#92 of 100 trips for 100 years - Dunedin to Waitati to Dunedin 17 September 2023

Today's trip follows on from trip #22 which was to recreate some of the ways that the early Otago Tramping Club members got to their tramping destination - with a long road walk.  This time we recreated the walk from Dunedin to Waitati and return.  It was an early start at 7am because we wanted to avoid most of the traffic on the narrow Mt Cargill Road and not surprisingly there were only four of us undaunted in the rain, sheltering under the veranda at the Gardens Mall at 7am.  By the time we started walking, the rain had stopped and we enjoyed an easy gradient for the first two and half kilometres up North East Valley.  Once at Normanby, we followed in the early trampers footsteps by continuing along the flat of Norwood Street before taking our jackets off and starting the steep 200m climb to Upper Junction.

The higher we climbed, the more the views of farmland opened out around us.  We passed a couple of paddocks of curious cows who watched us with the hopeful look of being fed.  On we continued until we reached historic Upper Junction where we visited the site of the Upper Junction School and war memorial site in memory of former pupils killed during the first World War  as we had done on trip #19.  Knowing that the roads from here are narrow and wanting to get as much of this section of road done before the traffic started, we didn't stop for long.  This part of the walk was quite enjoyable as the gradient continues to climb slowly while the road traverses around the side of the hill with wonderful views, looking over the Otago Harbour,  Harbour Cone and Mt Charles.

We stopped at top of the Grahams Bush track for a morning tea break and were happy with our progress and especially the lack of traffic on the narrow road.  By now we had done all the climbing on this section of the trip so we were able to relax a little as we started on the gentle downhill, past the quarry and along the narrow road with only a couple of cars passing us.  During this part of the road walk we were rewarded with views of Rocky Ridge, the back bone of the Silver Peaks as it stood out against the skyline.

The further around the hill we walked and the lower we dropped the warmer it felt and we marveled at the change in weather from the cold rain first thing this morning,  Dunedin was living up to it's reputation of four seasons in one day.  As we dropped down towards Waitati we had good views of Warrington and Blueskin Bay where the tide was out, exposing the sandy bottom of the bay. 

We left the sealed road and started down on the gravel of Donalds Hill Road, where we could look across to the Northern Motorway which we would be crossing soon at the bottom of the hill before winding our way up Waitati Valley Road.  During this section of the walk, we were enchanted by the new born lambs gamboling about the paddocks on legs that looked too long and unsteady while their mothers kept a weary eye on us.

Once at the bottom of the hill, we had to watch for a gap in the traffic as it zoomed past on the motorway, waiting for our opportunity to dash across and on to the relative safety of the graveled Waitati Valley Road.  It was a nice surprise to realise that we were over half way in our journey and it had only taken us 3.5 hours.  With that happy thought in our heads, we elected to stop for a second morning tea break.  Once replenished with a snack and drink we started the long nearly 400m uphill climb to Leith Saddle over 6 km of road walking.  The gravel road hugs the hillside, winding in and out of the gully's as it climbs steadily forever up the hill.  

We started to have more cars passing us on this section of road and thankfully we could hear them coming so could move out of the way.  Apart from the constant climbing up, this section was quite pleasant to walk as we were serenaded up the hill with birdsong and there was plenty of farm life to look at as we passed.  As we climbed higher the views started to open again and we were able to look back down to Waitati and Blueskin Bay with the rolling farmland in front.

Reaching Leith Saddle was a milestone as it marked the end of our climbing for the day - it was all downhill from here and once we had crossed the motorway again, it also meant that we were on the home stretch. We stopped at Sullivans Dam for lunch and enjoyed the brief half hour sit down watching the light play on the water of the dam while filling our bellies.  The final 10km stretch saw us powering down Leith Valley Road until we reached the sealed Malvern Street where we were back onto city streets again and were able to admire some of the beautiful spring flowers,  magnolia and cherry blossom along the way.  We crossed over the Leith and into the Woodhaugh Gardens before reaching our cars 6.5 hours and 33.2 km after starting.

#67 of 100 trips for 100 years - Orokonui Eco-Sanctuary Fence 1 July 2023 (by Jade Pettinger)

 

When I arrived at Woodhaugh on Saturday morning, I don’t think I quite realised what I had gotten myself in for. The plan for Trip #067 was to circumnavigate the fence surrounding the Orokonui Ecosanctuary - sounds simple enough, right? Unbeknownst to me (and many others on the trip), we would be faced with some of the steepest terrain encountered on the 100 trips so far…

The walk started off easy enough, a gentle stroll from the carpark at the Orokonui Lagoon to the base of the Ecosanctuary. Along the way we passed through many gates, a sign that we were entering the predator free zone managed by the Halo Project. On arrival at the fence we were greeted by two curious Takehē, who reside at the bottom of the Ecosanctuary. Takehē are an incredibly special bird - they were thought to be extinct for nearly 50 years before they were re-discovered deep in the Murchison Mountains in 1948. Since then, conservation efforts have seen their population increase to approximately 400 birds nationwide, and they are slowly being reintroduced into the wild. Takehē are classed as endangered, and are incredibly vulnerable to stoats and other predators - just one reason why the kaupapa and mahi of Predator Free Dunedin is so vital to protecting and preserving our taonga.

After much marvelling at the Takehē it was time to begin the climb. We opted to head left in a clockwise direction, as our leader Tina assured us it was much better to go up the steep section rather than down it. We were immediately greeted by a short but steep climb, which was made trickier by the thick loose gravel. It was like walking on scree - two steps forward and one back. Having tackled the first steep section, the track then immediately headed back downhill. Although we were dismayed to be losing the height we had just gained, we carried on happily chatting to those around us.

What we saw after rounding the next corner stopped us in our tracks and jaws dropped as we processed the sight in front us. Quite possibly one of the steepest tracks I have ever seen stretched out in front us as far as the eye could see. It was very quickly agreed that where we were standing was a good place for morning tea, but really we all wanted a chance to refuel and guzzle some sugar to prepare us for the relentless climb in front of us.

After mucking around handing out lollies and taking silly team photos, we realised we could no longer procrastinate. Gritting our teeth, we put our heads down and started walking. The excited chatter from before was replaced with heavy breathing, no one was wasting any energy on talking. Looking back was not for the faint-hearted as it appeared to be nearly a straight drop down to the bottom.

Thankfully it wasn’t long until the ground beneath our feet started levelling off and we were able to catch our breath. From hare, it was a gentle climb around to the entrance to the Ecosanctuary on Blueskin Road. We were treated to spectacular views in all directions on this stretch, from the distinctive ridgeline that makes up the backbone of the Silver Peaks on one side, to Harbour Cone and Sandymount on the Otago Peninsula on the other.

Some people treated themselves to a hot lunch inside the cafe at Orokonui - a rare treat on a tramping trip - while others opted to explore the area a bit and enjoy their kai al fresco. Did you know there is a flax plantation, otherwise known as a Pā-Harakeke at Orokonui Ecosanctuary? This is home to over 100 different varieties of harakeke (flax), which the public are welcome to harvest for weaving etc. provided appropriate tikanga is followed.

After lunch, it was a quick trip downhill towards the lagoon. This side was certainly not as steep, making it a very pleasant walk. The views over Blueskin Bay were gorgeous, and those of us with a keen eye enjoyed the light rays peeking through the clouds which made for a good picture. We made a brief stop to say hello to the Takehē before heading towards the cars, keen to get out of the biting cold wind and home safe before the forecasted snow arrived later that evening. 

 by Jade Pettinger