#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

#78 of 100 trips for 100 years - Head of Race (Whare Flat) 12 August 2023

 

There was always going to be a good chance that most of us were going to get wet feet but getting them wet within the first five minutes of starting was a bit much for most of the 10 people who knew straight away that the water was deeper than the top of their boots.  Most bravely gritted their teeth and waded across the ford with the icy cold water quickly making it's way into boots, and emerging on the other side with feet that felt like they were encrusted in blocks of ice.  Walking was the only option to warm our feet  so when we came to the second river crossing, everyone (unsurprisingly) opted for the bridge. 

After the bridge, the track was easy to follow as a muddy trail through the long grass before reaching the turnoff to the lower weir.  As the weir is part of an historic water race with nearly 30km of water races built in 1877 until the 1960's, the weir is looking a little neglected with parts of it missing.  Since most of the group already had wet feet, they waded through the second crossing without a thought while a few others tried to walk over the weir, although the missing parts were daunting and made for a long jump. 

After the second river crossing, the pace picked up in an effort to warm the feet again and we wandered through an open grassy area before heading back into the native bush.  The track to Powder Ridge is muddy in places and marked with some tree fall but nothing that couldn't easily be negotiated. We stopped at the Powder Ridge turn off to refuel before continuing on for another 100 metres or so and another stream crossing - just as our feet were starting to feel warm again.

Once the 40m of height was gained to reach the water race, it was reasonably easy as we followed the water race for another 2km's to the top weir.  The track is wide and easy to follow with the overgrown water race on the right and a steep drop down to the Silverstream river on the left.  Along the way we were able to see how dilapidated the water race is with minor slips and broken pipes showing how much work it must have taken to keep the water race in working order.

After a couple of kilometres of this easy walking along the water race which generally drops 1 inch in 16 feet, we reached the top weir. We had been here back in April and it was interesting to see how much more water was flowing over the weir.  The noise of the water over the weir is quite loud in the narrow confines of the valley  where very little sun reaches at this time of the year.  

Reaching the top weir was the halfway point in our trip and we retraced our steps back along the water race for about a kilometre till we reached a dry, sheltered spot on the track that was wide enough for all of us to sit and chat while eating lunch.  As often happens in winter, once stopped it doesn't take long to cool down and as soon as lunch was eaten, it didn't take much encouragement for everyone to be happy to continue on our way. 

We had the option of making the trip longer at the McRaes Weir track junction but the unanimous decision was to take the shorter route so detoured the from water race and dropped 60m down to Silverstream.  After about a kilometre we came to another track junction with some in the group opting to take the dry route over the bridge while those of us already with wet feet happily took the river crossing option.  

The final kilometre was an easy walk that gave enough time for feet enough time to warm up again before reaching the car.  An enjoyable walk on a colder winter day with over 14km of walking in 4 hours. 

#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.

 

#31 of 100 trips for 100 years - OTMC Silver Peaks Half Marathon 11 February 2023

Through the 1970's-2000's the OTMC Marathon has held legendary status for those wanting to test their fitness over the 60+km course through the Silver Peaks.  Nowadays part of the original course is not so easy to access as it goes through pine plantation and at nearly 40km long the half marathon is still a considerable challenge.  It was heartening to have eight people arrive for the 6am start of the Pineapple Track for what was sure to be a long and tiring day. 

The Pineapple Track climbs a steep 480m to the top of Flagstaff starting with native bush and eventually onto the tussock tops.  Starting in the dark through the bush and coming out into the tussock gave us a chance for a short stop to take in the sunrise and the beautiful coloured sky promising a warm day ahead. 

We didn't have time to linger for too long because we still had a long way to go.  Up the hill we went enjoying the sunrise and the wonderful cloud formations as we continued on to the top of Flagstaff.  It was here that we  stopped for a breather and drink at the top by the plane table.  A fitting place to stop with the plane table highlighting features on the city skyline, and was installed in 1973 by the OTMC after it's 50th anniversary and here we were, about to celebrate the 100th anniversary. 

By now the sun was up and with the first uphill section completed we were able to relax a little and regain our breath as we started downhill to the Bull Ring.  We regrouped at the Bull Ring before tackling the 6km road walk of Whare Flat Road  to Silver Stream which saw us drop 400m in height, effectively losing all the height we had gained. 

The road walk wasn't as bad as I had feared with the time passing quickly as we all took the opportunity to chat on this downhill section.  Being still early there was very little traffic on the gravel road and we were able to stop at the ford where one of our OTMC members, Trevor Mason, drowned while completing the OTMC marathon 15 years ago.  Unlike 15 years ago when the weather was atrocious and the river was rushing over the ford, today there was no water and we were able to cross with dry feet. A complete contrast to 15 years ago. 

Once at the bottom of the hill we climbed over the stile and walked alongside Silver Stream through the bush to the weir.  We crossed the weir before taking the track towards the Powder Hill turn off which is where the fun really began as the climb of 480m up Powder Hill is particularly steep and gnarly until the ridge is gained and the gradient eases off slightly.  Even though the upper part of the ridge is not as steep as lower down it continues to climb and fall as the track goes over a number of false summits before reaching the junction with Long Ridge. All the height we had gained climbing up Flagstaff, then losing as we headed downhill to Silver Stream, was gained again on Powder Ridge.  Stopping for another breather in the shade of the bush at the junction of Long Ridge we contemplated that we were half way through our journey and thankfully most of the climbing was behind us. The walk along Long Ridge is very pleasant as it follows the contour and is open grassy tops giving plenty of opportunity to take in the expansive views of the Silver Peaks and particularly our destination for lunch, Pulpit Rock.

The final push to Pulpit Rock involves a 120m climb which took us to a great place to sit and admire the views while having a well deserved lunch.  Despite there still being quite a distance to go, psychologically reaching Pulpit Rock was a big milestone in our journey as we could see our next obstacle, Swampy Summit which was the highest point of the half marathon and then not far behind, in the distance is Flagstaff and the end of our journey.  Knowing we still had a few hours of walking ahead of us, lunch was eaten reasonably quickly and we were off again. 

We dropped 120m down the ridge to Green Hut Site where we grabbed a few minutes for a drink and although feeling a little weary by now our spirits were high.  Green Hut Site is the site of the club's first hut built in 1933, 10 years after the club had started.  After a short break, we were off again, through the bush along Green Ridge.  At least this part of the track follows the contour so we were able to stretch our legs and make good time along the track.  Often the Green Ridge track can be muddy but with all the good weather of summer the track is very dry and hard underfoot. 

A stop at the turnoff to Swampy Summit was compulsory as we met up with our support person Jade who had walked in to meet us with a supply of water and lollies.  Gratefully we helped to relieve her of most of the weight in her pack as the water was greedily shared amongst us and the lollies were quickly devoured.  The next section of the journey involved another 300m climb up to Swampy Summit. Previous trips along this part of the track had involved ankle deep mud but again with a dry summer the track was dry with only the occasional muddy section that was easily avoided.  This made for reasonably quick walking until the terrain steepens as we approached the top of Swampy Summit.

 Taking shelter behind a building to avoid the wind, we regrouped for a final drink and snack stop.  It was a good feeling to know that most/all of the climbing was behind us and there only remained a few more kilometres between us and the finish.  Shouldering our bags for one last time we trudged along the gravel road along the top of Swampy before taking the Swampy Summit track to Flagstaff.  Deceptively there are  a couple of small ups and downs on the track which taxed tired legs.  Finally we reached the Flagstaff turn off and it was all down hill for the last few kilometres, dropping 400m to where we had started 11 hours and nearly 40km (with 1600m of climbing) earlier.

#22 of 100 trips for 100 years - Kaikorai to Whare Flat and return 8 January 2023

In an attempt to find out what it was like for members of the OTC one hundred years ago we decided to walk from Cableways in Kaikorai Valley to Whare Flat and return.  This route would have been one that those early club members did often as Cableways is the end of the cable car line and this would have been their starting place to access tramping areas.  Expecting this trip to be a longer day with no water enroute and a warm, sunny day we didn't expect a large crowd so were pleasantly surprised to have 7 people meet at Cableways.  The first part of the trip was a 300m climb up Taieri Road and along Whare Flat Road.  Being mostly on the sealed footpath, we were able to chat with others during the climb up the hill which seemed to take no time.  Before I knew it, we were at the forestry gates in under an hour.

The early OTC members followed tracks through what is now forestry but would have been native bush down to Whare Flat and that was our intention today.  After entering the forest from the locked gate we took the first right off Laing Road onto a mountain bike trail that took us on an easy 1.9km wander through the pine forest to the Bull Ring.  From the Bull Ring we again took the first right onto  another mountain bike trail which was heading down the hill in the general direction that we wanted to go.  Because the trails are for mountain bikes they were easy to follow and whenever we reached a junction we kept taking the trail that continued to take us down hill until we reached one of the main forestry roads which we followed to Whare Flat.

Once at the locked gate of the forestry roads at Whare Flat we opted to follow the gravel road and over the ford where one of our OTMC drowned during the club marathon 15 years ago.  We stopped for a couple of minutes to remember Trevor before carrying onto the Whare Flat School which was a regular stopping place for 'a brew up' by the early club members 100 years ago.  The school was opened in 1868 and once hosted up to 42 children from all over the Taieri before closing in 1948.  While looking a little overgrown the school building still stands behind it's school gates looking to be in reasonably good condition for having been unused for almost 75 years.

We continued down the Whare Flat Road to the Silver Stream car park which is where there was some discussion about lunch but upon deciding it was a little early we continued through the ford and over the bridge before heading straight up to the Tunnels Track.  The Tunnels Track is a nice meander beside the water race.  Built in the 1870's the water race provided much of the water for a reservoir in Kaikorai Valley for the growing city of Dunedin until the 1960's when it was deemed there were too many problems with subsidence and the weir was no longer maintained.  We passed one of the two tunnels on the water race where one of our team who was happy to get his feet wet, jumped in with a head torch to see how far the tunnel went.  Not being able to see the end it wasn't long before he was back out into the sunshine.

As the water race follows the contour of the hill it is easy walking until the pine plantation is reached then it is a short scramble up out of the bush.  It was here that we elected to have lunch in the shade of the trees.  After lunch we were back onto the forestry roads heading up the hill to Flagstaff.  This time we opted to take Longridge Road which we nicknamed 'the long easy' because it was a constant easy gradient winding it's way up the hill.  We were rewarded for our efforts half way up the hill where the pine trees had been harvested and we had great views of Whare Flat, Taieri Plains and Saddle Hill. 

By now the temperature was rising and it was hot work up the hill on 'the long easy' which felt like it just kept going - and it did for 5km until we reached a junction and could take Laing Road back to the forestry gates where we had entered the forest this morning.  Thankfully Laing Road mostly follows the contour so we were granted a rest from the uphill.  Once at the locked forestry gate we retraced our steps down Whare Flat Road and onto Taieri Road where we were surprised to find an armchair on the footpath. Not wanting to waste an opportunity, one of our team was quick to take a rest before walking further down Taieri Road where we took a compulsory stop at the ice cream shop.  Once replenished with an ice cream it was a fast final 1km to the cars.  

A great effort of 7 hours 45 minutes for the round trip of 30km.  We were left to wonder about those early OTC members who would walk what we had just done just to get to the start of the tramping area and then  go onto to do their tramping trip often returning by candle light.  Our conclusion was that they must have been very fit!

#8 of 100 trips for 100 years - Craiglowan Falls & McQuilkans Creek 12 November 2022

The steepest part of the trip was the first 15 minutes as we left the Bull Ring and headed up the Fire Break track. In the winter this familiar track can be muddy and slippery, however at this time of year it is hard and dry which makes for easy walking. Eight of us regrouped at the turn off to the Big Rock track and from here the track looks to have been recently cut as it winds it's way through the lush, native bush. Apart from the odd rock and pig rooting, the track is easy to follow and heads quite steeply down the hill to Big Rock which is exactly as the name suggests - a BIG rock. Back in the pre-1960's, Big Rock was popular for rock climbing with the OTMC. It was at Big Rock that we had some of the best views of the trip, looking over the Silverstream area, towards The Chalkies and Silver Peaks. Today Big Rock is surrounded by bush making it hard to guage the size of the rock and there certainly is no rock climbing here anymore.

After a short stop at Big Rock we found our way down, around the side of Big Rock before discovering that this was the end of the wide, recently cut track and from here we were following a faint trail down hill. Coming across the odd mud puddle was reassuring as it confirmed we were following the trail until about halfway down the hill we must have taken a wrong turning because there was no more trail and we were literally bush bashing our way down the hill, clambering over rocks, ducking under branches, getting tangled in vines and running into the odd patch of bush lawyer.

After nearly an hour of this enjoyment we emerged onto the gravel of the Flagstaff-Whare Flat Road, slightly scratched but still in good spirits. After a brief stop for a drink and snack we had an easy walk down the road to the forresty road, Sanatorium Road which is the site of the first sanatorium in New Zealand. Established in 1899 it accommodated up to 10 patients at a time suffering from consumption and other tubercular diseases. There is nothing to see here now so we continued along Sanatorium Road until the turnoff on the right down the hill to McQuilkans Creek. Again it's a steep descent but with plenty of trees to hold onto it didn't take long for us to reach the creek and our objective of finding the Craiglowan Falls. The rocks were slippery as we crossed the creek a couple of times but eventually we rounded the corner and were rewarded with a view of the not often seen Craiglowan Falls.

We enjoyed a rest and photo opportunity here before slipping and sliding our way along the creek, climbing around large rocks and generally trying to avoid falling in as the rocks were very slippery. There was the occassional wire across the creek to help keep us on our feet but over all I was glad of my walking pole to help keep me upright.

After about half an hour of this fun, the track turned off onto an easy four wheel drive track that resembled a grassy meadow in parts. We passed some beehives and arrived at a gate. It was a bit disconcerting to see the 'No Entry' sign prohibiting access to where we had just walked down. Oh well, there had been no sign at the other end of the track so we ignored the sign and climbed over the sty onto the Whare Flat Road.

Now the third part of our walk began as we walked along the Tunnels Track which followed the old Silverstream water race. At one time the water race supplied water to the growing town of Dunedin. It was quite a fast walk along the track for a couple of kilometres as the track follows the contour of hill before heading down hill to Silverstream. Just before the downhill section, the team called it time for a lunch stop and we enjoyed a half hour sitting and chatting while eating lunch. Spurred on by promises, from our leader Ash, that the car was only 15 minutes away we didn't linger too long over lunch and were heading down hill at a good pace. After crossing the Silversteam, we reached the cars in 12 minutes from our lunch stop. All in all a fun 8.5km walk in just over 4 hours.