#81 of 100 trips for 100 years - Ben Rudd's for Lunch - OTMC Tribute to the Family Tramping Group 20 August 2023

 

Today's trip was run as an acknowledgement of the importance of the Family Tramping Group, which was an offshoot of the OTMC from the late 1960's to the 1990's and provided trips for club members that had young families so they could participate in tramping trips.  One trip that ran every year on the third Sunday in August was a picnic lunch at the Ben Rudd's which is why ll of us headed up the Firebreak Track from the Bullring to recreate this trip.  The Firebreak Track starts directly behind the locked gate and is a steep but steady climb gaining 100m fairly quickly. 

After about a kilometre on the Firebreak track, we branched off, taking a side track as an alternative route to the Ben Rudd Shelter.  This track has recently been cut back by the Green Hut Track Group and we were grateful as it winds it's way through the flax and tussock, over rocks and tree roots, through patches of manuka and past rock tors on it's way to Ben Rudds. Last time I had been up this track, it had been so overgrown that we almost lost our way a couple of times, as we pushed through the tussock, unable to see more than a few centimetres in any direction. Today the track is well cut back, dry underfoot and easy to follow making for a nice alternative to the standard route to Ben Rudds. 

After the fun of the side track we emerged at the Ben Rudd shelter in time for an early lunch.  We each found a place to sit, either in the shelter or outside on the grass and reminisced about previous family group trips (for those who had been on them) and previous trips to Ben Rudds (for the rest of us).  Home baking was shared around and we spent much longer on lunch than we had on recent trips.

After lunch we walked up the usual track to the Firebreak Track and along to the Cross Track.  We had been along this part of the track just two weeks ago and there was a marked difference with the track much drier now. From the Cross track it is a short walk up the Pineapple Track to the top of Flagstaff where we were rewarded with outstanding views of the city.

We stopped for a few moments at the plane table on Flagstaff to ponder the changes that have occurred since the plane table was installed for the OTMC's 50th celebrations and here we are today, celebrating 100 years.  A very fitting spot and I often think, when here, that this is where you get the BEST views of the city and surrounding area.

As we know - what goes up must come down and which is  a kilometre or so downhill to the cars.  It is a steep 160m descent on the wide, gravel track which is popular with families, dog walkers and runners - and the bonus is that it is reasonably dry underfoot all year round.  It was a fast walk down the hill and we arrived back at the cars having walked around 5km in less than 2.5 hours (including a long lunch) - exactly the sort of trip that was popular in the Family Tramping Group.

#77of 100 trips for 100 years - Spiers Road & Ross Bush Track 6 August 2023

 

Spiers Road was the start of the old bullock track, also known as the Snowy Mountain Track, and was the first road northwards out of Dunedin until the coastal route was established.  Our mission for the day was to follow the Snowy Mountain Track from Spiers Road, across the tussock to the OTMC's Ben Rudd property before taking the Pineapple Track to Pineapple Point and down the Ross Bush Track.  It must have sounded like a good plan because a group of 16 people wandered up Spiers Road on an overcast Sunday morning.

Once we had crossed over the style and onto the paper road the going became a little rougher as the 'track' threads it's way through a gorse patch.  Navigation of the track was easy  but did involve pushing through some prickly gorse that blocked the way forward along with the occasional slippery muddy section. This slowed us down for a time but thankfully the gorse only covers the lower section of track. 

As we climbed higher the gorse thinned and the track became clearer and we started to get glimpses of the city opening out below us.  After climbing 100m from the start of Spiers Road, the gradient flattens off and the gorse gives way to paddock and we were rewarded with panoramic views of the city.

The wintery sunshine warmed us as we crossed the open and we found a good spot to stop for a break and catch our breath.  We chatted while admiring the views in all directions with the city and harbour spread out in behind us,  the coast towards Taieri Mouth, the distinctive shape of Saddle Hill, the township of Mosgiel and flat of the Taieri Plains to the right - a real feast for the eyes.

We had to drag ourselves away from the view and turn our attention to the next part of the track which involved another small section of gorse before entering the native vegetation of the reserve.  The track through the head high flax and tussock makes navigation reasonably easy which is just as well because the gradient steepens as we gained another 120m in height before reaching the Pineapple Track.

We regrouped before starting our next part of our trip which involved us going 'off track' to follow the old bullock track or Snowy Mountain Track, the first road northwards out of Dunedin.  While this road is no longer used and has mostly been swallowed by the native vegetation, there are still some parts visible and our aim was to follow this indistinct trail through the tussock and flax.  Any one watching from afar might have thought we were wandering aimlessly through the tussock but using a GPS we stayed on the old bullock track.

During our wander through the tussock we were dismayed to notice the dark clouds and a few rain drops falling which resulted in a rush to don rain jackets but thankfully the rain didn't last long. While it would have been much quicker to stick to the Pineapple Track, we all enjoyed our trek along the old bullock track and were a little sad to reach the Firebreak track which felt like a highway after wandering through the tussock. 

We followed the Firebreak track to the seats on Ben Rudds where we stopped for lunch. Some sat at the low seats while others climbed the bank to the higher seat which had a panoramic sign showing all the areas/hills of significance.  A lot of the #100 trips have already been to many of these areas/hills and we were able to sit and reminisce about those trips while eating lunch.  These areas included Swampy Summit, Silver Peaks including Pulpit Rock and The Gap,  Mt Cargill/Kapukataumahaka and Mt Watkin/ Hikaroroa

As much as we would have liked to stay longer, time was getting on so we packed our bags and continued along the Firebreak Track to the Swampy Summit/Pineapple Track turn off where we opted for the right hand track which took us back to the Pineapple Track.  From here it is a steep 100m knee jarring descent to Pineapple Point where we took the short detour to admire the views and newly installed seat.

After a brief stop at the seat we took the Ross Bush Track (also known as the old Pineapple Track) dropping 260m down through the native bush.  The Ross Bush Track is narrow, muddy in places and often overgrown with ferns but also much more interesting as it winds it's way past gnarly, papery fushia, large, straight Miro, ferns and broadleaf, before reaching the car park 4 hours and 8.7km after starting

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.

#72 of 100 trips for 100 years - Flagstaff Tracks 16 July 2023

 

Today's trip started like any of the other #100 trips but little did we know that it was to be like no other of trip so far.  The idea for the trip was to explore Flagstff using some of the lesser known tracks and it must have appealed because 12 of us left the Booth Road car park along a forestry road, past the McGowans Track to an indistinct trail on the right that could easily be overlooked if you didn't know it was there.  Right from the start we were given a taste of things to come as the native bush appeared to swallow us. The track was overgrown with trees pressing in around us and the ferns hiding the mud that threatened to engulf us.

There was a creek to negotiate before the track slopped upwards and here the fun really began.  It pays to bear in mind that it is mid-winter and there has been snow and rain recently which meant the track had a layer of mud on a harder surface below which made it difficult, at times, to keep the uphill momentum going, especially when it felt like we were walking with an inch of mud stuck to the tread of our boots.  At times it felt like one step forward then two back and it was only thanks to being able to grab the trees and pull ourselves up that we were able to keep moving forward.  Thankfully the mud didn't last for the whole 450m climb but it did continue for at least half of that height gain.   Eventually the Davies Track leveled out and the track condition improved meaning we were able to make good progress to the bush line where we emerged into the golden tussock with the top beckoning us on.

Despite a cold wind we decided this was a good spot for a snack break and we each found a sheltered spot amongst the tussock to nestle into and enjoy the great view of  Saddle Hill/Makamaka  and coast line towards Taieri Mouth while enjoying our snacks.  It wasn't long before the cold wind pushed us on and upwards to the top of the hill. 

The upper part of the Davies Track winds it's way through the tussock, over rocks and around giant flax bushes while continually gaining height.  The problem with walking through tussock is that you can't see your feet so it is easy to loose the obscure track.  There were a couple of times that we needed to caste around before finding the track again and we could continue on.  Eventually coming out on the Flagstaff Walkway, we were able to relax and turn our attention to the wonderful views of the city that had opened out before us. 

I have often felt that this is the best place to see Dunedin/Otepoti with harbour and city laid out so clearly and today that feeling was reinforced with views extending as far as Hereweka/Harbour Cone and Mt Charles/Poatiri in the distance. We had been up both these high points on the peninsula during the #100 trips in March and it was good to be able to see them standing out so clearly.

The biting cold wind pushed us on and we took the cross track onto the Firebreak Track where we turned right and followed it towards the Moon Track.  Despite the odd muddy patch we were able to make good time along the wide, easy to navigate track while taking the time to admire the views of Silver Stream and the Silver Peaks in the distance.  We could also see as far as the Rock & Pillar Range which had a sprinkling of snow on the top which would account for the bitterly cold wind,

It is a good couple of kilometres of this easy walking, being chased along by the cold wind, before we reached the Moon Track.  I am unsure of the reason behind the name of the Moon Track but the tranquil name does not reflect the true nature of the track because we were straight back into the mud although most of us didn't seem to mind too much as the upper part of the track is very picturesque as it follows an historic fence through the golden tussock. 

The Moon Track deteriorates for a bit before it connects with the newly built mountain bike track and the condition changes from a muddy, rutted track to a gravelled, slightly sloping bike track.  We stopped at a rocky view point to enjoy lunch and compare mud everyone had on their legs before the cold wind again, pushed us on.  We continued to follow the mountain bike track which gently zig zags down the hill past a number of lovely, large moss covered rocks.  The easy gradient gave us time to admire the views and took us into the sheltered side of the hill and we marveled at how warm it was in the sun, out of the wind. 

After easy walk on the mountain bike track, we took the Pepper Tree Track which is the first walking track on the right and we were straight back into the mud.  There were a couple of small streams to cross and plenty of mud to avoid as best as we could. The deceiving thing about the Pepper Tree Track is that drops almost 100m in height then has to regain that height to reach the Pineapple Track. Once on the Pineapple Track we took the small detour to Pineapple Point to admire the city view from this unique vantage point. 

From Pineapple Point the party split into two groups with one group opting to take the 'easy' way down by following the Pineapple Track while the other group elected to go down the 'Old Pineapple Track'  also known as The Ross Bush Track.  This track was not as muddy as we thought it might be but it was overgrown in places with your feet having to find the track through the ferns.  The lack of mud meant that the group moved quite fast dropping 200m to meet up with the other half of the group at the water treatment station.  Then it was an easy walk back to the cars.  With around 650m of climbing over 10.5km it was a memorable and muddy trip on some of the lesser traveled Flagstaff tracks. 

#64 of 100 trips for 100 years - Nicols Creek - McQuilkans - Ben Rudd’s - Pineapple Track 18 June 2023

 

The trip had an unusual start as we stopped the car along the way to pick up a few stragglers who almost got left behind. This meant that once we reached the Nicols Falls car park, we had a few extra people than first thought.  In the end, there were 12 people keen for a fun day walking in the Flagstaff area under overcast skies.  We started by taking the Nicols Falls track which follows a wide graveled four wheel drive track before turning into a narrow walking track which climbs steeply as it winds it's way through native bush up the hill.  At the track junction we opted to visit Nicols Falls. 

From the falls, we crossed the creek and clambered up the benched track on the true left to gain the ridge and the Moon Track. The Moon Track has been enhanced by the mountain bikers with long sweeping bends, however we stuck to the Moon tramping Track which climbs straight up the ridge, crossing the mountain bike track regularly.  When crossing the mountain bike track, we kept an ear out for mountain bikers, however we saw no one so continued our climb, popping out of the bush to follow the fence line to the seated lookout without incident.

We stopped at the seated lookout for a brief morning tea break, however the cold wind meant we didn't linger long before packing up and continuing uphill on the Moon Track.  The views over the city from the seated lookout are spectacular of the city interrupted only by a small amount of cloud. 

Shortly after setting off from morning tea, the track enters the native bush again and we continued climbing up the Moon track.  After a short distance the Moon walking track continues to climb directly up the ridge, however we missed the turn off and followed the mountain bike track instead which wound it's way in and out the gully's following the contour line which added another almost kilometre or two to our journey.  At times the cloud rolled in and we walked in the mist, barely able to see the person in front and then the mist would clear and the world was revealed again.  As we left the bush and ventured into the golden tussocks on our approach to the summit ridge, 570m climb from where we had left the cars the cloud rolled back to reveal a blue sky albeit it with a cold wind.  

We had a second brief morning tea break sheltering amongst the tall tussocks with views overlooking the Taieri Plains and Mosgiel with Maungatua and the Silver Peaks in the distance.  Our second morning tea break was as short lived as the first because the cold wind meant that no one wanted to take longer than necessary and we were heading down the McQuilkans's track with the top part of the track.  The top part of the McQuilkan's track is in the open tussock but is also badly rooted over the wild pigs.

Not long after leaving the main ridge, the track re-enters the native bush, twisting and turning between large limbed, paper dripping fushia and tall, pencil thin, straight manuka trees.  The track crosses a couple of small creeks and through a number of extremely muddy sections before joining the Possum Busters track 200m below the summit.  We had thought to have lunch somewhere around this area but the muddy track and dripping wet bush didn't appeal so we continued on the Possum Busters track around to the bottom of the Jim Freeman track

This section of track had another couple of creek crossings with nicely placed stones to skip across, although some concentration was required to keep upright  and the feet dry as the stones were slippery.  There was also a couple of large muddy sections to avoid but otherwise we reached the Jim Freeman track unscathed.  If we had thought we had already done most of our climbing, however we were wrong as the Jim Freeman track climbs steeply 200m through native bush and Rhododendrons to the Ben Rudd Shelter which was the perfect spot to sit in the sun, out of the cold wind for lunch.

After a leisurely lunch, we continued another 60m uphill from the shelter to the Fire Break track where we stopped for a look at the recent Beech tree planting by the Ben Rudd's Trust.  Despite the cold wind we also took this opportunity to pick out the visible parts of the Silver Peaks including Pulpit Rock, Long Ridge, Powder Ridge and Silver Stream. 

From the Fire Break track, it was a short walk to the Cross Track and onto the Flagstaff Walkway with more fantastic views overlooking Dunedin City and the surrounding hills, including Kapukataumahaka/Mt Cargill, Herewaka/Harbour Cone and Poatiri/Mt Charles.  This has always been my favourite view of the city, however today we were buffeted by a strong, cold wind and, at times, it was hard to stay upright with the blustery wind trying to blow us into the tussock. 

Keeping our balance and pushing on, we skirted around the knob and down to the Pineapple Track where we ventured up to Pineapple Point before taking the Pepper Tree Track,  This track dropps sharply down 80m before entering the relative calm of the native bush before continuing on down a benched track through the bush and dropping 260m towards the road.  This was the drier, more sheltered side of the hill  and we were happy not to encounter any mud.

This section of track eventually joined up with the Nicols Falls track before reaching the road back at the cars.  It had been a fun day in the hills with around 900m of climbing and 13.5km taking us 5.5 hours of walking. 

 

GPS route of our trip