Trip Reports
Waianakarua – Table Top
Wednesday, September 18th, 2019
Sunday dawned fine and sunny after rain on Saturday which made for rather slippery track conditions from Mt Misery Rd down to the river.
Seven people assembled at the car park on Mt Misery Rd coming from various directions and varied forms of transport.
With much caution and the odd slip we all arrived safely at the river’s middle branch. A crossing was necessary to continue downstream and with the previous rain the river was up ,making for wet feet for some.
The track up to Table Top is initially quite steep, but lays back further up and with the sun shining we were all well warmed by the time we popped out on the open tussock tops
. A well deserved break was taken while viewing the nearby ridge line and the pointed out features.
This was Robbie’s turn around point as he needed to be back early. The rest of us continued round to look for the now overgrown 4WD track and single track leading to the hunters camp. After locating this we continued to an open tussock clearing in the sun for lunch.
Locating the return section of the overgrown 4WD track after lunch we returned back down to the river and paused before the final push back up to the car park, arriving around 3pm.
A satisfying work out with great company.
Thanks to, Richard, Andrea, Jane, John, Robbie, Colin.
Maurice
Ewe Range
Tuesday, September 17th, 2019
8th September 2019
A couple of carloads left Oamaru at 8am and we picked up Bill at Kurow. The Ewe Range is south of Omarama so to get there, turn left onto Broken Hut Road, just after Omarama on the Lindis Pass Road. At the end of Broken Hut Road, the easement over private farmland, starts going south along the fence line, then turns east, over a creek up to a small square mustering yard. From here, the 4WD track zigzags up the side of the hill.
From the start of the tramp, we could see that there wasn’t going to be much of a view as there was low cloud and clagged in. So we set about enjoying the company. Near the top, there is a rocky outcrop, where we had lunch at 12pm. Last trip here, we could see Ahuriri Valley and Aoraki Mt Cook. Today, the view was zilch, nothing, Leidecker, zero, so we focused on the company.
After lunch we continued up onto the Oteake Conservation Area, where we moseyed around, taking photos of lichen (because that’s all we could see). To be able to access the Oteake Conservation Area from the Waitaki Valley, ideally, would allow more time in the Conservation Area. We made our way back down the same 4WD track. On the way, with the use of John’s map, we clarified that the 4WD road opposite the Ewe Range, goes over the hill and down Camp Creek to the East Branch of the Manuherikia River and out onto Hawkdun Runs Road. The other 4WD road that we could see further west, went up onto the Omarama Saddle.
Thanks for your company, John, Jane, Bill, Robbie, Roz and Neville. Bess
Woosy Bike Rides
Tuesday, August 20th, 2019
Woosy Bike Ride , 18 August 2019
It took a lot of work arranging the perfect day for a bike ride and no effort was spared and the results were definitely worth it because this particular day was made for it, no clouds at all, brilliant views to the higher hills covered in last week’s snow, little wind.
Nine turned up at the Purton’s carpark in Maheno at 1pm, 2 non club members. There were ebikes as well as pushbikes. It seemed a natural selection process as those on the push bikes opted to do a 20km circuit and those with ebikes opted to do the longer western circuit amounting to 36km. So 5 on the eastern side of Maheno 4 the other and off we went.
One member on a new bike copped some questions relating to all the features in this latest edition of ebike which included the fitting of an airbag.
It is hard not to be enthusiastic about ebikes, there is nothing to dislike about them, they flatten all the hills and always give you a tail wind, in fact they take away about 50 years of ageing and make you feel like a ten year old on a bike. So for us on the western circuit we thoroughly enjoyed the ride through Kuriheka , admiring the old buildings and stopping at the memorial built to remember all those fro the area that went to fight in WW1.
On we went stopping only at the intersections enjoying the great views of the hills, quite roads, the only vehicles we met once when we were on the Tullimett Rd stopping for a drink.
The return leg into a breeze all the way along a network of roads zigzagging our way back to Maheno avoiding tarsal and the main road.
We arrived back at the carpark about 3.30pm with the ones who did the eastern circuit back too, good timing.
Bike ride report trip 2
Five of us on more traditional historical bikes with the exception of one e-bike did the shorter 20 km trip. We left Maheno on the Maheno/Kakanui Rd and then turning into the Maheno/All Day Bay Rd onto our first hill/work out for the day up pass the Maheno Cemetery. We follow this road onto the gravel and along it to we met up with Happy Valley Rd which we turn into and a downhill run to Robertsons Rd. We turned into Robertsons Rd and after going downhill it was back up hill again, with a few ups and down along this road but we had great views of the mountains with the snow on them. We followed this road till we met up with MacLean Rd which we follow down towards the coast and out onto Waianakarua Rd by All Day Bay where we stopped for a break. After our break it was a good uphill slog and along the coast towards Kakanui and as we were coming into Kakanui, Phyllis’s bike decided it had had enough and spat the dummy with bit of derailleur and springs flying out everywhere. So we had to leave Phyllis behind and travel back to Maheno on the Maheno/Kakanui Rd to the vehicles, where I went back and picked Phyllis and her broken bike up.
She may have a good excuse to get a e-bike now. Thank to Robbie for organising the maps and route, with great weather and views we all enjoyed our ride.
It sounded like their ride was enjoyable as well so all around everyone was happy and a good finish was had at the tavern by way of a nice drink and a debrief with the usual laughter. Thanks to those who made it, they were, Bron, Maurice, John, Robbie on the western circuit and Ross, Neville, Phyllis, Colin and Julie on the eastern one.
Bobbys Head, Goodwood
Tuesday, August 6th, 2019
Sunday 4th August 2019
Even though cold weather was forecast for the day of the trip to Bobby’s Head, seven trampers ventured out.
It started with a walk along Goodwood Road to a cemetery and old church yard. With the church no longer standing we noticed that a lot of the graves were of the Preston and Dunkley families.
We then continued along the road towards Matai Farm with the sun now shining and temperatures getting warmer, necessitating a few layers to be shed.
After following a fence-line down a paddock we came across the first of many electric fences which we found live after testing with the tester.. We then skirted around an estuary on a farm track, over sand dunes and onto the beach where the Pleasant River meets the sea.
A morning tea break was taken before climbing up to the cliff tops where we followed the coastline across the farmland and negotiated many more electric fences. (All shocks avoided)
As we were lucky enough to catch a low tide we made our way back down from Matai Farm to the beach and observed the unusual formations in the mud stone on the cliffs before reaching Tavora Beach for a lunch stop.
Now in the Tavora Reserve, we followed a track over the sand dunes and through stands of native bush up onto Bobby’s Head where we admired the views from the Otago Peninsula in the South to Shag Point in the North.
With a short walk across a paddock and over a couple of stiles, once again we came out onto Goodwood Road and after a 500 meter walk we were back at our vehicles at 3pm.
A stop at Palmerston for ice creams followed on our way home.
Thank you to John for the guiding expertise and liaising with the farmer to make this trip possible.
Thanks also to Lynette, Julian, Bronwyn, Neville and Maurice for their company.
Phyllis.
Katiki Beach – Shag Point
Tuesday, July 9th, 2019
Sunday 7th July 2019
Eight trampers in two vehicles arrived at the car park at the north end of Katiki Beach at 10 o’clock, having driven the 45 km from Oamaru – the late start was determined by the 1 pm low tide. A ninth participant met them there. The two largest vehicles were ferried down to the car park at the south end of the beach and left there, with the third vehicle returning north with the drivers. About 10.30am we set off north up Katiki Beach to walk the 2kms to the northern limit where the beach meets the hills of Katiki Point. On the way we crossed the trickle that comprised Trotters Creek and turned around just before 11 o’clock at an unnamed estuary by the end of the beach.
We then headed southward down the beach, passing our starting point and stopping for morning tea about an hour after we had set off. It was now 1 ½ hours from low tide so the sand was getting wider and was firm enough to provide an excellent walking surface. The beach was sheltered from the stiff, cold northerly breeze so it was warm enough some top clothing layers to be removed. Shortly after smoko, we started coming across the many and varied rock formations which are a feature of Katiki Beach. There were reefs with round pools, Katiki boulders (similar to Moeraki boulders), layered strata in the cliffs, rock shelves notable for their protection of slippery algae, and, further along, myriad small spherical rocks like bowling balls. Navigation of the rock formations, not to mention photography, made for slow progress, so it was not until almost 1.15 that we passed the last rocks and settled down for lunch.
Lunch over, we walked down the sandy beach to the start of the rock shelf which runs down the north-east side of Shag Point and was now fully exposed by the low tide. Walking was a careful process, avoiding the dark algae which could make the surface extremely slippery and using poles for extra stability. The sandstone shelf supported an amazing variety of rock formations including huge Katiki boulders, many split to form open flower buds or spa pools, straight drainage channels, parallel tram lines and strange prehistoric scripts. Many of the rocks contained fossils. By 3 o’clock, we had reached the end of the walkable section and, watched by a group of young seals, we climbed up the rocks and then some steps to a grassy reserve behind some cribs.
Because of the time, we decided not to continue on to the point itself but, after a short break, turned right up the road and old railway formation for the 2km walk back to the cars. The 17 km walk in very pleasant conditions had offered much of interest for Chris, Bronwyn, Bess, Bevan, Julian, Lynette, Neville, Robbie and John.
