#100 of 100 trips - Five Summits (Mt Kettle / Mihiwaka Area) 15 October 2023

 

After 99 completed trips, today marked a significant milestone in the #100 trips for 100 years with the completion of the 100th trip.  The trip had originally been touted as 5 summits in 5 hours with 25 people so we arrived at the start of the trip with high hopes and were pleasantly surprised to find that there were indeed 25 people keen to experience the Cedar Creek Farm area and reach the summit of 5 peaks in 5 hours.  Starting up the four wheel drive track it is a steep 1km walk, gaining 100m in height to the reservoir where we regrouped for some brief instructions on where we were headed.

After the discussion about not following the trapping tracks we headed off into the pine plantation towards  Mt. Martin which was the first, and lowest of the five peaks at 478m.  We only had a modest 60m in height to gain to reach the summit of Mt. Cutten which involved a stroll through the trees.  Walking was easy as there is little/no undergrowth under the pine trees and the ground is a carpet of soft pine needles with the odd fallen branch to step over.  It is hard to know when you are at the top of Mt. Martin as it is covered in trees and the only view is glimpsed through the branches. The only way we knew we were at the top was because there was no more uphill to go and so it was also the place to take our first summit picture - always a little difficult to take a team photo with so many people.

From Mt.  Martin, we headed off towards our next summit- Mt. Cutten which is a little higher at 538m.  We dropped off the summit of Mt Martin slightly and followed the contour until we reached a turnoff at the edge of the pine trees.  This lead to a short but steep climb to the broad summit of Mt. Cutten from which we were able to get great views looking down onto the township of Port Chalmers and further down the harbour towards the city.

 

We carried on from the summit of Mt. Cutten for another five minutes to the Len Lye sculpture where we stopped for a short snack break and also our second summit photo which was even more difficult  than the first as there isn't a lot of space for so many people.  

After replenishing the energy levels we headed for our third summit - Mt. Kettle at 545m.  While Mt. Kettle is not a lot higher, it involves a 140m descent down Mt. Cutten and then a160m climb up Mt. Kettle.  First though we had to retrace our steps down the steep climb then through the pine trees, crossing below the reservoir before a sharp ascent that involved using trees and brute force to pull oneself up the steep incline to the summit of Mt Kettle.  During this ascent, a shower of rain came over making most in the group stop to put on their jackets with a hardy few carrying on regardless. By the time we reached the top of Mt. Kettle the shower of rain had passed and we were able to enjoy the views from the top along with a short break for lunch. 

From Mt. Kettle we could look back towards the two lower summits that we had already climbed and also towards our next summit - Mt Chalmers at just over 450m.  We headed along the ridge of Mt. Kettle before dropping down into the pine trees again, crossing the forestry road and climbing up out of the trees, onto a scrubby flat.  As there is no track to Mt. Chalmers, we had to detour from the track once we got close, briefly bash through the bush then a scramble up to the rocky summit of Mt. Chalmers. 

The views in all directions were stunning and made the awkward scramble to the summit worthwhile. This being trip #100, it was fitting to look in all directions and pick out natural landmarks that had been part of the #100 trips and remember some of the many trips we had been on over the past year.

We could have spent much longer on top of Mt. Chalmers but after taking the summit photo, it was time to head towards our final summit - Mihiwaka. 

At 561m, Mihiwaka is the highest summit in the Cedar Creek Farm area and is also a popular rock climbing area. While the climb to the broad summit of Mihiwaka is straight forward with an easy track, the rock climbers prefer the steep, rocky sides lower down.  Having completed all five summits with 25 people, we took some time to celebrate the milestone of completing #100 trips, even more meaningful for the five people who had been on the trip #1. 

To complete the trip, we headed off down the side of Mihiwaka, dropping 200m down a very steep track that involved quite a lot of clambering down tree roots, hanging onto branches and generally trying to stay upright by clinging to trees before finally arriving slightly disheveled at the road.  All up, it had been a fantastic day with 8.2km of walking by 25 people completing 5 summits in 5 hours - a fitting way to complete the #100 trips.  Our mission 365 days ago was for the Otago Tramping & Mountaineering Club to complete 100 trips in a year and we were ecstatic  to have completed all 100 trips, albeit with a couple of destination changes due to weather.  Certainly an achievement to be proud of and for myself personally, I have completed 84 trips out of the 100. 

#99 of 100 trips - Ross Creek 14 October 2023

 

Today's trip is a replacement for a weekend trip that was postponed due to the weather and being so close to the end of #100 trips, we couldn't miss one now .  Despite being a hastily arranged day trip 11 people turned up for a short 2 hour walk around the Ross Creek/School Creek area.  We started the walk at Woodhaugh and took the path through the gardens and up the Bullock Track which is a short but steep climb up to Maori Hill.  We reached the top and stopped to catch our breath before following Braeview Crescent which skirts around the contour of the hill and has remarkable views of Leith Valley and the lower section of Pine Hill.

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At first it would appear that Braeview Crescent is a dead end street but if you know where to look, there is a 'locals only' track that continues to follow the contour, crossing a small side stream and after around 5 minutes walking following a narrow, winding trail through the bush, comes out on one of the Ross Creek walking tracks.  This was a very pleasant alternative to more road walking.  Once on the Ross Creek walking track we continued following the contour until we reached the Ross Creek reservoir where we stopped for a snack and drink break before walking past the stars and around the reservoir.

The Ross Creek Reservoir was created in the 1860s to provide water for the city of Dunedin and is now used only when other water sources are critically low. Native bush surrounds the reservoir and with numerous tracks through the bush and around the reservoir, it is also one of Dunedin's most popular bush walking areas, particularly with dog walkers and families. 

After circling the reservoir we followed the creek which is created from the overflow of the reservoir down the valley.  The creek is pleasant to walk beside with the water bubbling over rocks and passing through the narrowest parts of the valley with canyon walls rising on both sides of the creek.  We stopped for a short time to see the 20m waterfall that tumbles into School Creek before continuing on down the valley and through Woodhaugh Gardens back to the cars.  A very pleasant 2 hours, 8.7km walk in the sun.

#98 of 100 trips - Ship at Anchor 8 October 2023

 

The Ship at Anchor is a large, distinctive rock tor on the Lammermoor range near Lake Mahinerangi and is also part of the Te Papanui Conservation Park.  We had been to the southern end of the conservation park during trip #54 and were looking forward to exploring the northern end today.  The drive to Te Papanui Conservation Park takes around an hour and because there are not many trips to Ship at Anchor, it wasn't surprising to have 14 people bundle themselves into cars to make the journey.  Getting out of the cars at the locked gate on the edge of the Conservation Park was a little disconcerting as the cold wind buffeted everyone as they hastily put on more clothes, rain jackets and hats.  The start of the track involves crossing the locked gate and following a four wheel drive track through the tussock and past the large pipes that take water from Deep Stream to Dunedin. 

 

The track steadily climbs 180m to the top of the Lammermoor range before dropping to the weir intake.  It was here that the group gathered behind a small communication hut to shelter from the wind and rain to regroup and taking into consideration the deteriorating weather, the distance and terrain still to go along with the fitness of some of the group, the decision was made for the slower members to leave the main group who would carry onto to Ship at Anchor while the slower group would take an alternative route to the  gold diggings.  Being one of the few who had been to the area before, I volunteered to lead the slower group and this meant that we needed to retrace our steps down the hill and take a side track through the golden tussock following a wide, broad ridge down to Barbours Stream

There is very little of the gold diggings left, just piles of tailings and stone walls are all that remains.  We found a sheltered spot out of the wind to eat lunch and wondered about the hardy people that would have lived and mined here.  We could see the odd rain shower further up on the hills but we were dry, happy and warm beside the stream.  Once replenished with lunch, we faced an almost 200m climb out of the stream back up the wide, broad ridge to the four wheel drive track.  We took our time, stopping often to look around and marvel at the wonderful landscape of rolling hills covered in tussock that changed colour from gold to brown as the sun and cloud chased each other across the sky.  The cold wind continued to buffet us around and we could see dark clouds gathering in the distance so picked up our pace and made it back to the cars before the cold rain and hail arrived.  The fitter group arrived about an hour behind us, cold and wet from having been caught in the rain and hail.  While it was not quite the trip that I had planned, it was still an enjoyable day out in a picturesque place - a place that I hope to revisit on a sunnier and warmer day. 

#97 of 100 trips - Opoho Creek - Signal Hill - Ravensbourne (loop) 7 October 2023

 

The day was warm and despite the trip starting a little later at 1pm, 10 people arrived keen to explore the area behind Logan Park.  Starting on the Big Easy mountain bike track, we followed Opoho Creek for about a kilometre, past the historic pools of the trout hatchery dating from 1868 were we stopped to learn that this was the birthplace of brown trout being introduced into New Zealand using eggs transported from Tasmania.  The hatchery is no longer in use but the rock lined pools are still clearly visible.  We continued along the Big Easy which is the uphill mountain bike track zig zagging it's way through the native bush at a gradual gradient that belies the height gain.  We took every opportunity to stop and check out the views of the city at every clearing in the bush. 

A steady pace was set and we were able to walk along chatting to others quite happily, stepping aside occasionally for the odd cyclist making their way up the hill.  About an hour of this enjoyable walking saw us reached the Plateau with around 200m of gentle climbing.  The Plateau is a lookout just over half way up hill with seating, drinking fountain and bike repair station at a junction of a number of bike tracks on the flat shoulder of the ridge.  This proved to be the perfect place to stop for a snack and drink with a wonderful backdrop of the city while we were entertained by the mountain bikers heading very fast down hill, some going straight over the jumps while others took the twists and turns at great speed. 

Keeping well clear of the mountain bikers we packed up and quickly crossed the bike paths and were onto a track that we had walked in the other direction nearly a year ago on trip #4  .  We had good views of the harbour all along the track as it dropped in height down to Ravensbourne.  Once we left the track and came out on the streets at the top of Ravensbourne, it was just a matter of following the streets down to the harbour and down it certainly was!  The streets on this side of the hill are a complete contrast to the Big Easy bike track's gentle climb, instead it is a knee jarring, drop down to the Otago harbour. 

Once down the hill, we crossed the road and were onto the cycle/walking trail around the harbour.  From here it was an easy flat walk along the cycle/walk way for a couple of kilometres.  We had walked along here for trip #19 and like that time, there were a number of other walkers and cyclists also using the joint path.  The walking on this section was easy and we made a fast time, turning off the walk/cycle way at the stadium and following the Water of Leith as it wound it's way beside Butts Road and back to the cars.  A fun shorter trip of 9 km over 2 hours and climbing 200m in height.

#96 of 100 trips - Sandymount to Smaills Beach 1 October 2023

 

The change in weather from yesterdays snow and wind was encouraging enough that 10 people turned up for the start of this trip, a coastal traverse on the Pacific Ocean side of the peninsula which also includes some of the places visited on earlier #100 trips.  Starting at Sandymount (trip #71) we headed straight for the 300m descent down the sand dunes to Sandfly Bay.  It's surprising that so much sand has made it's way so far up the hill and it makes for a fun walk down, with some releasing their inner child  by taking long strides and running while managing to stay upright on the way down while others took a more sedate descent. 

Negotiating your way through the sand dunes is reasonably straightforward, as long as you follow the makers which are designed to keep people away from the penguin breeding places.  Once on the beach at Sandfly Bay we had to make a detour or two to avoid some large sealions sunbathing on the beach, near the walking track.  We were treated to a real spectacle with around 20 sea lions on the beach with some lounging on the warm sand and others cavorting in the waves.  We made the most of  this spectacle by choosing a large washed up log on the deserted beach as a good place to sit for a snack break and enjoy the show that the sea lions put on for us.  

Knowing that we had only started and still had a long way to go, we reluctantly continued along the beach, stopping often to watch the antics of the sea lions or take a detour around those that were relaxing in the sun.  As we neared the end of Sandfly Bay we had the 100m climb up the sand dunes and it was here that we started to encounter large numbers of people heading down to the beach.  Sandfly Bay is a popular beach for seeing sea lions and the warm, sunny weather was obviously bringing the people out.  We were glad that we had been there so early.  We stopped to catch our breath at the lookout and admire the view over Sandfly Bay.

The next part of our walk involved some road walking which we had already done on trip #79 so we knew what to expect and walked along in small groups taking this opportunity of easy walking to chat and look around. We passed paddocks with sheep and lambs bouncing around while looking ahead we could see the road leading us to the hill we would need to climb.  This time of year really shows the extent of the problem that gorse has become is highlighted by it's bright yellow flower. 

Following the road right to the end takes us down the hill to Boulder Beach where we had been on trip #57 when the weather had been wet and misty.  Today it could not have been more different as the earlier clouds had cleared and the temperature was starting to rise.  Once near the bottom of the hill, we took a path that twisted and turned through the vegetation to the Boulder Beach where we scrambled over the rocks to the deserted beach which seemed the perfect place to stop for a lunch break.  

While the beach looked deserted we soon discovered that there were a few sea lions sunbathing away from the waters edge.  Often the sleeping sea lions look like a log until one of their flippers is raised like a sail to test the breeze then a head would pop up to check that nothing of interest is happening then after all that effort, the sea lion would lie back down to continue it's snooze.

We spent more time at Boulder Beach than we probably should have but we were in no rush to leave and  packing up after lunch was slow which probably wasn't the wisest choice as the tide had turned while we had enjoyed our relaxed lunch and it was starting to come in, lapping around the edge of the rocky shore of Boulder Beach.  With most in the group never having been all the way along Boulder Beach the decision was made to walk along the beach to the cliffs at the end and then find our way through the vegetation back to the track. 

Again, this was not the wisest decision as  we could not find a track at the far end of the beach despite scouting around looking for one.  In the end we had to climb over the tussock and brush covered sand dunes while being careful not to disturb any hidden sea lions.  There were times we thought we had stumbled onto a track only to discover that it was a track made by a sea lion and we were left to scout around for a better way again.

 After a few false turns, we eventually stumbled onto a trapping track which lead us back the main track.  The temperatures were really starting to rise as we eyed the hill ahead of us. Up close the climb up the hill did not look as daunting as it had from a distance with the track climbed steadily 120m upwards with frequent stops to catch our breath in rising heat and admire the views opening out behind us. Reaching the top of the hill we again took time to sit and soak up the fantastic views, particularly since we could see where we had started at Sandymount earlier that morning (the hill slightly right of centre in the distance) and Boulder Beach was spread out in front of us. 

It would have been nice to stay here for longer but we still had a few kilometres to go so we reluctantly dragged ourselves away and rounded the headland where we again stopped to admire more spectacular views.  We had been spoiled with wonderful vistas today starting at Sandymount with views looking over the harbour towards the harbour mouth, then along the coast over Sandfly Bay and Boulder Beach and now we had the city with Saddle Hill  and the coast line as far as Nugget Point spread out before us.

As we continued heading towards the Karetai Track (trip #53) ,  we were happy to notice that it was downhill all the way.  The track follows a paper road down hill to Smaills Beach and instead of following the paper road all the way to the bottom, we turned off at Pudneys Cliff to admire the sheer cliffs that plummet 100m straight down to the sea.  Thankful that there was not a breath of wind, we followed the narrow path along the cliff top and continued down to Smaills Beach where there was a tricky rocky scramble down a small bluff to the beach.  Happy to be back at sea level again, it was only a short 5 minute walk through the sand dunes back to the cars and everyone agreed that it had been a wonderful 16.2km walk in 5.5 hours with perfect weather and fantastic views

#95 of 100 trips for 100 years - Nicols Creek to Pineapple Point by night 28 September 2023

The trip tonight was a change from our usual day trip as 12 people gathered at the Nicols Falls car park at 7.30pm for a moonlight walk.  We headed up the wide Nicols Falls track for about 7 minutes to the gorge  which is popular for glow worm viewing.  The damp air from the creek and the narrow, fern covered walls of the gorge are a haven for glow worms.  Sadly we were a little early as it was still too light for the glow worms so we ventured into the gorge further, keeping dry feet as we crossed the creek and spent 15 minutes eagerly watching the gorge walls, waiting for the mysterious glow worms to reveal themselves in the gathering gloom.  From the gorge we retraced our steps a few metres back down the track before turning off onto the track that wound it's way up hill, through the bush to Pineapple Point

Those that had the foresight to bring head torches turned them on and up the hill we continued, stopping every so often to keep the party together and ensure that no one wandered off at any of the track junctions that we passed.  On up the hill we went, through a grassy clearing and back into the bush, scaring a pig happily rooting in the undergrowth until we came along and off along the track it raced, disappearing into the dark once it reached the end of the light from our torches.  After about an hour of magical walking by torchlight where our focus was as far as our torches would light or, for those without a torch,  the pair of feet directly in front of us, we emerged out of the bush onto the Pineapple Track and made the short detour to Pineapple Point where we were rewarded with wonderful views of the city by night.  The lookout at Pineapple Point is the perfect place to lookout with the lights of the city strung out before us and the full moon overhead.  

We spent some time here, admiring the view before the cold wind drove us down the Pineapple Track into the shelter of the trees.  Not wanting the night to end too quickly, we took the McGouns Track, continuing our walk through the bush, lit only by our head torches.  Once back to the road, it was an easy 1km road walk back to the cars.  Everyone agreed that it had been a fun 2 hour, 6.5km walk in the moonlight and one they would happily repeat.

#83 of 100 trips - Pineapple Point Workparty / Sign Installation 30 September 2023

As trip #83 snowcaving had been cancelled, a replacement trip was planned as a work party for the installation of the Pineapple Point signs ready for the Centenary in three weeks time.  Club work parties date back to 1927, when the OTC held a working bee on the Ferguson’s Creek Track. Since then, over 220 ‘official’ work days have been held, along with many informal days spent by members working on various tracks and huts. The variety of club work parties is quite varied, ranging from Flagstaff and the Silver Peaks right through to Treble Cone, Routeburn, Fiordland and Esquilant Bivvy.  This work party involved carrying the Pineapple Point posts and sign up the Pineapple Track and install them onsite.  Earlier in the week the four of us had already made a couple of trips up the Pineapple Track, carrying the posts and sign up to make it easier on the day. 

The day dawned cold with snow on the hills and rain on the roof but four hardy souls had made the commitment to be there and they were not to be deterred, arriving at Booth Road at 8am in light rain.  The tools and remaining sign were divided up amongst the group with Antony and Jade taking all the tools and heading straight up the Pineapple Track so that they could begin work assembling the large Pineapple Point sign and digging the holes for the posts.  This left Debbie and Dylan to carry the remaining post, which was also the heaviest of all the posts, up the hill.  The heavy post with signs attached was too heavy for one person to carry so a rope was tied around the post with a hand hold for two people meaning that Dylan and Debbie had to walk in tandem, carrying the post between them 300m up the hill to Pineapple Point.  Needless to say there were a number of stops to rest and change sides for the post carriers but they eventually arrived onsite to find that Antony and Jade had made great progress in assembling the sign.

Despite the falling snow, it wasn't cold and the effort of carrying things up to Pineapple Point had warmed everyone up and once the sign had been fully assembled it was time to dig the post holes.  Surprisingly there were very few rocks and the digging went fast with the large sign being installed relatively quickly despite the falling snow. 

Once the large sign had been put in place, our attention turned to the post with the small signs attached.  A suitable site was chosen and the hole dug, only to discover a large rock that was impossible to move so a new position for the sign was chosen and digging commenced again.  This time there were only a few smaller rocks to excavate for the post to be at the right height. 

During the digging of the post holes for the smaller sign, a cold wind picked up and those not digging kept warm by cutting some of the broom back from the track up to the point.  By the time the the post had been put in place, it was surprising to see most of the snow had melted meaning but the wind was very cold and we wasted no time in picking up all the tools and heading down the track to the cars and home for a warm shower. 

#94 of 100 trips for 100 years - Hightop - Greengage - Raingauge - Swampy Ridge circuit 24 September 2023

 

Like so many other trips into the Silver Peaks, we started at Mountain Road with a 60m climb up to Green Ridge where we settled into a comfortable pace for the hour walk into Green Hut Site.  The track is a little muddy in places after all the recent rain but overall the condition has much improved from previous years.  Once at Green Hut Site we stopped for a morning tea break while the group of 5 watched Antony attach the plaque to one of the seats that had been erected at the site, ready for the centenary weekend in four weeks time.  

Once that task had been completed, we walked back along the track for about 5 minutes to the Greengage Track turn off which is a short but steep climb to point 588 where we stopped briefly to admire the views.  We had wonderful views in all directions with Pulpit Rock in the Silver Peaks dominating our view with other high points such as Saddle Hill Swampy Summit and Mt Watkin easily visible. We made the most of this, our last vantage point before dropping down the ridge to Silver Steam at the bottom. 

The next couple of hours saw us take our time dropping 400m steeply down Greengage ridge.  The track is easy to follow with recent maintenance, however the steepness of it meant that it became a game of moving from tree to tree and making sure of secure footing.  Even then, the slippery leaves underfoot meant that an unplanned sit down happened at least once for most members of the group during the descent.  The nearer the bottom, the steeper it became until we eventually reached a bluff with a rope dropping down to the stream at the bottom.  This tricky obstacle required some careful negotiation as the rope ended before reaching the bottom which meant a bit of a stretch/drop was required while dangling from the rope.  We were sadly mistaken if we thought our troubles were over because once at the bottom it was time for wet feet as the stream crossing reached just below the knees then it was a muddy scramble up the bank out of the stream.  There was no room to stop as we used the tree roots to pull ourselves up the next 200m near vertical to  the ridge.  It was quite tiring and we were glad when the ridge was gained and the gradient was not so steep.  We stopped at the first clearing for lunch which was the Greengage/Raingage junction where we enjoyed a chance to sit down and rest. 

From the track juction, we were onto a fairly easy track that wound it's way through the trees, climbing steadily as we continued towards Swampy Summit.  Once out of the trees, we were rewarded with fantastic views looking into the Silver Peaks and back over the area that we had just come through.  After about 45 minutes walking we reached the turn off that avoids the top of Swampy Summit and cuts around below the summit.  Now the fun really started as the track deteriorated into a muddy, boggy path which had been churned up by wild cattle.  While we did our best to avoid the worst of the mud, it was inevitable that we would all end up with mud half way up our legs at some stage. 

There seemed to be some sections of the track worse than others and we made good time on the drier parts and during these drier sections, we had time to look around at our surroundings.  We watched as the rain skirted around us but gave the Silver Peaks a drenching.  We were thankful to stay dry and keep our jackets in our bags while Pulpit Rock and other high points in the Silver Peaks were shrouded in rain.

As we continued on towards the track junction with Green Ridge the mud seemed to get deeper and more widespread until it got to the stage where it was impossible to avoid.  Memories of trip #18 along this section of track back in December came flooding back along with the sight of huge hoof prints from the wild cows that roam the area. Thankfully we didn't see any of the animals that made those large hoof prints but we did hear them. 

Just when we had almost given up hope of reaching dry ground again we turned the corner and the ground firmed underfoot.  The next couple of kilometres of walking was easy and we made good time around the base of Hightop to the Green Ridge junction where we barely paused for breath before starting the final 1km stretch of track back to the cars.  When we had walked along this section of track this morning, we had done our best to avoid the odd muddy patch but now we knew what real mud was so just walked through the mud. All up it was a really good day's walk of 15.3km over 7.5 hours which also included 1000m of ascent/descent