#62 of 100 trips for 100 years - Government Track 11 June 2023 (by Jade Pettinger)

 

Winter has well and truly arrived in the south! A week of negative temperatures and thick frosts didn’t stop 19 hardy trampers from gathering at the club rooms bright and early on Sunday morning, keen for a day in the hills. Pleasantries were exchanged, plans were made and trampers were bundled into cars, ready to hit the road.

The usual cruisy drive along the Taieri Plains was made slightly more treacherous by the thick frost from the night before. Before long we were winding our way up the Waipori Gorge, in the shadow of the hills towering above us. It was like emerging into a winter wonderland - we were surrounded by a beautiful hoar frost, making everything look like it was part of a fairytale. Our child-like excitement meant we didn’t even feel the cold as we set off, instead our energy was focused on admiring the beauty around us

The Government Track was built in the 1860’s to provide access to the Central Otago Goldfields. With the main mode of transport in the 1860’s being bullock, the track gently climbs up the hill as opposed to the steep, scrambly tracks we are more used to. The track starts with a small, steep section of switchback, but once we had conquered that it was time to begin the long slog up the hill. From here, the wide track meanders through the bush as we traversed through beech and mānuka forests above the Waipori Gorge. Although the gradient was gentle, the climb felt relentless as we had around 500m in elevation to gain in just 9km.

The steady climb soon got the blood pumping and despite the near negative temperatures, layers were starting to be shed. Around the 45 minute mark, we emerged from the bush onto a frozen paddock, with our first (and only) viewpoint in front of us. The layers of the Waipori Gorge were striking, highlighted by the morning fog that was lingering in the depths of the valley. One bonus about winter tramping is we are often walking on top of frozen mud, rather than trudging through ankle deep sludge, which was exactly the case as we crossed the exposed pasture.

We found a sheltered perch on the side of the hill to have a quick nibble, this was also a chance to mingle with friends who we hadn’t yet had a chance to talk to as they became lost in the line of trampers. A passing shower meant wet weather gear was donned before continuing our long trek uphill.
 

The remainder of the uphill trek passed by quickly, and rather uneventfully. The dense bush surrounding us, along with the many voices bouncing off the steep walls of the gorge made it easy to get a little disorientated, although thankfully the track was well-maintained so it was near impossible to wander off in the wrong direction.  The occasional windfall or small stream to negotiate kept us on our toes, while searching for fungi kept our minds occupied. Some eager eyes spotted a violet pouch fungus - a magnificent purple mushroom, unlike any I had seen before.

All of a sudden we rounded a corner and found ourselves at the end of the track. And just in time as well, it was past lunchtime and our stomachs were starting to protest. Lunch was a fairly quick affair as we shivered in the shade of the hill, keen to get going. While we could have returned via a different track, we opted to head back the same way we came as we would be less exposed should the weather turn earlier than forecast. As it was all downhill, we made good timeand before we knew it was emerging onto the paddock we crossed early this morning. What a difference a few hours makes - the sun was streaming down on us and not a trace of the frost from earlier this morning.

Afternoon tea was enjoyed soaking up the late afternoon sun before slipping and sliding our way down the hill. As the ground beneath our feet had thawed, so had the mud which turned our relatively straightforward walk into a treacherous mud pool. We each had our own strategy on how to best avoid the mud, some were arguably more successful than others but we all managed to stay on our feet.

5 ½ hours and 19.3km later we arrived back at the cars, pleased to be able to rest as our feet were beginning to feel a little weary. To our surprise the hoar frost had melted, however it certainly didn’t feel any warmer in the depths of the gorge so we wasted no time in climbing into the vehicles and heading home. 

Written by Jade Pettinger