Pineapple Point Seat Installation 22 July 2023

 

Pineapple Point was a well-frequented lookout point alongside the current Pineapple Track and is referenced in tramping reports that pre-date the club, as well as being mentioned as a resting place during the climb of Flagstaff on the OTC's inaugural trip on September 1, 1923.  Early reports talk of Pineapple Point having wonderful views of the city and was a good place to stop and eat pineapple.  As Dunedin is too far south to grow pineapple,  local Green Grocer (Oscar Balk, OTC first president) imported tins of pineapple and these were enjoyed while resting at the point with the empty tins being left on the fence posts as markers, hence the name Pineapple Track and Pineapple Point.  

 

Having been up the Pineapple Track many times over the years and never having seen Pineapple Point, we decided it was time to 'rediscover' it.  Having done some research we had an idea where it might be on the Pineapple Track and once we had reached the site it was easy to see why the point was no longer a lookout as the view was nonexistent with broom having grown over the point obscuring all views.

A plan was hatched to bring Pineapple Point back to it's former glory in time for the 100 year anniversary of the OTC's first official club trip on 1 September 2023.  Discussion was entered into with the Dunedin City Council and a plan was agreed to clear the broom from the point and permission was given to install a seat at the site.  The first club workparty was in August 2022 where we cleared about half the site of broom to bring the view back. A few hours work of cutting broom and dragging it out of the way by a handful of people proved that it was a worthwhile task and the view was restored to Pineapple Point.

Today a group of 10 came back to install the seat and remove the remaining broom from the point.  It was a real team effort to get all the materials to the site, which is about 30 minutes up the Pineapple Track. Thankfully another group had carried the 40kg of cement in and with the seat in four parts plus about 10L of water to mix the concrete and  tools to clear the broom, our progress up the track looked a little like a pilgrimage.

Once at Pineapple Point, those that knew about putting the seat together and concreting it into place were left to get onto with it while the other 7 turned their attention to the broom. Armed with pruning saws and loppers,  no time was lost in attacking the broom.  Some of the broom is very old and the trunks took quite some effort to cut through but the reward of seeing the view return kept the enthusiasm high.

A few of the group spent their time dragging the cut broom away and throwing it on the pile of old, dead broom from last year.  It was heartening to see the huge pile from nearly a year ago had compacted and started to rot so we reused the same pile and watched as the pile of cut broom grew higher.

While most of us were kept warm sawing or dragging broom away, a hardy few were left in the wind on the top of the point to dig the holes for the concrete and reassemble the seat.  Progress seemed to go quickly, although the cold temperatures meant the concrete took longer than hoped to dry. 

After about three hours of work, everyone was well pleased with their efforts and were very happy with the end result of a lovely, well made, wooden seat on Pineapple Point with the view of Dunedin City spreading out in front. The seat is now in place and the broom cleared leaving Pineapple Point ready for the official opening on 1 September 2023 which marks exactly 100 years of the first Otago Tramping Club trip.