#50 of 100 trips for 100 years - Yellow Ridge - The Gap - ABC Cave 25 April 2023

Last time I'd been at the start of the Tunnels Track and heading towards the Phil Cox Hut was six months ago for trip #5 along Rocky Ridge.  It was at the start of the 100 trips and I was feeling very unfit, today was halfway with trip #50 to The Gap and ABC Cave and I wasn't so sure that I was feeling any fitter however I was happy to be part of 12 people keen to mark the halfway milestone of 100 trips on ANZAC day.  ABC cave is named after three club members from the 1960's who were keen rock climbers and found a large bivy rock near some good rock outcrops - their names Alan, Bruce and Colin hence ABC Cave.  The first club trip to ABC cave was on ANZAC day in 1971 and 52 years later, we were recreating that trip. 

It hardly seemed fair as the track starts with a sharp descent of 220m through a pine plantation to the Waikouaiti River where everyone got wet feet crossing the river before a steep 240m climb to Phil Cox Hut.  The abrupt climb out of the Waikouaiti River is challenging in places with a couple of fixed ropes for safety but is mostly just an uphill slog and reaching the hut is a welcome resting place.  After a drink and snack break, we continued climbing another 100m in height to Yellow Ridge.  Once on Yellow Ridge it is a reasonably easy 120m climb over 3km along the undulations of Yellow Ridge.  The changes in Yellow Ridge over the years has seen the scrub encroach onto the ridge, leaving barely any of the iconic yellow tussock that I remember and shown in the pictures below - the top photo Yellow Ridge today and the bottom is Yellow Ridge in the 1986.

As we approached the junction with Rocky Ridge the wind started to pick up so we didn't spend much time admiring the rock tors on Rocky Ridge before following the track away from Rocky Ridge towards The Gap.  The Gap is a prominent cut in the ridge that from a distance looks like a bite has been taken out of it.  Not having been to this unusual geological feature for 10 years, the short detour was a must for me, even if we had to negotiate shoulder high gorse to reach it.  Once at The Gap it was time to refuel the body again before turning back to rejoin the main track to ABC Cave.

The route to ABC Cave took us through some patches of the golden tussock that once covered all of the Silver Peaks and made it easy to navigate without the need of a track, however today the track is a distinct trail through the scrub that has grown since the stock was removed from the Silver Peaks 30 years ago.  The track drops 120m down from the ridge, out of the wind and joins an old four wheel drive track as it follows the creek for a short distance before a short, steep 40m climb up to ABC Cave.  The cave is well positioned to avoid most of the wind and we relaxed in the sun while eating a well deserved lunch.

Despite the temptation to stay for longer, after lunch we reluctantly headed down the hill back to the four wheel track for our return journey back to the cars.  The 120m climb out of the valley that ABC Cave is in didn't seem as bad as I had feared when we made the descent and it seemed no time that we were back on the ridge and heading around to the Rocky Ridge junction.  This gave us a good opportunity to see the rocky tors that are more common at this end of the Silver Peaks.  The sharp, jagged rock tors are many metres high and have some interesting shapes

The return journey along Yellow Ridge was uneventful until I started noticing the different varieties of mushroom growing along the side of the track.  The fungi was not as abundant in size and colour as trip #49  a couple of days ago but they were still worth stopping for a look. Once off the ridge and heading down towards the Phil Cox hut the mushrooms disappeared.  

Once back at the Phil Cox hut we knew we only had an hour of walking left so had an afternoon tea stop and enjoyed the moment as the hut is situated in a lovely, sunny and sheltered clearing.  The final hour of walking is the reverse of our morning with a 240m very steep descent down to the Waikouraiti River, using a couple of fixed ropes over some of the more challenging pieces of track.  The downhill seemed to take a lot longer than I remembered as it also required constant concentration to stay upright on the more precipitous parts of track.  Once at the bottom it was wet feet again as we crossed the river then the constant 220m climb back up through the pine forest to the road and cars.  The 15.4kms had taken us 7.5 hours with around 1000m of climbing.

 

#49 of 100 trips for 100 years -Gabriels Gully/Otago Dam 23 April 2023

 

The discovery of gold at Gabriels Gully in 1861 lead to the Central Otago goldrush. Dunedin almost emptied as 4000-5000 people rushed to Gabriels Gully in the first months to try their luck at finding gold and by the early 1900's the gold had gone and the area was deserted with most of the fortune hunters leaving broke.  Today ten of us arrived in Gabriels Gully to not only explore and discover a little of it's history for ourselves but also to see some beautiful autumn colours that the area is popular for at this time of the year.  We arrived at Greys Dam and were not disappointed as the lovely autumn colours were reflected in the mirror calm water of the dam. 

The Otago Dam was built early in the goldrush to provide water to Greys Dam which was used for the gold workings of Gabriels Gully.  The track to Otago Dam skirts around the edge of Greys Dam before passing through a section of exotic trees wearing their magnificent autumn cloaks and covering the ground with a golden layer of crunchy leaves which we swished our way through. 

Once past this beautiful section we entered the native bush with easy walking for about 15 minutes before the first of six creek crossings. Each creek crossing is reasonably straightforward with large rocks marking convenient crossing points although the rocks can be slippery and require some careful foot placement to successfully negotiate with dry feet.  

The track climbs steeply in a couple of sections before flattening out and following an old water race.   Following the old water race was easy walking and this was where we really started to notice the many mushrooms sprouting from the forest floor.  There were all colours of mushrooms from black to dark brown, caramel, cream, white, yellow, red, orange and of course red with white spots.  There were mushrooms with pointy tops, rounded tops and flat tops.  They ranged in size from pin heads up to dinner plate sized.  Some mushrooms were well camouflaged while others proudly wore their bright colours.  It became a game of spotting the fungi with some clinging to trees, sheltered under muddy banks, hiding behind foliage or simply growing on the track. The sheer variety and number of mushrooms was amazing. 

After an hour of walking we skirted around the edge of a pine forest before arriving at the Otago Dam.  The dam itself is nondescript as it is surrounded by native bush and pine forest but it does give a good sense of the height gained from Greys Dam   The sheltered site of the dam meant the water was calm giving wonderful reflections and an air of peace as it is rarely visited.  We stopped for a snack break and there was some talk about how deep the dark waters of the dam might be but no one was game to test the depth.

The Otago Dam was our end destination so after morning tea and rest we retraced our way down the sometimes, muddy track and again marveled at the variety of mushrooms.  This was a mushroom lovers paradise and while we came to see the autumn leaves, the mushrooms stole the show! We followed the water race around the side of the valley, taking the time to appreciate the work that had gone into building it 150 years ago and all of it still in tact.

The track did not seem as long on the return journey and the creek crossings were again successfully negotiated with dry feet.  The creek is picturesque with the water flowing past the rocks, overshadowed by moss and ferns as it winds it's way towards Greys Dam.  The 6.1 km walk to Otago Dam is only an hour each way and is well worth the time, especially at this time of year.  Once back at Greys Dam, it was time for lunch and with our group the only people in the area, we enjoyed the peace, the autumn colours and reflections.

After lunch the plan was to walk the Gabriels Gully loop which is an easy 1.5 hour loop track that circles around the outer edge of Gabriels Gully, following old water races and giving a good views into the gully itself. The track starts off climbing steeply, gaining 120m in height before flattening out once we reached the old water race.  We followed the water race to Pollards Dam which no longer holds water but is a great place for autumn leaves. 

After visiting Pollards Dam we continued following the water race and stopped to inspect the Racemans Cottage site before moving onto the Blue Spur lookout which gave us panoramic views of the surrounding hills including down into the valley floor where hundreds of tents once housed the miners and over to the remnant stacks of conglomerate (gold bearing) rock.  A bit further on we discovered the remains of the North of Ireland stamper battery where we tried to imagine the work involved in keeping the stamping battery operating along with the noise the stampers made echoing off the valley walls.  After walking through regenerating forest, we passed the Great Extended Mine shaft before following the track down the hill and back to the car park.

#48 of 100 trips for 100 years - Dunedin Town Belt 22 April 2023 (by Jade Pettinger)

 

Today’s trip was the largest we have had on the 100 Trips programme so far, with over 40 people in attendance! The OTMC led a trip through Dunedin’s town belt in conjunction with Wild Dunedin as part of the annual Festival of Nature, which saw more than two dozen non-members join us for the traverse from the Southern Cemetery to Woodhaugh Gardens. It was a perfect autumn morning - clear and crisp with not a breath of wind. After checking everyone off the list and giving the necessary health and safety talk, we set off through the Southern Cemetery. This trip was ably led by the knowledgeable and entertaining Antony Hamel and it soon became evident we were in for a fun trip.

We began on a slightly morbid note as we took a detour to check out Antony’s favourite graves in the Southern Cemetery, however it was fascinating to hear the tragic stories. One grave was that of the Campbell family, who, in 1863, were on the last stretch of their three month voyage from London to Dunedin for Rev. Thomas Campbell to take up his role as the first rector of the Dunedin High School (now Otago Boys High School) when the ship they were travelling on, the Yarra, collided with a paddle boat off Sawyers Bay and sank. 13 people drowned that day, including Rev Campbell, his wife Marian and their five young children. As they were immigrants they had no family in Dunedin, however in true southern style the city embraced them and 2000 people turned out for the funeral procession - nearly the whole population of the new Dunedin settlement at the time!

After exiting the cemetery, we had the slog up Eglinton Road to Unity Park ahead of us, which thankfully passed quickly as we chatted away to both new and old friends. We regrouped at Unity Park and heard the story of Admiral Byrd who is immortalised in a statue overlooking the city. Admiral Richard Byrd was an American naval officer and explorer who has caused controversy with his claims that he was the first to reach the North Pole by air in 1926. After receiving the Medal of Honour for his feat, doubts were raised as to whether he actually reached the North Pole or not and to this day historians still cannot agree to whether his claims are true or not.

We headed cross-country from here through the town belt, the damp autumn leaves on the ground turned out to be quite the hazard as they made the footpath slippery underfoot. We are incredibly lucky in Dunedin to have such a large green space in the heart of the city. The Dunedin Town Belt is one of only three Victorian town belts in the world and provides the city with over 200 hectares of native bush. It was originally conceived when the settlement of Dunedin was being planned in the 1840s in Scotland with the idea of having a divide between the city centre and the suburbs.

Our guided tour continued through several more notable places such as Queens View and the beautiful Olveston House. After meandering along Queens Drive, we arrived at our final point of interest, Prospect Park. At Prospect Park, we paid our respects to the late Ben Rudd, with whom the OTC forged a strong relationship and eventually purchased his property on the hills of Flagstaff which the club still manages to this day. Antony Hamel read a poem written by Charles Brasch titled Ben Rudd aloud and with feeling.

From here we headed down the Bullock Track to Woodhaugh Gardens and headed our separate ways - some had rides organised, some headed back to the start point by bus and some walked along the main street of Dunedin back to the Southern Cemetery. Five of us opted to walk along George and Princes Streets. Even though the terrain was flat, having to dodge pedestrians and wait for the pesky green man at the road crossings slowed us down considerably

It took us around 30 minutes to walk from Woodhaugh Gardens to the Oval, and to our surprise, we met some fellow OTMC members getting off a bus at the same time we were walking past. They blamed it on having to transit through the bus hub, however it just goes to show that walking can be a very time-efficient way to get from A to B! 

by Jade Pettinger

#47 of 100 trips for 100 years - Jubilee Hut 16 April 2023

 

Jubilee Hut was built in the Silver Peaks for the OTMC's 25th anniversary and was a popular destination for the club up until the 1990's when it's usage and popularity dropped as maintenance became issue. In 2007 the Department of Conservation (in consultation with the OTMC) built a new Jubilee Hut at the same time as it removed the old hut.  Thanks to it's proximity to Dunedin, Jubilee Hut has become a popular destination and is often full during the weekends.  It is fitting that one of the 100 trips is to visit Jubilee Hut and 15 people (including 3 from the North Otago Tramping & Mountaineering Club) made the 8 hour trip today.  

Despite a 60m height gain immediately after leaving the Mountain Road car park, a fast pace is often set by those in the front and today was no different.  It wasn't until the gradient leveled off on the route to Green Hut Site that we were able to catch our breath and begin chatting to those walking in front and behind.  This part of the track to Green Hut Site generally takes around an hour and with clear skies we had great views of Swampy Summit on our left and towards Waikouati on our right.  The views were a great distraction, as after a week of  constant rain the track had become muddy making it a completely different experience to other recent trips into the Silver Peaks ( trip #33 & trip #38)

We regrouped at Green Hut Site and enjoyed a snack break and a short history of the site before continuing on. Initially the track enters the bush for a short but muddy climb onto the ridge where the track sidles below Green Peak before beginning the 200m climb to Pulpit Rock.  The track up is steep and open so we kept a steady pace with the occasional stop to admire the view (and catch our breath).  Knowing we had a long way to go it was only a brief stop below Pulpit Rock before pushing on to the top of the Devils Staircase.  

Despite it's name the Devils Staircase does not have any stairs, it is, however, a very steep route that descends down a defined ridge to the valley 400m below.  With slippery shingle under foot, sheer drops on both sides and very little to hold onto, it is a descent not to be underestimated.  There is a lot more gorse on the staircase than when I had last been here making it more difficult with even less to hold onto.  Most of us opted for a slow and steady pace downhill, taking our time over the more exposed and tricky parts.

Once we had all safely reached the bottom, there was just enough time for a quick look around which was again, another surprise to me as the vegetation has really grown with only one or two campsites where there had been many.  The track from the bottom of the staircase wanders along beside the creek, crossing it four times before a trudge through a very sloppy muddy section.  Everyone emerged from the almost ankle-deep mud with mud halfway up our legs.  Jubilee Hut sits 100m above the stream on a sunny terrace and that final 100m climb feels a lot higher than 100m and we were all relieved when we finally reached our destination.

Sadly the pigs have been rooting around the hut, making the once flat terrace that the hut sits on with plenty of camping spots, into a ploughed paddock with humps and hollows everywhere.  After checking out the hut, we found a relatively flat area to sit for lunch in the sun with the infamous Devils Staircase and Rocky Ridge dominating the view.

There was no time to linger over lunch as we were very aware that we still had a long way to go and an ascent of the Devils Staircase so we packed up and headed back down to cross the creek and visit the site of the old Jubilee Hut.  There is nothing but the fireplace left of the old hut and while the new hut is in a much better position for sun and views, it was nice to reminisce on some of the fun times we'd had in the old hut. 

Retracing our steps back across the creek, through the mud and four river crossings gave us the chance to clean our legs so that we arrived at the base of the Devils Staircase looking a lot cleaner.  Most of us took the opportunity to refill our water bottles from the creek before the 400m climb up staircase.  The climb up is steep and exposed with the bottom third being the steepest section and the middle third only slightly less steep while the top third is considerably easier.  Either way, it took around 60-80 minutes for everyone to make it to the top of the Devils Staircase with a number of rest stops.  

Once at the top of the Devils Staircase, all the hard work has been done and all that remains is a walk along the the tops, past Pulpit Rock and down to Green Hut Site where we had a quick drink and lolly stop.  By now the legs were starting to feel a little tired but we still had an hour of walking along Green Ridge back to the cars.  The walk is reasonably flat but I always forget about the three small uphill sections which are always hard work at the end of the day. It was so nice to see the car 22km and 8 hours after leaving. 

#46 of 100 trips for 100 years - Racemans - Coal Creek - Steve Amies Track 9 April 2023

There was some initial hesitation from the six people when faced with the prospect of getting wet feet within the first five minutes of starting the day trip but not wanting to be left behind, all skipped across the watery ford in varying degrees of gracefulness. We took the turn off  on the right that brought us to a swing bridge over the Silver Stream before following the stream. After the first kilometre or so, we climbed a rise to reach the water race and the Racemans track.  The Racemans track follows the Silver Stream Water Race which was built around 1877 and consisted of nearly 30 kilometres  of open water races, sluices, tunnels, and weirs which bought water to the growing city of Dunedin.  The water race was in use for nearly 100 years when it was abandoned in the 1960's as it became too hard to maintain. The Racemans track follows the easy gradient of the water race, weaving in and out around the side of the steep sided Silver Stream catchment.  After an hour and half of easy walking, a mutual decision saw us stopping in a sunny spot on the track for a snack break.

Feeling replenished we continued on for another kilometre to the top weir where we paused to watch the water flowing over the weir and marvel at the clearness of the water in the stream below the weir.  The weir is the start of the water race and it's quite sobering to think about the amount of work that had gone into creating the weir and the water race as well as the maintenance of it. Today there is still plenty to see of the now overgrown water race and although there are trees and tree ferns growing in water race as well as parts of it that have subsided it is worth a visit.

From the weir we retraced our steps for 10 minutes to the North Coal Creek track which steeply climbs 400m up the eastern side of the Silver Stream catchment.  The track is easy to follow with orange markers at regular intervals and plenty of handily placed trees to aid with the rapid gain in height. The track passes through native podocarp forest with plenty of clambering up and over tree roots before a rocky section with the terrain changing to large moss covered boulders to clamber up.  Taking our time to rest often we were amazed at the variety of greens in the forest, particularly when the sun shines through the forest canopy highlighting the greens from lime to almost black. 

As we gained the ridge, we became aware of the wind in the trees overhead and the drop in temperature. There were glimpses of  dark forbidding clouds looming over the Silver Peaks making us pleased to be in the relative safety of the bush.  As we neared the top of the hill, there are a couple of good places to stop giving good views of the Silver Peaks and the Silver Stream catchment however the gale force winds kept us moving upwards.

At the highest part of the track is Trig Q nestled in a sheltered part of the bush and it seemed the perfect place to stop.  We each found a comfortable spot out of the wind and settled down to lunch and sharing of  chocolate Easter eggs. Once we had our fill of food, there was just enough time for a team photo before beginning to head down the Steve Aimies track.

The Steve Aimes track is well defined and with very little undergrowth is easy to follow.  If we had thought the climb up North Coal Creek track was steep, the descent down the Steve Aimes track was just as sheer.  The track follows a distinct ridge and descends steadily dropping 200m over 2km before the gradient abruptly changes, dropping the final 200m in less than 1km.  We were grateful that the ground underfoot was dry as it could have been treacherous if a little muddy.

Eventually we all reached the relative flat of the Racemans track in one piece.  After regrouping and a quick drink we started on the final 1.5km back along the Racemans track.  By now we noticed that the sky was clearing and wind had dropped.  The crossing of the ford at the start of the track was straightforward and we were back at the cars 5 hours and 14.2km after starting.

 

#45 of 100 trips for 100 years - Tomahawk Lagoon-Peg 41track 8 April 2023 (by Jade Pettinger)

 

Ten of us gathered at the clubrooms on Saturday afternoon for what was to be the first OTMC day trip during Easter weekend in at least 50 years. Heartened by the good numbers for a long weekend, we set out for Tomahawk Lagoon ready to conquer the Peg 41 track.

On arrival at Tomahawk Lagoon, we took a few minutes to admire the bird life before setting off. The beginning of the track winds its way through the bush on the edge of the lagoon before a sudden, steep climb out of the bush and into farm paddocks. As soon as we clambered over the rickety stile and emerged onto the expansive grassy paddocks, the views began to open up in front of us. The white sands and glistening blue ocean of Tomahawk and Smails Beach spread out in front of us.

Despite the cool wind, layers were soon being shed as the climb up the Peg 41 track was steady. We fell into a single file line as we skirted the edge of a paddock. This piece required some concentration as the paddock had an electric fence running up the side of it and all it would have taken was a slight misstep to end up electrocuted! Thankfully we were all careful and made it to the top unharmed.

Climbing over another stile, we had now joined onto the Soldiers Monument track that comes up from Highcliff Road. As we got closer to our destination, the wind seemed to increase. Once we arrived at the base of the monument, we soon found it was difficult to stand as the wind buffeted us. Some brave souls ventured up onto the monument, while the other more sensible ones found a perch out of the wind to have a snack.

Those of us who went up onto the monument had our breath taken away by the wind, and had to hang onto any loose clothing (even our glasses) as the wind threatened to take them away. It was a bit of a comedy show watching people try to walk around the monument as they struggled against the wind. The handrail was crushed in a death grip as it felt as if all it would take was one extra-strong gust and we would have been airborne. The view down the Otago Harbour was incredible, with not a cloud in the sky. Standing up there with the wind barrelling through your hair is certainly one way to feel alive.

It’s safe to say we didn’t hang around the top for too long - just long enough to devour some chocolate eggs (well it was Easter!) and take a quick team photo. Our intrepid leader decided that instead of walking back the same way, we would make the trip and loop and head down Centre Road. We headed down the steep track towards Highcliff Road, pleased to be leaving the wind behind as we dropped down below the summit.

It was single file again once we were on Highcliff Road to avoid becoming roadkill as we made the 500m or so journey to Centre Road. The road stretched out in a seemingly endless line in front of us, but as we chit chatted our way downhill we were surprised at how quickly the time went. We lamented that the best views were hidden behind trees or farm paddocks and were unable to be seen from the road.

Before we knew it we were rounding the corner back to Tomahawk Lagoon. We had made good time with a total trip time of around 2 hours, which no doubt would have been longer had the wind not been so strong. Although on the shorter side, it was a perfect way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon.

by Jade Pettinger