Club Night July 2018

Monday, July 9th, 2018

The Club is looking at providing a picnic table and seats at strategic points on the Herbert Forest tracks. Some track maintenance tools have been purchased.
The Podocarp track will be closed later this month for 2-3 weeks for tree felling operations. The Swallows and Hoods tracks will remain open. There will be closure and reopening notices on the NOTMC website.
Trip Report:
The Quaiburn Saddle was changed to the Otematata and Benmore Walkways because of forecast heavy rain. A good 5-6 hour 19k walk with views of the two lake Benmore arms before drizzle arrived.
Wednesday Walkers had day trips to the Enfield Escarpment with its unique limestone rock formations, Pringles Gully gold diggings, Otematata and Benmore Walkways with half doing the Benmore Loop and the other half walking across the dam and back, and last week a 19k Kuriheka farm walk.
Coming trips are a mystery bike trip from Weston and two day walks based from Dunedin.
Guest speaker was Lewis Hore who showed a video on his Sutherland Sound kayaking trip in June last year to look for the South Island Kokako. This was his fifth trip to the area where he believes he may have heard and glimpsed the almost extinct kokako.
Sutherland Sound is a marine reserve with a narrow shallow entrance that prevents fishing boats from entering. He flew in and out by helicopter with his kayak, camping near the entrance.
Apart from a few thousand hungry sandflies it was an idyllic spot with large numbers of native birds and huge Rata and Fuschia trees. There was also a midden near a large rock shelter. He enjoyed exploring the Sound and its head-waters in his kayak during the winters settled weather.
No kokako were heard or sighted this trip but Lewis is planning another trip shortly.

Club Night June 2018

Tuesday, June 12th, 2018

Members, old and new, filled the NOSAR rooms in Severn St. for the Clubs Monthly Meeting.
Trip Reports:
4 members explored the Silver Peaks with rain forecast later in the day. Their route was along the Green Ridge track, turning down to Possum Hut and down the Waikouaiti River, before heading up the Direct Spur track. After lunch it was off down Rosealla Ridge track to the river again and back up to the cars just as the rain arrived.
Queens Birthday weekend saw 4 members drive to Mavora Lakes for 3 days of exploring. Day 1 was down the TeAraroa trail to the Kiwi-burn hut. Day 2 followed the loop track back to the road and then a walk along North Mavora Lake on a badly rutted 4wd track to Carey’s Hut. Day 3 was a walk out to the car and back home. A cold but enjoyable weekend in a new area for the Club.
The Herbert Forest tracks got another trim and the bait stations checked by 15 members. The catch over the last month was 1 ferret, 4 stoats, 11 rats and 1 hedgehog.
Wednesday Walkers day walks were the popular Tapui 3 peaks and 2 tunnels circuit, Kurow Hill circuit, using the new bike track past the cemetery for the first time, Mts. McKenzie and Trotter behind Waikouaiti where the basalt columns were inspected, and a small group explored Cape Wanbrow on a very cold windy day.
Trips over the next month are to Lake Minchin in the Arthurs Pass area and Quailburn Saddle to Egg lake near Omarama. More information is available on the “what’s on” page.
Guest Speaker was Mark Smillie who was just back from a visit to Qatar. Qatar is a small country on the Persian Gulf, with a local population of 113,000 but with an expat population of 1.3m to do all the work. It has the world’s 3rd largest oil and gas reserves and the highest “mountain” is 103m asl. We were treated to an insight into life there where the port of Doha was built in a year, fresh water comes from desalinization, petrol costs NZ 62c a gallon, camel racing is the popular sport and the police drive Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

Club Night May 2018

Tuesday, May 15th, 2018

The Clubs Annual Meeting saw all office holders returned for another year apart from one new committee member.
President John Chetwin reported that there had been 31 trips or events during the past year and the Clubs 40th Anniversary had been celebrated. An introduction to tramping course had been run resulting in safety skills being learnt and 7 new members joining the Club. The Herbert Forest Tracks had received regular maintenance and predator control from the Club. Subscriptions stay the same as last year.
Trip Reports;
The Introduction to Tramping course was reduced to one day with instruction in compass use and river crossings, even though it was a cold day. One instructor gave an involuntary demonstration of why it can be a bad idea to cross a river on your own!
One trip was cancelled because of adverse weather but an enjoyable bike and tramping weekend in the Twizel area was had.
Wednesday Walkers walked roads and bike trails in the Weston area, the Benmore Walkway with autumn colours, Dome Hills to the Big Rock, Kinbyron Station on the North side of the Waitaki River which was a new walk and the Earthquakes farm walk. 16 walkers enjoyed a guided walk down the Hollyford with a flight out to Milford.
Coming Trips are a Silver Peaks round trip, Mavora Lakes at Queens Birthday weekend and there will be a Herbert Forest maintenance day. See the “What’s on” page for details.
The evening finished with members showing pictures of the Hollyford trip, Lake Harris and Lake Wilson and a trail walk in the Rocky Mountains.

Clubnight April 2018

Wednesday, May 9th, 2018

The April Meeting was attended by 21 people.

An Introduction to Tramping day had been held on Sunday 8 April with 12 attending and 9 members covering such topics as trip planning, gear, food, first aid , map and compass work, weather and hut etiquette. (Bess and Neville were thanked for their organisation and Jenny for food supplied.)On Sunday 15th, those wishing to attend a practical day will meet at 8 a.m.at Medway Street Carpark to go to Trotters Gorge for a 3 hour tramp with practical map reading, river crossing instruction and other tramping skills.

Club trips were to Lindis Peak over the Lindis Pass with views to Lake Wanaka, Dunstan and St. Bathans Ranges and distant peaks. Notable were the big stone tors around the Summit and the green appearance of surrounding hills.

Anniversary Weekend saw a tramp beginning at Lake Hawea and Timaru Creek for a group of 4, which on the second day met the 3 who began at the Ahuriri end, and they exchanged car keys.The 3 day tramp was on part of the Te Araroa Trail, and while offering some splendid views , was demanding.They tented and stayed in huts, one of which was an old musterers’ hut complete with dirt floor and mice.

Inclement weather at Easter meant the planned trip was cancelled. However, a couple of people tramped in in the Harris Saddle-Lake Wilson area and saw rock wrens and whio and experienced snow and a big frost.

Other members took a trip over the Old Ghost Road on the West Coast – 3 walking and 2 biking 85 kilometres on on a track with some challenges but good huts and some spectacular scenery

Wednesday Walkers reported on an excellent 5 day bike trip in early March on the trails of the Nelson area: Nelson – Tapawera – Motueka- Mapua and Rabbit Island, with much damage in some areas from Cyclone Gita. Other trips went to places as diverse as Chinaman’s Hut, Quailburn and over to the East Ahuriri Hut, Pleasant River to Bobby’s Head and Tavora Reserve on the coast, and around The Hays Farm in the Hakataramea on a brilliant day.

The activity for the evening was a check on the contents of members’ First Aid kits which they had brought along and practical advice on what needs to be in them from one of our members well qualified to oversee this and give good first aid advice as well as tips on helpful items to carry. There was good information on how to deal with various injuries and conditions which can occur, how to use a sling properly for different types of arm injury and how to deal with such things as copious bleeding, skin lacerations,broken bones, burns,hypothermia, the need for hydration and the need to watch out for one another.

It was a useful and timely exercise as well as a reminder to check contents of kits as winter approaches!

Club Night March 2018

Tuesday, March 13th, 2018

Two new trampers were welcomed to the monthly club night at the NOSAR rooms in Severn St. by a full room of members.
Trip Reports
The Ahuriri valley provided 2 day walks from the hut. One up to the Dingle saddle and the other up canyon creek to above the cirque.
Janes bike ride explored the back roads between Maheno and Herbert. Seven members cleared an area in Glens Reserve so trees could be planted. Weston School have done some planting there.
Our Guest Speaker was Ian Sutherland who told us of his mountain bike trip in Patagonia through tour organisers Latin Link. Flying to a town one hour south of Santiago, five New Zealanders biked along roads and tracks heading south, initially in Chile and then over the Andes in Argentina. Places visited included Puerto Montt, Chiloe Island with its Humbolt and Magellan Penguins, Villa Cerro Castilla, Lake Buenos Aires with its Marble caves, El Chalten, towering Mt. Fitzroy, the 4 km wide and 35 km long Perito Moreno Glacier and the Torres Del Paine with its majestic three towers. Ian compared Patagonia to a supercharged New Zealand landscape, similar to ours but larger and more spectacular.
Coming Trips and events
Lindis Peak 18 March with great views from Mt. Aspiring to Mt Cook.
Aniversary Weekend is a tramp along the TeAraroa Trail from the Ahuriri Valley to Lake Hawea with half starting from Lake Hawea.
The Easter tramp is to Lake Wilson off the Routeburn Track with a possible climb of Mt. Erebus.
The Club is running an Introduction to Tramping course over two weekends where those interested in tramping can learn the basic skills and find out about the clothes food and equipment that makes tramping safe and enjoyable. Sunday the 8 April is a theory day at the NOSAR rooms, with a practical learning weekend 14-15 April at Trotters Gorge where things such as map reading, risk management, hut etiquette, first aid and river crossings can be learnt. More information is available on this website. Look for “What’s on”.