Dorado Station by the upper Waikouaiti River, north branch, arriving at 10.00 a.m. A station hand pointed out the Eldorado road climbing steeply out of the valley.
GPS of the route from valley to ridge and back. Courtesy Ken.
Station buildings from the Eldorado Road above.
We climbed (it seemed almost vertically!) for half an hour before stopping for a late morning tea break.
Cuppa by the steep 'road'.
The climb was then up, up, up and at last onto the ridge heading SE. Out of all the cone-shaped hills around, we eventually located the mist-enshrouded Mt Watkin whose slopes our road had taken us past on the way in.
Mount Watkin shrouded in mist.
Going was easier on the ridge as it led us up and down along its spine. We eventually stopped short of the trees visible in the mist beyond.
Along ridge.
Lunch was at a large stone, the only dry spot around for sitting on. Those same trees are visible top right.
Lunch and spot where we turned back.
A shot on the way back. Looking up-river on the left and the road in on the right.
River and road
Another shot taken on the return. looking at the Waikouaiti down-stream.
Looking down river.
Back at the station buildings, we explored a track leading down by the river. We didn’t go too far. The rocky cliffs in the distance mark a gorge the track had to climb up and over.
Along the river.
Back to the car and it was the long drive back home, interrupting the journey only for a pleasant coffee-break at the Blueskin Nursery Cafe. A cool, pleasant day. Ideal for tramping in an area the Club had neglected for too long. – Ian.
26/3/2003. Trampers. Eldorado – Scratch Back. Medium+. Leaders: Lex, Doug J.
26/3/2003. Hikers. Eldorado. Medium. Leaders: Frank and Lesley. Anne R
Garden Bush
Garden Bush
13/3/2002 Eldorado Station, stone wall yards. (Bucklands Crossing). Medium. Leaders: Lex, Claude, Irene.,
22/11/1987. Eldorado, Scratchback, from Waikouaiti.

Big Stone Road, Otokia Creek Valley, Otokia Forest, McLaren Gully.

22/9/2010. Big Stone Road and forest. Leaders: Ria, Hazel.

A good days tramp was had by just 4 of us. We changed the tramp location due to the weather conditions, & went to Big Stone Rd forest, where Ria, & Hazel led us on a circular route through the forest.

Route map courtesy Ken's GPS.
We had lunch in a very nice spot by the stream, with the sun shining on us.

Continue reading “Big Stone Road, Otokia Creek Valley, Otokia Forest, McLaren Gully.”

Paradise Road, Braidwood Road, Sandfly Bay

1. 8/9/2010. Trampers. Paradise, Braidwood, Sandfly Bay. M. Leadership: Informal.

Tramp Route. (Courtesy Ken). Car parked top LH corner.
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.
A slippery muddy Paradise Road Track

Annual Report 2010

TAIERI RECREATIONAL TRAMPING CLUB
ANNUAL REPORT
FOR YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2010
This is my first annual report (for what I have been informed is a two year term !!).
Sadly the year was marred by the deaths of two members, Mgaire Moir in March and Peg Allison in May.
Otherwise, and apart from adverse weather from time to time, causing two cancellations, I found the past year has been a good one and I trust most active members will agree with me that sharing together the same walking experiences continues to be an enjoyable pastime.
Total membership at end of 30 June was 72.
Compiled from weekly attendance records, the following stats. reveal no surprises but confirm impressions gained in noting the number of cars and passengers in each group as they leave the car park Wednesday mornings:

 

Yrs: 2008 – 9 2009 – 10
Average Number of Trampers 7 5
Average Number of Hikers 12 14
Average Number of Ramblers 3 3

 

Activity during the year included:
  • Day bus trip for 34 members to Gabriel’s Gully/Otago Dam in October 2009.
  • Albert Town Camp in April with 25 participants. I believe that there are still a number of good walks in that area should be consider it again in the future – always provided we can muster a sufficient number of members.
  • A unforgettable rail trail t ralmp for 24 members: Millers Flat/Horseshoe Bend to Beaumont. Again, numbers were borderline for the (increasing) cost of bus charter, but I fell that should not stop us at least discussing another day trip.
  • The Christmas lunch and walk at Aramoana. 23 members turned out. The walk was somewhat spoilt by the bad weather, but the day was saved by the lunch and Bruce Spittle’s excellent entertainment.
  • Mid Winters lunch at Logie’s Restaurant/Royal Tavern, Grn. Is. for 49. And again popular entertainment, preceded by a walk to Tunnel Beach.
  • Two ‘resurrected’ tramps from earlier programmes – Government Track, returning Kowhai Spur, last tramped 1991, and Green Point, last tramped 1995.
  • And a first, the exploration of new DCC routes around Harbour Cone.

 

ddd

Annual General Meeting Minutes 27/8/10

Minutes of the 23rd Annual  General  Meeting  of  Taieri  Recreational  Club held in the   Mosgiel Presbyterian Church Halls Sinclair Room on 27 August  2010 at  1.30 p.m.

ATTENDANCE.
P Bathgate, W Bathgate, D Bennett, F Deans, I Fleming, G Haggie, B Harvey, C Hughes, R Lippers, R Madill,  P McLean, W McLean, K McVie, D Moir, D Pearce, J Shaw, L Smith, M Smith, B Spittle, T Stratton, M Vaughan, L Weedon, M Young.

APOLOGIES.
E Blackburn, N Buckley, A Carian, E Day, L Donaldson, L Gowan, A Heenan, A Landrebe, H Leslie, B McIntosh, K and G Newton,  M Spittle, L Staple ton, G Such, F Weedon. I Fleming moved that the apologies be accepted, seconded K McVie. Carried.

MINUTES.
Ian Fleming moved that the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 22 August 2009, having be circulated, be taken as read and confirmed. Seconded B Harvey. Carried.

CORRESPONDENCE.
There was no correspondence.

PRESIDENT’S  REPORT.
President W McLean presented his report which had also been circulated. I Fleming moved that it be adopted, seconded by L Smith. Carried.

FINANCIAL  REPORT.
Treasurer I Fleming presented the audited Statement of Accounts, which had also been circulated, and moved that it be adopted. Seconded by W McLean. Carried.

ELECTION  OF  OFFICE BEARERS.

PRESIDENT.
Past President P Bathgate took the chairman called for nominations.
L Smith nominated W McLean, seconded by M Smith.
There were no further nominations.

P Bathgate declared W McLean elected as President.

VICE PRESIDENT.
C Hughes nominated B Harvey, seconded by I Fleming.
There were no other nominations.

W McLean declared B Harvey elected as Vice President.

SECRETARY-TREASURER.
B Harvey nominated I Fleming, seconded by M Vaughan.
There were no other nominations.

W McLean declared I Fleming elected as Secretary-Treasurer.

Honorary Auditor.
I Fleming nominated T Stratton, seconded by P Bathgate.
There were no other nominations.

W McLean declared T Stratton elected as Honorary Auditor.

COMMITTEE.
B Harvey nominated the existing committee, viz. D Bennett, L Gowans, C Hughes, A Landrebe, K McVie, and F Weedon, ‘en bloc’.
There were no other nominations.

W McLean declared the existing committee re-elected.

GIFTS.
A gift was presented to H Leslie in absentia for the preparation and sending of her hand-crafted greeting cards.

A gift was presented to B Harvey for her preparation and copying of the Tramping Programmes.

GENERAL  BUSINESS.
B Spittle expressed thanks to the committee for its services during the year.

MEETING CLOSURE.
W McLean declared the meeting closed.

SPEAKERS.
W McLean welcomed and introduced DCC speakers Paul Coffey and Scott MacLean and invited them to address the meeting on the Council’s care and oversight of the city’s tramping tracks.
In their address, the speakers invited club members to report back on their experience of tracking conditions they encountered, and took questions at the end.

P Bathgate thanked the speakers on behalf of the Club.

W McLean invited the speakers to remain and enjoy the afternoon tea that had been prepared.

SUBSCRIPTIONS.
P and W Bathgate took 29 Club subscriptions for the ensuing year.

 

 

 

 

Confirmed……………………………………………………………………Date………………………….

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.
New sign indicating Eucalypt Spur track.

Continue reading “Silver Peaks No. 3”