Trip Reports
A20 Bike Ride Duntroon to Kurow and Back
Monday, November 21st, 2016
20th November 2016
After driving to Duntroon five cyclists rode through the wetlands and along the A2O trail towards Kurow in perfect weather conditions.
The first obstacle to confront us was the Otekaieke River which was cloudy and running higher than normal after the recent heavy rain and snow melt. Four cyclists appeared on the other side and while we searched for a safe passage across they proceeded to come over to us crossing the several braids and confirmed that the other 2 river crossings were negotiable. After pushing and lifting our bikes through the, at times, knee-deep water we made it across safely and continued on towards Kurow. Some of us had changed into crocs especially for the river crossings but as they were quite comfortable and our feet dried quickly we carried on without changing back to our original footwear.
The Otiake River was running clear and easily forded. After a pleasant ride along the flats we then cycled through the vineyard and across the cloudy Kurow River without any problems. Three more cyclists met us at the Te Kohurau Cafe for lunch and we all left at 12.30pm to cycle to Duntroon with the sun and wind behind us. The trail was in good condition apart from the odd rut considering the amount of rain that had fallen in the last week. One of the ruts caused a “Fly over the handlebars” for one but the only other casualty was a broken gear cable which was fixed temporarily using a stick and some strapping tape.
Thanks to Jane, Bron, John, Heather, Karyl, Jac and Maurice for their company.
Phyllis
Herbert Forest Botanical Walk
Tuesday, November 15th, 2016
Sunday 9th October 2016
Seven of us left the car park and we picked up 3 more at Robbie’s. This was a botanical ramble with 2 very knowledge botanists, Zuni Steer and Hugh Wood. The object of the day was to try and educate us in identifying our native flora and then to remember their names! Quite a challenge for some .
We started at the bottom of the Podocarp Track and meandered our way to the big trees, then took the Glenbournie Loop back. On the way back we were often tested to see if we had retained our newly found knowledge!!
A very big thanks to Zuni and Hugh for coming out and helping us and being so patient.
On the way home we dropped the key off and Robbie gave us an open air didgeridoo concert overlooking the Waianakarua River. What a great way to finish the day.
Thank you to every one for a very entertaining day.
Herbert Forest Trap Setting Day
Sunday, November 13th, 2016
Sunday the 13th November 2016
Twelve Club members and a Venture Scout gathered at 8.30am with Khan Adam and three colleagues from High Country Contracting at the Swallows Carpark for a briefing before picking up the traps and setting out to place them. The plan was to place traps at 100 metre intervals along the Swallows, Podocarp and Hoods Creek tracks, alternating Doc 20 traps (in boxes, to catch stoats, rats and hedgehogs) with Sentinel possum traps (attached to trees).
One team of seven trampers set off with Khan and one colleague for the Podocarp Track. The remaining six trampers and two professionals headed up the Swallows Track, each team carrying sufficient traps for their route. The traps were placed a few metres off the track with their positions marked by ribbons.
The second team, having completed Swallows, took the first team’s vehicles up to the top of the Podocarp Track, restocked with traps, and headed down Hoods Creek. About two-thirds of the way down, they met the first group, who had worked their way up having completed the Podocarp Track. Both groups walked back to the road to collect vehicles and head home by around 2.30pm, having placed some 64 traps. It remains to place traps on the loop tracks, tag them all and start regular checking and resetting, tasks which we hope will control predators and help ensure that the Herbert Forest is noted for its thriving bird life as well as its magnificent trees.
Thanks to Khan and his colleagues, and to Jane, Graham, Neville, Sebastian, Roz, Maurice, Phyllis, Noel, Bron, Bill, Ross and Bess.
John.
Edwards to Hawdon Valleys via Tarn Col
Tuesday, October 25th, 2016
Labour Weekend 2016
A long weekend with fine weather forecast proved to be a good incentive to head over to Arthurs Pass for some tramping.
Friday night was spent at Porters Heights skifield accommodation where Tim’s daughter, Clare lives and works.
We woke to a -3degree frost on Saturday morning with fog blanketing the lower reaches on the way to Arthurs Pass. As Tim had already had a car at Porter Heights we were able to drive and leave it at the Hawdon carpark to await our return on Monday.The four of us then drove around to Greyneys where we parked the second car near the Bealey River.The fog had lifted and the sun shone as we made our way across the railway bridge and up the Edwards River Valley only to get wet feet soon after immersing in the Minga and various other streams.
After a pleasant walk on the riverbed and in bush, mainly uphill, we stopped for an early lunch at a viewpoint where we could see a spectacular waterfall on the Edwards River. A wire chain to assist passage over a rocky bluff had been replaced by re-routing the track down a steep gravel zig-zag.
We arrived at the Edwards hut just before 2pm to find we were the only ones there. That soon changed as more people arrived at various stages during the afternoon including a group of five from the South Canterbury Tramping Club, swelling the numbers to over twenty, with some sleeping on the kitchen floor and outside. A few of the SC TC members were known to us so we had an enjoyable evening reminiscing with them .
Another frost, but fine day saw us leaving the hut at 7.30am to make our way up the head of the Edwards Valley to the Taruahuna Pass and across an enormous pile of rocks of all sizes, the result of landslides from Falling Mountain triggered by a large earthquake in 1929. A climb up a gut led us to a steep face about three quarters of the way up to Tarn Col. Concentration levels were high as we hauled ourselves up clinging to the snowgrass to reach the top. One slip here would not be pretty.
A lunch break was taken sitting beside the tarn on the Col and then it was over the edge and down the narrow gut on the other side towards the East branch of the Otehake River, where we had another rest and snack before heading upstream criss-crossing to reach the turn-off to Walker Pass.
A short climb through scrub led us over the top passing a picturesque tarn on the way. Many crossings of the tarn outlet followed until a steep, sometimes rocky track took us down passing Twin Falls ( Two waterfalls) and then onto an easy going track in the bush to the Hawdon Hut, arriving at 3.15pm. Once again the comfortable hut, built in 2007 was at full capacity sleeping twenty people for the night.
A 7.30pm start once again on Monday morning enabled us to walk down the Hawdon River Valley and out to Tim’s car by 10.15am. This involved some easy walking in the bush but with quite a few river crossings, the last being well up our thighs (Not Tim’s though). Russell from SC TC hitched a ride with us back to Greyneys and we all left from there to head home.
Thanks to Clare, Tim, Maurice and also the SCTC Members, Dorothy, Kathryn, Russell, Martin, and Robert for their company in making an enjoyable weekend.
Phyllis
Cromwell Explore
Sunday, October 16th, 2016
1st-2nd October 2016
Saturday started with fog over Lake Dunstan but soon a bright clear Central sky came through for the day. Jac and Karyl walked the Cromwell – Bannockburn Lakeside Walk starting from Old Cromwell. Bev, Dave, Bill and I did the Cairnmuir Track starting on Pigeon Rock Rd on Cornish Point. The DOC track follows several ridgelines up the Cairnmuir Range. When the ground is barren – the smallest flora and fauna become larger in perspective. Thyme, Bidibid, California Poppy, Kowhai and Hebe were all in flower. Dave spotted a Yellowhammer sitting on a rock. Over 3-4 metres, Bev saw a lot of black fluffy caterpillars which possibly were the caterpillars of the Magpie Moth, which we had seen earlier in the day. Bill sniffed out an old water race enroute – a short cut to the hut. It took 3 hours to reach the large Cairnmuir Musterer’s Hut, it contained a table and no bunks. The hut is still in good condition. We got back to the vehicles by 4pm and after dropping off Bill, we went back to camp to catch up on Jac and Karyl. On Sunday, we went for a short walk out to the Bannockburn sluicings on Felton Rd. Here we were humbled by the sheer hard labour that went into gold exploration.
Many Thanks for your company Karyl, Jac, Bev, Bill, and Dave.
Bess
