Monthly Report

Club Night May 2021

Tuesday, May 11th, 2021

Club President Julian Hardy presented his Annual Report. Club membership has risen to 84 and finances are healthy. The club purchased a new locator beacon to replace the out of date one from a grant from the Waitaki District Council.

Trip Reports:

Cone, 1563m was climbed from Danseys Pass road. After leaving the cars at Bayley’s yards it was a long climb mainly on a 4wd track with some gully’s to cross before heading up through tusscock to the ridge to the right of the peak. Lunch was eaten below the summit before the final scree climb up the ridge to summit views that were worth the effort. Several mobs of deer were spotted in the distance. It was then straight down the slippery tussock slope to the track and back to the cars, for an enjoyable 1000m up and 19k walk.

A walk through native bush up Freehold Creek was enjoyed before overnighting at Twizel. The Sunday walk was curtailed by heavy rain.

The Wednesday Walkers has day trips on the A2O from Sailors Cutting to Benmore Dam, a Ngapara farm walk, Doctors Point and Mopanui at a very low tide and a Te Waimate farm walk where the owner explained the history from the original 99,000 sheep run to the present.

Coming Tramping Club trips are a bike ride around the Otago Harbour, Trotters Gorge track clearing, Mt. Cook “social “ weekend and Hermits Cave in the Silverpeaks. See the NOTMC website for details.

Club Night 12 April 2021

Friday, April 16th, 2021

Julian welcomed us and started the night with the trip reports.
Robbie led a working bee at Herbert forest. 10 people helped mainly on the Hoods creek track.It was in a mess after harvesting.The other tracks were checked out too.Traps are being set off by rats and mice bo Robbie asked for volunteers who could help out everyday for 10 days and have a concentrated hit then not do it again for a few months.
The trip to the Huxley Forks hut went well.Six members went and had lovely weather.They tramped to the Forks hut on Saturday then on Sunday walked up to the Broderick hut and back ,stayed another night  and tramped out on Monday.
Up coming trips were then spoken about . Colin is taking a trip to Cone peak .The plan is to leave early at 7.00am.and to go up a 4wd track around to the left then on up to the top.
Anzac weekend Roz is taking a trip from the Ahuriri over and down to the Top Dingle hut.On Sunday walk up Mt Gladwish and back to hut. Back over and out Monday.
30th April Bessis going to Freehold creek on Saturday Accomodation will be in Twizel that night and on Sunday she plans to do Flannagans Pass or as far as people want to go
10 May  A G M and trip planning meeting.A secretary and vice president are needed.
While we waited for the  speakers to arrive Jane Green recalled how things had changed in the 50 years since she started tramping. She told of how there was no such thing as tramping boots   only inflexable farm boots, no padding at all on packs and the food was not memerable at all. On her first tramp she was saved from a deadly fall by a fellow tramper who just managed to grab her pack in time. He was sworn to secrecy or she may not have been allowed to go again.On the same tramp a girl was struggling and they found in her pack hair rollers,make up ,and a transistor radio.The weather was terrible and they all had to pile into a two man bivy ,no sleep for anyone that night.
Julian then went through the May tramps coming up 
Jane is taking a bike ride around the Dunedin harbour crossing over on the ferry.She will make inquires as to cost and the timetable.
Neville has a working bee at Trotters Gorge  mainly to clear Vickers track and Daves track They are overgrown and pruning back is needed.
Karyl has a midwinter trip to Mt Cook on the 29th Stay at the Alpine Club Lodge ,bring a pot luck desert and explore the walks and scenery of the area.
Our guest speakers arrived.Lisa Heinz from the Geopark Trust spoke about the things they wanted to acheive like linking the land,the buildings the people and educating everyone about the geological landscape.They have 42 sites of interest in the area which stretches from Ohau to Mc Craes. She explained that the trust want Unesco geopark recognition as they think this will enhance the profile of the area.There is a cost for this recognition .Unesco checks geopark status every  4 yrs.Sasha talked to us about how N Z  was formed and evolved from Gondwana.She is a geologist and finds this area provides a huge geological timeline to study Maps wre provided to look at and a video presentation was shown
Following the speakers the meeting was closed and a cup of tea served

Club Night 15 February 2021

Tuesday, February 16th, 2021

 

The Clubs Annual Meeting will be held on the 10 May 2021.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Waitaki District Council, the Club has purchased a locator beacon to replace the out of date one.

Trip Reports

A trip to Chinaman’s Cave was attempted from Trotters Gorge via Vickers Hut, but a badly overgrown track through gorse forced them to use an alternative route via Palmerston and Chalmers Road.
Leaving the yards they initially followed a well formed track NW beside a creek through a plantation. The last section to the cave involved a bush bashing section with a lot of onga onga.
After lunch and exploring the large cave, they returned by going over the hill and down a gully to the cars.

Elephant Hill was tackled in the rain which soon cleared, enabling a walk up the valley and back over the hill.

Waitangi Weekend saw 10 trampers climb up to Lake Wilson above the Routeburn Track for a fantastic fine weekend trip, camping beside the lake for two nights. It is becoming a favourite destination with 30 tampers camped there that weekend.
The middle day saw various trips undertaken, including climbing Mt Erebus, going to the saddle between Mt Erebus and Xenicus for a view into the North Routeburn, or exploring the West Ridge for the many alpine plants and flowers.
The final day they returned via Lake Harris to the Routeburn car park, Glenorchy and home.

A trip around Roseneath Station from Aviemore discovered old water supply reservoirs for the now nonexistent Aviemore village.

The Wednesday Walkers enjoyed day trips to the North Temple, Waimate Whitehorse Hill, the A2O to Elderslie just after the new year flood, Island Stream waterfall, which was the most spectacular they had seen, West Maerewhenua Gold diggings, Otekaike Hill and Bridal Track in a viscous westerly gale, Maereweka Forest, and Deep Stream via the old stone cottage.

Coming Trips are the bike ride on the new A2O track from Sailors Cutting to Benmore Dam, Huxley Forks and a Herbert Forest working bee. Members will guide a school group staying at Camp Iona around a local track and teach them bush-craft skills.

March Clubnight – Nick Shearer will speak about his backcountry Makarora trip.

The rest of the evening was spent planning Club Trips for the April June period.

Club Night 9 November 2020

Monday, November 9th, 2020

Club members were interested in a proposal to build a new 6 bunk Hut in the Waianakarua Reserve, though being off any tramping routes, would be of limited use for the Club.

Trip Reports:
!2 members rode the A2O bike trail from Windsor to Duntroon and back on ebikes while 3 rode pedal power bikes from Cants road. All met at Duntroon for lunch.

6 trampers climbed the 1917m high Ohau Peak in a 12 hour day. They encountered gale force winds along the top, which made the necessary boulder hopping a bit of a challenge!

Wednesday Walkers had return trips along the Waiho Walkway to the Waiho Forks Hotel, Andersons Lagoon to the Shag River Mouth at low tide passing 7 sea lions basking on the beach. They enjoyed a new coastal walk south from Timaru to Jacks Point lighthouse, and a farm walk circuit near Taieri Peak with lunch beside the Waikouaiti River.

Coming trips are to Kakahu Bush, a night walk in the Herbert Forest, climbing Mount Kyeburn, and weekend trips to the Neuman range via the Dobson Valley, and the Mount Somers Track. There will be a Christmas pot-luck meal on the 14 December.

The evening then concentrated on planning trips for the summer.

Club Night October 2020

Tuesday, October 13th, 2020

 12 October 2020

 

A full room of members at the SAR rooms in Severn Street listened to Zac Robinson, Health, Safety and Environment Manager for Port Blakley, give an informative address about their programme to protect critically endangered long tailed bats in South Canterbury.

They are quite small with a wingspan of about 120mm and live in clusters of about 20. They cling to the tree rather than hang upside down like an Australian fruit bat. There are only about 300 left due to predation and loss of habitat. They roost in trees such as willows, sequoia’s and oaks, tending to move around according to the weather as they like to keep warm. They go into a state of semi hibernation during the winter.

Zac and his team use automatic bat monitors which tune in to their transmitting frequency to follow them round. They also put transmitters on some, to make tracking easier. When a roosting tree is identified, adjustable metal bands are placed around the tree to prevent possums and other predators from attacking them.

Other environmental work the Port Blackley team are involved in include looking at falcons nesting patterns  and water monitoring, using a DNA test called Wilderlab. This test analyses the DNA of plants and animals found floating in the river or stream. They can see if there are any possums left in the area after eradication measures have been used, and identify what fish, birds or farm animals are present in the catchment.

Trip Reports:

A Trotters Gorge farm walk over a cutover forestry block revealed interesting rock overhangs and caves including a stalactite.

10 bikers rode from Duntroon to Kurow and back on a track covered in branches from the recent strong winds.

The Herbert Forest tracks received a repaired bridge and several new steps during a maintenance day.

The Wednesday walkers had walks to on Dave’s track to South Peak in Trotters Gorge, The Wainono Lagoon track with lots of birdlife and inland views, a new walk along the escarpment above the Mill House, and the Seacliff Split Rock circuit.

Coming trips are a bike ride on the A2O to Duntroon, Arthurs Pass at Labour weekend and Ohau Peak in the Quailburn area. Details can be found in this website in “what’s on”.

The club gratefully received a donation from the Waitaki District Council to replace their out of date Locator Beacon.

Harvesting around the tracks in the Herbert Forest is nearly finished and normal access will be available shortly.

The Club has talked to the Waitaki District Council about reinstating parts of the Oamaru Walkways and upgrading the signage.