#79 of 100 trips for 100 years - All Day on the Peninsula 13 August 2023

 

Seven people turned up on a sunny winter's morning for a trip that was tipped to be one of the longer winter walks that we'd had for a while.  Starting at Macandrew Bay, the walk around to Broad Bay was a very pleasant, easy hour around the flat cycle/walk way that skirts the edge of the Otago Harbour.  The sun reflecting off the calm harbour waters made for a picturesque walk which passed very quickly.   

We were in for a rude awakening once we reached Broad Bay because this is where the up hill started and that was to be the theme for the rest of the day,ie: if we weren't going up, we were going down, . We headed up Camp Road towards Larnach Castle which is a steep 200m climb from sea level, starting on a gravel road and ending on a narrow, grassy trail.  The higher we climbed the more the views opened out behind us and we were rewarded with a stunning vista looking across to Port Chalmers with Quarantine and Goat Island in the middle of the harbour.

While the temperature was cool, the climb up the hill had warmed us and most had stripped off our jersey before we had reached halfway.  Once we had climbed most of Camp Road we crossed into William Larnach's farm which he had purchased in the 1870's.  In 2008 the Dunedin City Council bought the land and the Hereweka Harbour Cone Trust have developed a series of walking tracks through the land to allow public access to heritage sites on the property.  We followed one of these tracks which took us past an historic cow byre which was built in 1880's and is the only remaining farm building left on Larnachs farm. 

We still had some height to gain to reach Highcliff Road but as often happens, there is always a down when going up and that is exactly what happened for us.  We dropped almost 100m down through the, at times, boggy paddocks to cross the gully and then climb back out up to Highcliff Road. Despite loosing so much height, we were still reasonably fresh and it didn't take long to regain the height and reach Highcliff Road in good spirits.

The next part of our journey took us around Highcliff Road, dodging traffic for a couple of kilometres, turning off to have lunch at the historic lime kilns.  It was here that the jersey's we'd taken off earlier were quickly put back on as we cooled down.  It was good to refuel with lunch but knowing we still had a long way to go, we packed and headed down the road, turning off onto Ridge Road and continuing down to Sandfly Bay

While Sandfly Bay is a very popular beach for watching sea lions, the track from Ridge Road is not often used and we had the track to ourselves.  After crossing from the gravel road into the paddock, we followed the fence line for around a kilometre, doding the muddy, boggy bits, until we reached the reserve and beach.  Reaching the beach was a bit of a milestone as we had started at sea level and walked from one coast of the peninsula to the other - we were now half way.

Despite there being a few sea lions on the beach, we continued on our way, skirting around the sand dunes before climbing 100m to the car park and continuing along the road, turning onto Braidwood Road. By now the feet and legs were starting to get a little tired, most likely from all the road walking but there was no choice but to continue and the beautiful coastal scenery surrounding us kept us upbeat as we began the descent back to sea level at Boulder Beach.

No one wanted to take the 15 minute detour to the beach so we sheltered under a large tree for an afternoon snack and drink break, filling up on sugar in an effort to revive the energy levels for the final 300m climb up the Paradise track, back to Highcliff Road.  The Paradise track is an unremarkable grassy climb for the first 100m before turning into a muddy, head high, flax tunnel for the next 100m.  The gradient eases off for the final 100m but it's still muddy and slippery with attention being needed on foot placement to keep upright.

It was a relief to reach Highcliff Road because there was no more climbing ahead of us - it was downhill all the way back to the car.  We wandered along the edge of Highcliff Road till we reached the Greenacres track.  I had never been down this track before and it was a bit of a surprise to see the steepness of it.  Thankfully, for us, we were headed downhill and it was reasonably dry underfoot.  Finding a swing on the steepest part of the track was a highlight and of course it had to be tested. 

By now, everyone was focused on reaching the end and we walked in ones and twos, bouyed by our achievement, happy when we finally reached the cars.   The trip had been billed as 'all day on the peninsula' and it was with having walked 23.5km from one coast on the peninsula to the other coast and back to the first coast again, with over 900m of elevation gained and lost.

#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. 

#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

#75 of 100 trips for 100 years - Outram Glen-Lee Stream 30 July 2023

 

While the temperature was cold, the sun was shining in a clear blue sky when 15 of us started along the Outram Glen Track alongside the Taieri River. The Taieri River has become synonymous with river crossing practice since 1955, especially as part of the OTMC Bushcraft Course, given it is the closest river of any size close to Dunedin. The normally placid waters of the Taieri River were fast flowing stretching from bank to bank - in winter this is not a river to be taken lightly but thankfully we weren't crossing it today, instead our plan was to walk for about 5km upstream on the track.  

The first couple of kilometers is an easy walk on a wide track that follows the river.  It is a well used track and is a few metres above the height of the river giving us good views of the turbulent waters flowing past.  Having been here a few times for river crossing over the years, it was quite a surprise at the difference in river height during the middle of winter compared to the low river levels during summer. We made good time on this section of track and soon found ourselves at the turn off to Lee Stream which climbs steeply gaining 80m in height over a short distance.  

The general chatter came to an abrupt end as we had to use all our breath for walking and once the height had been gained, the track narrows and undulates for the next couple of kilometres, rising and descending for short distances.  It's a lovely piece of track with tree roots and rocks to negotiate and a couple of small stream crossings.  A short morning tea break was called about 15 minutes before reaching our destination where Lee Stream joins the Taieri River. 

It was lovely to pop out of the bush into the sunshine and we spent sometime watching the river and marveling at  the volume of water flowing past.  It was interesting to see where the dark green waters of the Lee Stream joined the chocolate brown waters of the Taieri River.  We each found a comfortable rock in the sun to sit for lunch. 

The weak winter sunshine was no match for the cold breeze from the river so we didn't linger long over lunch before packing our bags and heading back into the bush on the return journey which started off with a gentle uphill climb.  Despite the winter conditions, the track is in very good condition with only a few muddy sections that are easily avoided. 

It is always a surprise when the return journey feels much shorter than the inward walk and that is exactly what happened today.  We reached the turn off to Lee Stream and joined the much wider Outram Glen Track in reasonably quick time and stopped to regroup before the final couple of kilometres back to the cars wrapping up a 10.9km walk in 3.5 hours.  

#74 of 100 trips for 100 years - Lake Whare-Possum Busters-Swine Spur 29 July 2023 (by Jade Pettinger)

 Anyone travelling past Woodhaugh Gardens early on Saturday morning must have thought we were mad! 10 trampers gathered in near zero temperatures, many in shorts and bare legs despite the thick layer of ice covering the nearby cars. The closer it got to 9am, the more time seemed to slow down as our feet were slowly turning into frozen lumps inside our boots. Hopping from foot to foot and jogging on the spot did little to alleviate the pain so it was a relief when it was finally time to depart.

Today’s trip was a circuit linking up many of the lesser-known tracks on Flagstaff’s northern side, and would require top-notch navigational skills to ensure we stayed on the planned route. The one thing we weren’t entirely sure about was where exactly the track started, so we found ourselves wandering along the road looking for a way into the seemingly impenetrable bush. We shouldn’t have worried as 200m or so up from the cars was a large sign which read “Lake Whare Track” which we couldn’t miss.

We opted to head in a clockwise direction, which meant about 5 minutes after we set off we arrived at Lake Whare - a lake so small it doesn’t appear on the topo map! The winter sun was quite low in the sky and was hitting the lake in such a way it was almost blinding to look at. Our attempts to circumnavigate the lake were short lived, making it less than 100m before being turned around by a dense wall of bush. Tucked away in the bush was a long-forgotten lean-to shelter, which was slowly being claimed by nature.

The lower section of the Swine Spur track was muddy and boggy, a sign that we were well and truly in the depths of winter. Many of the tracks on the northern flanks of Flagstaff are well-maintained, which was evidenced by a series of bridges over the worst of the bog - some quite official looking whilst others consisted of some strategically placed sticks that acted as a makeshift boardwalk. The sound of boots squelching through the saturated ground accompanied us as we meandered along the flat.

It wasn’t long before we traded in the idyllic meadows of the flat with the steep, grovely, muddy climb through the bush. We took our time on this section, making sure we had a good footing with each step to avoid tumbling downwards. We seemed to barely get going before we popped out at a small clearing, giving us clear views over Mosgiel and Maungatua, and inland to the Rock and Pillars which had a fresh dusting of snow on the distant tops. Having spent most of the morning in the bush, it was a unanimous decision that this would be the perfect place to have morning tea.

From here the Swine Spur track continues upwards towards Swampy Summit, however as that wasn’t our destination today we branched off onto the Possum Busters track. Sideling eastwards, this was a very pleasant section of track as it was more open than Swine Spur, providing occasional glimpses of the distant hills. We had a few side streams to negotiate, which thankfully were minor enough that our feet stayed nice and dry inside our boots.

Aside from the odd muddy section, we enjoyed an uneventful hour or so chatting away to each other as we had the track to ourselves. It is places like this that remind you of just how lucky we are to have such a wide variety of tracks on our doorstep in Dunedin, and to be able to enjoy them without being swamped by hordes of people. 

We stopped at a small clearing at the Porkies / Smithy’s Track junction for an early lunch, before carrying on the Smithy’s Track towards the road. The journey out to the cars was not as straightforward as we first thought, as we had some steep sections of track to contend with. Some of the uphill sections had us scrambling up on all fours, clinging onto any handhold we could find to haul ourselves up. Once at the top we were greeted by a rope anchored into the hillside to aid in the descent on steep, loose dirt. After we had conquered the hill, we had one last obstacle to overcome - a narrow path snaking around the edge of a small cliff. Not for the faint-hearted, we carefully picked our way around making sure we remained upright and on the track.

All of a sudden, we rounded a corner and just about fell onto the road! We had no idea it was so close, and were a little sad that the trip was over as it was such an enjoyable circuit through an ever-changing landscape. 

By Jade Pettinger

#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.