#73 of 100 trips for 100 years - Grahams Bush 23 July 2023

 

It had to happen - the weather gods have been so good to us with the #100 trips and waking up to rain had to happen.  There has been the odd trip with some rain threatening but nothing like the rain forecast for today's trip  - the only surprise was that it had taken to trip #73 for it to happen.  Originally trip #73 was going to Maungatua but with a 600m climb into the open tops on a day with rain overnight and steady rain in the morning, increasing to heavy in the afternoon meant today was not the day for Maungatua so onto Plan B.   Grahams Bush from Sawyers Bay is always a good backup plan on a wet day as it is sheltered and in the bush all the way.  Starting at the end of Hall Road in Sawyers Bay, the Grahams Bush track follows a paper road until the reserve.

Once off the paper road and onto the track, it is a steady climb along a well benched track.  There are a few muddy patches but nothing that couldn't be avoided.  The track initially climbs gently through native bush with the large gnarly, papery bark of the fushia tree often overhanging the track.  Once past the first crossing of Thompson's Creek which, despite the persistent rain, is an easy step across, the track gradient starts to increase.  We stopped at the large Rimu that guards the trail long enough to marvel at it's size and give it a hug before continuing on.  After the second creek crossing the track turns sharply to the right.  It was here that we stopped for a quick snack and drink break before tackling the increasing slope for the final push to climb 160m to Mt Cargill Road. 

Unsurprisingly we emerged onto the road from the bush into the mist and made the decision that there was no point in going any higher.  Thankfully it was only misty and the rain had so far stayed away.  We stopped for a brief rest before turning our thoughts to descending back the way we had come.  As often happens, the return journey down the track seemed to go quickly.  There are a number of large punga along the track with their large fronds protecting the track from the worst of the weather and we had the compulsory 'hug' a Rimu stop before reaching Hall Road in Sawyers Bay again.  The weather hadn't improved at all during our walk but at least it hadn't gotten any worse (which it did later in the afternoon).  A good walk 2.5 hour walk over 8.2km and gaining 300m in height. 

#59 of 100 trips for 100 years - Pine Hill Road - Leith Valley Road (via Cowan Road, Three Peaks, Cloud Forest Track) 28 May 2023

 

This day trip is mainly a road walk with the addition of the Cloud Forest of Leith Track and is part of the #100 trips as we follow in the footsteps of members of the OTC 100 years ago who would have walked similar distances  before they got to the start of the trip.  Like trip #22 we weren't sure how many would be keen for a road walking trip so were pleasantly surprised when 11 people gathered at Woodhaugh Gardens. 

Starting at only 20m above sea level we walked along the side of The Leith through Woodhaugh Gardens then along Malvern Street for a couple of kilometres before turning off onto Patmos Avenue. It is here that the real work began as we started on the 560m climb towards Mt Cargill/Kapukataumahaka.  Patmos Avenue winds it's way up the hill, passing from houses into farm land.  We managed to catch glimpses of Bishopsgrove which is a large historic home built in the 1880's for Dunedin's first bishop as we continued up the hill.  We only had a brief rest to admire the view of the city as we crossed the bridge over Dunedin's Northern Motorway.

After crossing the motorway there is a steep section of road before joining Pine Hill Road which marked the halfway point of the height we needed to climb. Luckily we didn't realise it at the time or maybe some of us would have turned around here but with the top of the hill beckoning we continued onwards and upwards.  Cowan Road was reached and this road is one of those roads that just keeps on giving with 250m of height gained over 2.5km on a straight road. It was deceiving as we thought we had reached the top but there was always another small rise to climb, eventually though at 560m we reached the turn off to the Three Peaks Track where we thankfully stopped for a drink and snack break. 

We had been down the Three Peaks and Cloud Forest tracks in February for trip #30 when the temperatures were over 30C, today it was much cooler with around 10C so the green tunnel of interlocking branches was not quite so welcoming as previously.  The track was slippery in places and required some concentration to stay upright but not to be deterred we plunged on down the track, coming out on a four wheel drive track that sidled around the hill to the power lines and a fantastic view overlooking Waitati, Warrington and down the coast to Karitane and inland to the Silver Peaks.

The next part of our trip took us down the Cloud Forest of Leith track which is a rough track through the forest, climbing over fallen logs, stepping around tree roots, forging through mud puddles and pushing through ferns.  This track has everything a forest in the clouds has to offer while winding it's way through the native forest, crossing a number of small streams with board walks covering some of the muddier sections. After a half hour of this fun, we emerged at Sullivans Dam covered in varying amounts of mud for a well deserved lunch break on the shore of the picturesque dam.

The final six or so kilometres is back to road walking with about half of that on a gravel road. The gravel road section follows the Leith down through a gorge with steeply forested sides allowing very little sunlight to reach the bottom during the shorter winter days while the sealed section is flatter with houses along the river bank.  As it is all downhill, a good pace was set and with very little traffic we could walk and talk with others in the group.  Eventually we had retraced our footsteps and arrived back at Woodhaugh where we had started about 5 hours and 18.6km of mainly road walking with around 680m of ascent.

#30 of 100 trips for 100 years - Cloud Forest Of Leith - Escarpment Track - Three Peaks Track 4 February 2023

 

When the thermometer hits more than 30°C the most sensible thing to do would be a swim at the beach, instead we opted for a walk - up a hill from Sullivans Dam up to Mt Cargill / Kapukataumahaka via the Cloud Forest and Escarpment Tracks and return via the Three Peaks Track. We had already been over the Cloud Forest and  Escarpment Tracks in November during the Trip #13 Complete Skyline and I was interested to see if our dry summer had any effect on how much mud we would encounter on the Escarpment Track.

Maybe it was the heat or maybe it was the reputation of the notoriously muddy Escarpment Track but whatever the reason, there ended up being only two of us brave enough to face both the heat and the Escarpment Track.  We started our adventure by walking around Sullivans Dam with the surrounding hills reflected in it's dark and tranquil waters. We stopped for a few minutes at the outlet of the dam where we had, had lunch on trip #15 Leith Saddle-Morrison Burn-Sullivans Dam  to enjoy the calm and peace of the place before following the track into the relative cool of the bush and continued around the side of the dam to the start of the Cloud Forest of Leith Track.

The Cloud Forest of Leith track has become overgrown in places with ferns covering the board walk making it difficult to see where to put your feet, although mostly this part of the track is relatively straightforward and easy to negotiate.  Despite being in the shade of the native bush the temperature was rising and the sweat was starting to flow with the constant uphill gradient. Emerging from the bush, into the full sun at the power lines we were rewarded with great views towards Waitati and Warrington and around to Mihiwaka and Mt Kettle. 

After a short drink stop we crossed the open ground under the power lines before heading back into the bush and onto the Escarpment Track.  The condition of the track hasn't improved much since our last visit in November.  The undergrowth of ferns is quite thick along the track, making it difficult to see your feet along with the track and the ever present obstacles of tree roots, fallen trees and mud. Thankfully with all the dry weather recently there was only minimal mud and what mud there is, is firm and porridge like so we clambered up Pigeon Rock with relatively clean boots.   As always Pigeon Rock is a perfect place to stop for a drink and snack while taking in the uninterrupted views of Swampy Summit and around to the northern Silver Peaks, Mt Watkin, Blueskin Bay and the Kakanuis in the distance. 

The next part of the track involves finding your way through the pine plantation which is not as easy as it once was.  The pine trees are now a few years old and being taller than a person means that you need to keep a close eye on the markers to ensure you continue in the right direction.  It feels a little like walking in circles but by sticking to the makers we were rewarded with arriving on the Mt Cargill road with no wrong turns. 

By now the sun was high in the sky and the temperature was pushing into the 30°C's and we had a kilometre or so of road walking ahead of us but on the plus side - we had done all the uphill and there was only downhill ahead of us now.  Not wanting to be longer than necessary in the full force of the sun we turned right and walked down the road 15 minutes to the Three Peaks track.  The first part of Three Peaks track is a lovely section with the trees interlocking branches overhead creating an open green tunnel to walk through. Eventually we reached the end of the tunnel and emerging back into the sun, on another four wheel drive road which we followed back to the power lines. 

Now we had completed a large loop and were on the final home stretch so we stopped for a short drink stop and then back into the shade of the bush.  Going down through the ferny undergrowth is no easier than going up, still can't see our feet but at least we had gravity on our side.  Before we knew it we had reached Sullivans Dam and then it was a short walk around the outside of the dam to complete another loop and we were back at the car, happy to finish a very hot 10.5 km walk in 3.5 hours. 

#25 of 100 trips for 100 years - Bethunes Gully to Mt Cargill and Organ Pipes 21 January 2023

Kapukataumahaka/Mt Cargill has featured in over 150 OTMC trips with the first recorded club trip dating from 1924 so it seemed appropriated to have this as one of the 100 trips.  Despite the relative short distance traveled there is still a significant height gain of around 400m from Bethunes Gully to the top of Kapukataumahaka/Mt Cargill.  Maybe it is the prominence of Mt Cargill on the city skyline, maybe it was the warm, sunny day or maybe people felt like they needed a walk but whatever the reason, a good turnout of 12 people arrived at Bethunes Gully for the start of this shorter 100 trips day walk. 

The wide, gravel track starts from the carpark and follows Lindsay Creek for a short distance before crossing a bridge over the creek.  The track then begins to wind it's way up hill though pine plantation where there are a number of mountain bike trails through the pine trees, however we stuck to the main walking trail and continued past where David Bethune had built a brick kiln and sawmill in the 1870's.  There is very little to see today apart from a stand of large macrocarpa trees.  After leaving the pine plantation and moving into the native bush, we briefly stopped at the first view point of Kapukataumahaka/Mt Cargill.

From here the track continues to wind up through the native bush towards the top of Kapukataumahaka/Mt Cargill.  The track is wide enough for two people to walk side by side and everyone seemed to naturally break into groups of two or three chatting as we climbed higher.  Time and distance seemed to pass very quickly and we reached the junction to the organ pipes where we took the pathway that continued up to the top of Kapukataumahaka/Mt Cargill and the transmitter.  The views of the city, harbour and Blueskin Bay are always spectacular from the top. 

Surprisingly we saw very few people and just about everyone we did see was walking a dog.  This was also a good spot for a break and we took the time to replenish ourselves with a drink and a snack while taking in the city views. Often it can be windy on top of Kapukataumahaka/Mt Cargill but today was reasonably calm with only a slight breeze. 

The next part of our walk saw us returned down all the steps to the Organ Pipe track junction where we followed the track for only a short distance before turning off to climb Buttars Peak.  The city views from Buttars Peak are even more spectacular than those from top of Kapukataumahaka/Mt Cargill.  The rock formations on Buttars Peak are excellent examples of columnar jointed basalt and are easy to scramble over making it well worth a visit.  We had been here a few months earlier on trip #13 The complete Skyline Track.

 We crossed over the top of Buttars Peak and rejoined the Organ Pipes track for a short stroll across the ridge to the Organ Pipes where we took another break to enjoy the views and marvel at the 'pipes'.  No doubt the organ pipes would have been more spectacular during those early club trips, the columnar basalt tors are still an impressive sight. 

This was officially our turn around point and we retraced our steps back along the track to the Kapukataumahaka/Mt Cargill junction and down the main track back to Bethunes Gully.  The downward journey gave us a chance to mix and chat again, this time with different people to what we had walked up the hill with.  All up we walked around 10km in 4 hours. 

#20 of 100 trips - Campbells Road/Bethunes Gully/Watts Road 7 January 2023 (by Jade Pettinger)

After our first attempt at this trip in December last year was postponed due to inclement weather, we had our fingers and toes crossed that the 7th of January would be kinder to us. Heading into the first week of 2023 we had fantastic weather - days on end filled with blue skies and warm temperatures, until… the day before the trip, thunderstorms rumbled across the city, pelting us with heavy rain and once again we thought the trip would be rained off. Waking up on the 7th we anxiously peered out the window and were pleasantly surprised to see the weather had cleared, the trip was on! 

This was a special trip for us as it was in our ‘backyard’, the meeting point was a 2 minute walk down the road at the intersection of Campbells and Pine Hill Road. We meandered down the road and, despite being 20 minutes early, were delighted to see people were already starting to arrive. By the time the trip was ready to depart at 11am, a staggering 22 people had gathered, perhaps an OTMC record for a day trip in early January?

It was a speedy trip up the hill to the end of the paved part of Campbells Road, with groups happily chatting away and catching up on what everyone has been up to over the break. Layers were soon being stripped off as the weather was warmer than expected after yesterday's downpour. One local must have been amazed to see such a tribe walking up the ‘dead end’ road and stopped to find out what we were up to.

With warnings of a bull that was supposedly roaming the paddocks we intended to cross ringing in our ears, we bravely opened the gate and entered the paddock anyway. While this section of the track appeared to be traversing a farmers paddock, we were actually on a Paper Road. These are unformed roads, often on what appears to be private property, however are recognised as legal roads and members of the public have the right to access these without having to gain permission from landowners. We followed the Paper Road (an extension of the formed Campbells Road) through the paddocks, on high alert for any possible sightings of a rogue bull, although to our relief the only livestock we found evidence of were sheep

After dodging the muddy bogs of the paddock we arrived at the bush which marked the beginning of the Mount Cargill Scenic Reserve. This section of track was certainly more interesting, however the slippery mud made for slow going. A few of us took a tumble, although thankfully the only wounds were to people's dignities. Being a section of bush that is not commonly visited, we were able to appreciate the true beauty of New Zealand bush. It was so vibrant and lush with rays of sunlight peeking through the thick bush, highlighting the endless shades of green which makes the NZ bush so magical.

Before long we arrived at the junction of the Bethunes Gully - Mount Cargill track and with our tummies starting to rumble for lunch, we set off at a brisk pace down the well-maintained track towards Bethunes Gully. The scenery soon started to change as we made our way through the pine forest and eventually to the open fields of Bethunes Gully. Lunch was quickly consumed, the obligatory team photo taken and packs were back on for the final ascent back up to Pine Hill.

The weather was really starting to heat up as we headed along North Road, happily chatting away in small groups. A quick pit stop was made to rehydrate before the slog up Watts Road. The section walking up the road was steeper than expected, and the speedy pace we had maintained for the rest of the trip was soon replaced as we plodded up the hill. We gained height quickly and by the time we reached the end of the tarseal we had quite a good view down into North East Valley and across to Ōpoho.

The end of the tarseal marked the beginning of another Paper Road, straight up the paddock to join up with Abbeyhill Road in Pine Hill. After negotiating our way up a scrambly bank and over a couple of fences, we were met by some power poles which indicated we were not far from our destination. Sticking to the fence line, it was a straightforward climb up the hill, although thankfully the gradient was not as steep as it had been on the road. We stopped to admire a set of old rugby posts, dreaming of days gone by when games would have been played perched on the side of the hill.

Before we knew it, we were clambering over the stile and onto Abbeyhill Road. A quick head count and it was soon confirmed that all 22 of us had made it safely back up the hill. While the majority of the group made its way back down the hill to the starting point, we said our goodbyes at the end of our street and headed home for a well-deserved cold drink.

Trip #20 ticked off the 100 Trips list, and what a fantastic trip in our backyard it was. The OTC used Campbells Road to access Bethunes Gully in the 1930’s, and it was great to put our own spin on this to create a loop trip in an area not usually frequented by the club but certainly well worth the visit. In total we were away for about 3 ½ hours (including lunch) and walked about 8km. 

Written by Jade Pettinger

#13 of 100 trips for 100 years - Complete Northern Skyline, Bull Ring to Organ Pipes 27 November 2022

The day was warm when eight energetic trampers took on the challenge of walking the Complete Northern Skyline which links Flagstaff, Swampy Summit, Mt Cargill and Buttar's Peak over seven tracks from the Bull Ring to the Organ Pipes. Starting with a steep up hill climb up the well graveled track to the first 'summit' of the day, Flagstaff was a good way to get the lungs working and also a taste of things to come. Taking about half an hour to reach Flagstaff, we stopped for a chance to catch our breath and take in one of the views of the city.  

It was only a brief stop before we continued on our way along the graveled Pineapple Track before taking the shortcut in the dip to the Fire Break Track and then turning right to head towards Swampy Summit.  From a distance, looking at the skyline, this part of the track appears reasonably flat but in reality is anything but flat.  There is about 100m drop along the ridge before the slope steepens and  gains 160m of height to Swampy Summit.  While the walking is easy along an old, overgrown four wheel track, the last 1.5km of track is a relentless climb up  to Swampy for a well deserved morning tea break.

At 739m Swampy Summit is our second summit of the trip and is also the highest point on our journey.  It offers stunning views of Blueskin Bay, Warrington and up the coast to Karitane and Huriawa Peninsula.  Our ultimate destination of Mt. Cargill, which still looked to be quite a distance to go, attracted our attention and after refueling with a drink and snacks, we headed down the Leith Saddle Track which we had walked down two weeks ago on #9/100 trips.  This track is steep in places and drops around 300m through tussock before entering native forest and eventually emerging on the side of the Northern Motorway. 

We regrouped to safely cross the Northern Motorway and enter the Cloud Forest of Leith Track.  The track winds it's way through native bush for 600m to a large outcrop of boulders with a good look out over the Northern Motorway and Swampy Summit.  Here was a good lunch spot where we were entertained with jokes from Emilie, who at 8 years was the youngest member of our group. 

Lunch was over too soon and we headed back into the native bush to follow the track through remnants of a cedar forest and over a small creek continually making our way up hill until we reached the power lines. From the power lines we entered another track, the Escarpment Track and this is the most challenging of all the tracks.  The Escarpment Track is a basic track with tree roots, fallen logs and small creek crossings.  It is barely maintained with a lot of regrowth obscuring the track and ankle deep mud.  The condition of the track made for slow going with most of us having some blood drawn from encounters with bush lawyer and scrapes with branches hidden amongst the ferns that hid the track. After a climbing 150m from the power lines we reached the obstacle of Pigeon Rock which required a scramble and well placed tree to reach  great views looking towards Swampy Summit and around to the northern Silver Peaks, Mt Watkin and the Kakanuis being visible in the distance.  This was another perfect place to stop, rest and have a drink.

From the top of Pigeon Rock we entered the edge of the pine forest and encountered some of the muddiest part of the track yet (and that is saying something!).  It's a short, sharp climb up to Pigeon Hill then across the pine plantation to Cowan Road.  The pine trees have grown quite high since I was last here and it is impossible to see ahead very far so we wandered, what felt like aimless circles, around the pine trees in an easterly direction until we reached Cowan Road.  Now that the hard part was done it was a reasonably fast walk up Cowan Road to the AH Read track which took us to our third summit, Mt Cargill. 

We could see the end was close so down Mt Cargill to the turn off to Buttar's Peak.  Ignoring the 'no exit' sign we clambered up the rocky outcrops of Buttar's Peak for another stunning view, this time of the harbour. Buttar's Peak is often overlooked as most people head to the higher Mt. Cargill or the more famous Organ Pipes but the interesting rock formations of Buttar's Peak are well worth taking the time over.  We continued over the top of Buttar's Peak, effectively making this our forth summit, to rejoin the Mt Cargill track. 

Once onto the well graveled Mt Cargill track we followed the ridge to the Organ Pipes which are jointed columnar basalt.  There are lots of  'pipes' to scramble over, however there are still plenty standing further up the hill, looking very much like the pipes of an organ.  The 'pipes' are scattered throughout the surrounding bush with the uniform dimensions and unusual shape offering the opportunity for some great photography without too much effort.  We didn't have time to explore these unusual rock formations for long and reluctantly turned back onto the graveled track and a short  minutes down hill to the car park.

This trip is one I have always enjoyed as it traverses the city skyline over a variety of terrain from well graveled tracks through to challenging overgrown bush with plenty of mud.  The views are spectacular in all directions and really show what a beautiful city Dunedin is and how lucky we are to have such easy access to the surrounding hills.  Total distance walked was 17.5km taking us 7 hours 5 minutes. 

Day 128 Halfway Bush to Kaikorai Valley

 I walked the streets of Halfway Bush and Kaikorai Valley in March and looking at the map, there is a definite 'gap' that joins the two suburbs via Brockville.  Today I walked 8 streets.

1707. Halfway Bush Road
1708. Chalmerston Road
1709. Three Mile Hill Road
1710. Brinsdon Road
1711. McMeakin Road
1712. Mount Grand Road
1713. Reservoir Road
1714. Boundary Road

 

 I started walking today at the end of Halfway Bush Road which overlooks Mosgiel and the Taieri Plains.  One day, I plan to walk down this hill  to Mosgiel via the gravel road. 

I only walked the sealed roads today and, again, the roads took me through rural land with houses surrounded by paddocks.  The roads are quiet with hardly any traffic and it is peaceful to walk with plenty of bird song to keep me company.

There was one point where I walked along one of the main roads from the city to Mosgiel.  Three Mile Hill Road can be busy and the traffic is traveling very fast so I was glad there was a good sized verge on the side of the road. 

The nice thing about today's walk is being in a more rural area with lots of bush and open space as the amount of birds and hearing their birdsong is great. At times I was also rewarded with glimpses of the city and the harbour.

 

The road today, took me around the edge of Brockville and the top of Frasers Gully which is a recreational reserve that includes walking tracks through native bush and playing fields. 

I stopped to have a look at the water from the Mount Grand water treatment plant.  This is where Dunedin's drinking water is pumped to from Deep Stream.  Stopping here also gave me the opportunity to see Mt Cargill with the reservoir in front. 

 

The next part of the street involved walking along this lovely tree tunnel.  The photo doesn't show how dark it really is.  The trees are huge and form a lovely tunnel. 

Once I had walked through the tree tunnel, I was walking down the hill to Kaikorai Valley  From here, the views started to open up with Saddle Hill and the southern suburbs in full view. 

Parts of the road that I walked down were steep and mostly I was walking past farmland.  There were a few cars on this part of the road and most slowed when they saw me walking. 

The further down the hill I walked, the view changed and I was able to see where I had been walking yesterday.  Yesterday I walked the streets that took me past the houses near the middle of this picture, along the top of the hill and down past the houses on the right .

 

Before I knew it, I was at the bottom of the hill and Kaikorai Valley was spreading out with the large buildings of the industrial area dominating this part of the valley.

I spent some time at the tree tunnel to marvel at the size of the trees.  They are huge and their trunks are massive. 

One thing I noticed on my walk of the streets was a lot of rock walls.  Most houses and a lot of paddocks had rock walls.  These walls are usually built using the stones that are removed when building the foundations for houses or by farmers clearing their paddocks. Going by the number of rock walls and how substantial most of them are, I am thinking that the land must have been very rocky.
 

This is another example of the size of the rock walls.  A lot of work has gone into making these rock walls and as you can imagine, there must be a lot of rocks. 
 

 I saw this friendly alpaca on my walk today.  It was very curious and watched me walk past. 

The map today shows the streets that I have walked in red.  The streets that I walked today run from the top left, across to the middle before skirting around Brockville and down past Mount Grand, all the way to Kaikorai Valley at the middle bottom. 

Distance walked:  9.8 km         Walking time  1 hr 45 mins    

Total distance: 1057.9  km          Total walking  197 hr 49 mins