#5 of 100 trips for 100 years - Silver Peaks - The Three Ridges (Yellow-Rocky-Green) 30 October 2022

I was more than happy for a break to rest and refuel at the Phil Cox Hut after a fast descent from Mountain Road carpark down the Tunnels Track to the Waikouaiti River and a very quick ascent up 250m to Phil Cox Hut by the 10 enthuasitic trampers who had turned up for a day tramping in the Silver Peaks. We had taken a photo of the team at the start, all looking fresh and eager for the day's walk. I wasn't feeling so fresh or eager after an hour of fast walking to get to the Phil Cox Hut.

Once we'd all had a chance to top up the energy with a snack we headed along Yellow Ridge at a slightly slower pace. I found this part of the trip interesting as I reminised over the changes of Yellow Ridge over the past 35+ years. Yellow Ridge was once an open yellow tussocky ridge with great views all around. Today the views are still there but I'm not sure for how much longer. The ridge today has a narrow band of yellow tussock but is mostly scrub. Yellow Ridge is now becoming more green than Green Ridge.

It was another 1.5 hours before we reached the turn off to Rocky Ridge which is not obvious and required a bit of bush bashing for the first 50 or so metres until the feet found something that resembled a track. It was impossible to see my feet due to the waist/shoulder high tussock so I just trusted my feet to keep to the track which was not always the case and there were frequent times when it took some scouting around to find the track again. This is the part of tramping that I enjoy, getting off track and relying on instinct to keep me heading in the right direction.

The group stayed close together and once we found a large rocky area about half way along Rocky Ridge we stopped for lunch. Rocky Ridge has also changed a lot over the past 35+ years since the stock has been taken out of the Silver Peaks Reserve. Previously Rocky Ridge (like Yellow Ridge) was open tussock and you could walk at will down any of the adjoining ridges - not any longer, it is fast becoming overgrown with scrub. Lunch was an enjoyable rest with expansive views of the Silver Peaks and surrounding hills.

All too soon lunch was over and our journey along Rocky Ridge continued. There are a few hilly parts of Rocky Ridge that I had forgotten about and once we reached the Hermits Cave turn off the track became more obvious. We stayed on Rocky Ridge and passed the Cat's Teeth which are always an interesting part of the ridge with the track weaving it's way between the large rock tors. This part is very different to any where else on Rocky Ridge.

Once we reached the end of Rocky Ridge and were onto the main Silver Peaks track it was a quick descent to Green Hut Site for another refueling stop and the final hour's walk out to the cars. Thankfully the final hour's walk was not as fast as the first hour and we arrived back at the cars 16.5kms and 6 hours 50 minutes after starting, looking tired, scratched and happy to have completed one of the classic routes in the Silver Peaks

#4 100 trips for 100 years - 29 October 2022 Signal Hill to Ravensbourne (by Jade Pettinger)

This is my third trip of the 100 trips. Being a Saturday afternoon trip I wasn't sure how many people would be on the day walk and was pleasantly surprised to have a 23 other people join me on a short afternoon walk around the Burns Reserve in Signal Hill. The Burns Reserve borders private property and having permission to cross the private property to make a round trip was the most likely reason that so many people were keen to join the trip. A long line of people left the Signal Hill lookout and crossed the fence to follow a faint trail through the native bush of the Burns Reserve. There were a few tree roots to negotiate along with some bush lawyer and some slippery mud. We passed quite a few traps which were doing their job because there was bird song in the bush.

After the native bush we passed through a small section of pine trees then followed a fence line to a gate with a 'No trespassing - Bull in paddock' sign. This is where we crossed onto private land and were a bit cautious as the paddock with the sign had a number of cows, although there were no bulls in sight.

After passing through the gate we made our way across the paddock and over another fence that lead us up to Gerry's rock where we were rewarded with 360 degree views over the harbour, peninsula and towards Mt. Cargill.

We could have spent much longer here but the farmer had arrived to escort us through the rest of his paddocks and down the hill to the road which we followed along till we reached the Logan Park mountain bike tracks. We followed the walking track up the hill back to the Signal Hill monument. All up the trip was around 5km and took a little over 2.5 hours. 

Written by Jade Pettinger

#2 of 100 trips for 100 years - Greenstone/Caples Area 22-24 October 2022 (by Jade Pettinger)

Four of us piled into the car on Friday morning, pleased to be trading in a wet, grey Dunedin day for a sunny weekend in the mountains. After a monotonous five hours of driving we finally arrived at the end of the road and quickly scrambled to get onto the track. Knowing we had some big days ahead of us, we were eager to get going and cover some distance before evening. Setting off from the carpark at 2pm, the track begins with a climb to get through the gorge before branching off into two tracks - the Greenstone and the Caples. We took the swing bridge over the river and made our way up the Greenstone. We happily wandered along the track for a couple of hours, mostly in the bush but enjoying the short open sections. The weather was superb, not a cloud in the sky and just enough of a light breeze to keep us cool.

We eventually reached Slip Flat and began contemplating where to set up camp for the night. We consulted the map and decided to check out the nearby Slip Flat Hut to see what it was like. There was no marked track up to the hut, so after a bit of bush-bashing and a scramble up the hillside we were delighted to reach a small clearing containing a tidy 3-bunk DOC hut. We quickly set up camp with Dave and myself in our tents whilst Debbie and Antony opted to spend the night inside the hut. We enjoyed a lovely evening around the fire (thanks to Dave and the healthy amount of dry wood nearby) before turning in for the night.

We awoke on Saturday morning to clear skies and dew on the tents. It was quite chilly in the shade of the valley so we got ourselves organised and underway fairly quickly. We made use of the emergency bridge crossing Slip Flat Creek to keep our feet dry and enjoyed walking through the bush for a while. We soon came to the turnoff for Greenstone Hut so dumped the packs and went to have a look. Whilst crossing the bridge over the Greenstone River we saw a group of packrafters scrambling down the side of the gorge, getting ready to set sail. We watched them with great curiosity as one by one they slipped into the fast flowing water and made their way downstream. It was then back to the packs to carry on for a bit until morning tea time.

The condition of the track after the turnoff to the hut deteriorated as it was littered with windfall. After making our way over and around a couple of large trees, we opted to bush bash our way down the bank to the open river flats. We enjoyed a picturesque morning tea break on the shores of the Greenstone River before carrying on up the valley.

We soon rejoined the track and from here it was a few hours of walking along the open river flats. We spotted the odd cow grazing in the distance as well as Rats Nest Hut across the river. The wind had started to pick up a bit and after meandering along for a couple of hours, we found a sheltered spot to have lunch. We enjoyed lying in the sun for a while before continuing.

The further up the valley we got, the more we noticed the landscape around us beginning to change. As the sky was clear, we could see Mt. Christina looming ahead, as well as catching brief glimpses of Tutoko and Madeline. We enjoyed the ever-changing scenery for the afternoon - from wide open river flats to picking our way across a large rockslide to sections in the bush. There were some boggy bits that required extra care otherwise it was largely an uneventful afternoon.

Around 5pm we began looking for a suitable campsite for the night - it turns out this was easier said than done. We wanted somewhere flat, sheltered out of the wind, a nearby side creek for drinking water and away from the cows. Another hour of walking later and just as we were contemplating heading to McKeller Hut as it was only a few km away, we finally found somewhere that ticked all the boxes. It was now getting close to 7pm so we got ourselves set up and turned in for the night.

After one of the comfiest nights I’ve spent in a tent (thanks to the lovely soft ground) we awoke to find a couple of cows had decided our campsite was going to be their grazing patch for the morning. They didn’t seem bothered by us and before long we were back on the track. We enjoyed a short break at McKeller Hut before winding our way up alongside Lake McKeller. We found a few tracks that enabled us to get down to the lake shore to have a look - absolutely beautiful!

A quick morning tea stop at the turnoff to McKeller Saddle / Lake Howden and before long we were beginning our ascent up to McKeller Saddle. The track was nicely graded and gently made its way up the hill, as opposed to the steep track Antony and Debbie remembered from their youth. We enjoyed plenty of stops to marvel at how high we had climbed from the lake. We made good time and reached the top in just over an hour. We found a sheltered spot to have lunch before enjoying the views from the saddle.

Being a beautiful blue sky day, the view in all directions was stunning. Looming ahead of us was the distinctive Mt. Christina, which Antony remembers as a boy being the first mountain that made him fall in love with tramping. As much as we wanted to spend hours on the saddle, we weren’t able to linger too long as we still had the descent down to Upper Caples Hut ahead of us. We enjoyed crossing the boardwalk, dotted with tarns that reflected the mountains perfectly.

Far too soon we were saying goodbye to the saddle and heading down towards the Caples Valley. The track down seemed to be much longer than going up the other side and we were soon over the relentless pounding on the hard gravel track. We were all tired and had sore feet after walking nearly 20km, so you can imagine how relieved we were to reach the turnoff to Kay Creek as this indicated we were close to the hut. After catching up with the other OTMC parties at Upper Caples Hut, we set about pitching our tents and getting dinner started. We were soon eaten alive by sandflies, a sharp contrast to the non-existent sandflies of the previous two nights. After cajoling a friendly tramper to take a group photo of the 20 OTMC members at the hut, we turned in for an early night as some light drizzle started to set in.

After spending the night listening to the raindrops on the tent, we were not surprised to awake to a grey, misty and wet day. We quickly packed up and were on the track by 7:30am, with most of the other OTMC parties leaving ahead of us. It was a pretty bleak walk down the Caples Valley as the rain did not let up. We enjoyed the moody landscapes as we powered along the river flats before stopping at Mid Caples Hut for a sugar boost.

From Mid Caples Hut we put our heads down and walked, it was too wet to be stopping. Excitement levels were high when we reached the junction with the Greenstone as we knew we only had another 20 minutes to go. With the car park in sight, we raced down the final stretch, excited to soon be putting dry clothes on and warming up. Thanks to Antony for organising the trip, it was fantastic to have 27 OTMC members spend the (mostly) sunny long weekend tramping in the Greenstone and Caples Valleys. A great way to start the 100 Trips for 100 Years Centenary Programme. 

Written by Jade Pettinger

#1 of 100 trips for 100 years

The Otago Tramping & Mountaineering Club is celebrating it's centenary by running 100 tramping trips over one year starting in October 2022 and finishing at Labour weekend 2023.  I am going to use this blog to record all of the tramping trips that I do as part of the the 100 trips which will, hopefully, involve going tramping with the OTMC every weekend there is a tramping trip. 

The first trip to start the 100 trips was  001 Mt Allan Ridge Silver Peaks  on  Sunday, 16 October to Mount Allan Ridge in the Silver Peaks.  The Silver Peaks is about a 30 minute drive from Dunedin and has been the most visited area of the OTMC during it's 99 year history.  The trip to Mt Allan Ridge was chosen as the first trip as it was during a tramping trip to the area in December 1922 by a group of local trampers that the decision to form the Otago Tramping Club was made.  

It has been about six years that we have been talking about the 100 trips for 100 years so it was heartening to finally make a start with the first trip of the 100 trips on Sunday, 16 October.  Fifteen people turned up at 8am for the first trip and after carpooling to the Silver Peaks, we enjoyed the warm sunshine as we headed up the track from the car park on Mountain Road.  The pace was brisk but not overly fast and I was able to think about how the Silver Peaks have changed over the 35+ years that I have been tramping in the area  Back when I first visited the Silver Peaks it had been used for grazing and the vegetation was low so that you could wander the ridges at will.  Today the Silver Peaks is a reserve with no stock is allowed, although there is plenty of sign of wild pigs, the vegetation has grown and the views are limited on Green Ridge to only a few places.  Now it is very much stick to the tracks as the vegetation is thick and difficult to push through.

Above Green Hut Site, heading towards Pulpit Rock

Once at Green Hut Site we had a short morning tea break before the real up hill started.  We each found our own pace and headed up the 200m climb to Pulpit Rock.  As we climbed out of the bush the views began to really open up which gave a good excuse for regular stops as we climbed higher.  The short push to the top of Pulpit Rock was a compulsory stop and we spent some time here enjoy the 360 degree views picking out Mt Cargill, Mt Charles, Mt Watkin, Rock and Pillar Range, Maungatua and over the Taieri Plains. 

The group at the top of Pulpit Rock

Once rested we headed down Pulpit Rock to the track and followed it around onto Mt Allan Ridge, which was easy going on an old four wheel drive track although there were a few places that we needed to push through the gorse.  This part of the Silver Peaks was new to me and I enjoyed the views of Pulpit Rock and the The Painted Forest from a different angle.  We stopped for lunch in the sun just before the track dropped down the ridge to the edge of the Silver Peaks/Weneta Forest boundary. We were spoilt for choice of views at lunchtime as, depending on where you sat you could look towards Saddle Hill and Mosgiel, contemplating all the people living there were missing out on such a rare calm day in the Silver Peaks, or look atThe Painted Forest and thinking about how the forest got it's name.  I had not realised how big The Painted Forest is as I had only ever seen it from the ridge leading to the top of the Devil's Staircase where you only see a small part of it, or towards Pulpit Rock and watch, from a distance the groups of trampers making their way along the ridges.  Needless to say we had an extended lunch stop enjoying the sun and lying in the tussock.  

Walking along Mt Allan Ridge, lunch stop is knob in the middle of the picture

After lunch we retraced our steps back along Mt Allan Ridge to Pulpit Rock.  Despite the forecast afternoon rain the sky remained clear and calm which made the descent to Green Hut Site enjoyable.  A regroup at Green Hut Site and then it was a fast walk along Green Ridge back to the Mountain Road car park.  All up the trip was around 15km and took us about 6 hours including a lengthy lunch stop and with a perfect weather for walking it was a good start to the 100 trips for 100 years.

 

The team of 15 on trip 001 of the 100 trips for 100 years

Day 129 Halfway Bush to Mosgiel

Today I walked the streets that joined up Halfway Bush to Mosgiel meaning that I have now walked from Harwood to East Taieri and every street in between.  The street I walked today is a paper road meaning that it is unformed and is a track through farmland.  I walked part of Friends Hill Road in October and today I walked the unformed part of it today.  

I started at the top of the hill in Halfway Bush and walked down to Mosgiel at the bottom of the hill.  Friends Hill Road started as a gravel road through farmland.

Then it became more of a track.  It looks as though it is used regularly by walkers, dog walkers, cyclists and also a few horses. 

Mosgiel became closer the further down the hill I walked.  It was a good chance for me to see how big Mosgiel is and very rewarding to know that I have walked every street in Mosgiel. 

I was also rewarded with a good view of Saddle Hill. I have seen Saddle Hill from many angles during my challenge to walk every street in Dunedin .

At the end of the unformed part of the road is a locked gate meaning that the track is open to the public but only for walking/cycling and not for vehicles.  This is the first time that I had walked this road before and I enjoyed the walk.

From the locked gate, Friends Hill Road becomes a gravel road again and I continued walking along the gravel road till I reached the sealed roads of Mosgiel.  

I was impressed with the roses planted on the side of the road.  There is a large display of them and the colours are beautiful.  Someone has put a lot of effort into growing them here.

And finally I walked to the bottom of the hill and Gladstone Road where I had walked in October.

Distance walked:  3.7 km         Walking time  45 mins    

Total distance: 1061.6  km          Total walking  198 hr 34 mins 

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