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Blackcap & Scout Hill
Monday, December 2nd, 2024
Sunday 1 December 2024
This tramp took in a circuit of tussock run country between the Hectors Creek and the South Branch
of the Kakanui River. It started at the end of Turnbulls Road which turns off Dunrobin Road which, in
turn, turns off Kakanui Valley Road north of Five Forks.
The route started south across gently rolling country to and then along Black Cap Road with a short
diversion to climb the eponymously named Black Cap (769 metres), with its cap of dark basalt rocks
and the remains of a trig. Back on the road, the route wound down to cross a low saddle between
Hectors and Mole Hill Creeks before tackling the 200 metre climb to the top of Scout Hill (892
metres). It then dropped down, past some organ-pipe like volcanic outcrops and a mob of Hereford
cows and calves to Scout Hut, where the group stopped for lunch.
Lunch was followed by a 2 ½ Km northerly walk up Mole Hill Road to a gate on the right which led
out over a flattish area before a grassy track showed the way. It wound down a ridge, then
descended steeply in a zig-zag to the Mole Hill Creek, some 300 metres below the road. A bulldozed
track then followed a narrow gully up the other side before coming out on to a flattish top, 200
metres above the creek. It then wound through a densely tussocked flat and back out on to the track
leading to the cars. The 21 km walk had taken 7 hours and had been enjoyed by Mary and Geoff,
Helen and Rodney, Linda and Neill, Lynette and Julian, Lorena, and John.
Waianakarua to Kakanui
Monday, October 21st, 2024
Sunday 20 October 2024
This was the first time for many years, if not for ever, that this stretch of coast had been traversed on foot by the club. The walk was organised around a scheduled low tide at 12 o’clock, so the departure from Medway Street was at the unusually late time of 9.30am. The seven trampers drove the 22 kms to where the track into the Waianakarua River mouth leaves the road, where they met another two participants. A car was left at Kakanui along the way.
Boots on, we walked south along the deeply rutted 1/2km track to the mouth, admiring the way the shingle bank across the mouth of the estuary had been sculpted by the competing forces of high river flow and southerly storms. At 10.15 we turned down on to the beach and headed north, initially on shingle and then on to the progressively fine, white sand of Te Hakapureirei Beach. After just over half an hour we passed the closed mouth of the Bowalley stream and, at 11.15 we stopped for morning tea just short of the first obstacle on the journey: Bridge Point. We were entertained there by a surfer on a foilboard riding high above the waves.
The limestone promontory of Bridge Point is noted for the two natural tunnels which go through it and which are negotiable at low tide. We took the inland tunnel and, being about half an hour before low tide, most traversed it without getting wet feet. Coming out the other side, we paused to admire some massive limestone rocks, a cave, and a flat rock platform extending to the next obstacle: Orore Point. As we approached Orore Point, we could see the platform extending several hundred metres out to sea, providing a base for a number of paua gatherers and children with buckets exploring the many rock pools.
After rounding Orore Point, we headed along the firm golden sand of All Day Bay, reaching Campbells Bay about 12.45. Lunch was declared, so we settled down on two handy logs just by the path down to the beach. Two surfers provided entertainment, and they were joined by a third as we stood up for the last leg of the walk: around Kakanui Point. A short exploratory trip around the foreshore rocks revealed a gap which would make it impossible to get around and stay dry, so we climbed the ramp from the beach, past the toilets, along the grassy clifftop past Lindsay’s Seat to a track leading back down to the rocks. The rock formations here were different – volcanic remains of an ancient caldera and the going comprised a mixture of volcanic rock outcrops, flat rock platforms, kelp, shingle and sand. It was straightforward apart from one outcrop which required a bit of a scramble, not aided by the guarding seal. Eventually, we got around the point and came to a higher rock formation which formed a more serious obstacle. Three managed to get over while the other four turned back to find other routes up to the terrace. In so doing, all missed the path which zig-zagged up the bank to come out on top just past Molly’s Seat.
All regathered on the clifftop which we walked around, continuing along the track beside the estuary, and over the bridge to arrive at the Kakanui Store just on three o’clock and enjoy a well-earned ice cream. The drivers were then ferried back the Waianakarua mouth to pick up their cars. It had been a very different walk in perfect conditions, with interesting geological formations, seals, seagulls and surfers enjoyed by Lorena, Julian, Mike, David, Helen, Rodney and John.
Little Mt. Peel
Thursday, November 23rd, 2023
Sunday 19 November 2023
Five of us left Oamaru on a partly cloudy day and headed up through Geraldine where we stopped for a coffee break before heading to the car park for Mt Peel at the end of Blandswood Rd.
We set off just before 9.30am on the Deer Spur Track with low cloud around the mountain tops, but we were optimistic it would clear. The first hour & and a half is a steep hike up through the Mt Peel Forest with some wooden steps build for giants and a bit of mud here and there to negotiate, which we got around not too badly.
After coming out of the bush the cloud had lifted a bit, so we got a view of the ridge to come and that there was still more up. The track was pretty good with some boardwalk sections and the last part before the top was steep and rocky.
We got to the top at 1311m about 12.15pm and we were all in agreement that Little Mt Peel was not as little as everyone thinks. Lunch was had, taking in the views but we couldn’t see Big Mt Peel because it was covered in cloud.
After lunch and taking photos, we decided to tackle the South Ridge Route down, which looked like it descended steeply over a narrow rocky ridge for a couple of hundred metres before levelling out a bit.
The track was a narrow track with plenty of scrub to hold on to – to stop us from slipping over in places, and even when it did level off a bit it was still a bit rocky with some ups and downs. After about an hour we were back in the bush descending steeply down to Emily Stream and a side visit to the Emily falls.
From here it was on the Emily falls track back out to the car park after 6 ½ hours of hiking and covering about 10.5 km. We all agreed that we had done enough hiking for the day and we would probably feel it the next day, so it was back to Geraldine for a refreshment stop before heading home.
I would like to thank Julian, Jonathan, Jenny and Mike for making the slog up more enjoyable.
Neville
Trotters Gorge Working Bee
Thursday, October 12th, 2023
Sunday 30 September 2023
Five of us headed down to Trotters Gorge on Sunday the 30th of September to do a bit of a tidy up on a track we have down there called Dave’s track. Dave’s track is in memory of a past member that liked exploring the trotters gorge area and was build many years ago by club members. Early this year I had been up the track and in was starting to get a bit overgrown and was in need of a cut back and tidy up.
We headed up past the Otago University hut, crossing Trotter’s Creek several times till we came to the clearing where the valley splits up past the hut. We took a track to the right and crossed Trotters Creek and up towards the eucalyptus trees. Along the way on this track, we had a bit of a cut back of the gorse, but it wasn’t too bad up this track to the entrance of Dave’s track just under Arns peak.
We cut back the entrance a bit and climbed up a good track and around the base of Arns peak, having a bit of a cut back along the way. Morning tea was taken before we dropped back down into the wee bushy valley. The plan for the day was to have a wee cut back and put some new markers up and having time for a walk in the area after lunch, but we got carried away a bit and spend most of the day working our way up the valley, having a good cut back and putting up new markers.
At the head of the valley before you climb out, we had to re-route the track in places because there had been some small slips and the pigs had made a bit of a mess. It was about 2.30pm when we reached the forest road and instead of going up the road and back down passed Arns peak like we have done in the past, I decided that we would walk down the road to everyone’s joy to Horse range road which I hadn’t done before.
Well, it was a long 6km walk on a gravel road, so I know what it is like now and probably won’t go that way again, but I can say I have been down there now. We got back to the car about 4pm, so Dave’s track is now well cut back and marked and is all within the Trotters Gorge Reserve till you get to the forest road.
Thank for all your hard work and company for the day; – Bess, John, Maurice and Phyllis
Neville
Club Night July 2022
Tuesday, July 12th, 2022
11 July 2022
Trip Reports
The Quarintine Island trip could hardly be classified as a tramping trip but 19 members along with some partners took the oportunity to visit this Otago Harbour Island.
9 members walked the cliff tops and beach from Andersons Lagoon to the Shag River Mouth. Some excellent views of the local wildlife, sometimes in action, were had.
The Wednesday Walkers walked the Timaru inland walkway from Saltwater Creek, did a circuit from Windsor up Peaks Road returning via the A2O bike track, a Ngapara Farm walk, and the Seacliff- Split Rock circuit.
Coming Trips
1. Nimrod Reserve, going up the zig zag track, before returning and doing the loop track.
2. Cass Valley weekend on the west side of Lake Tekapo.
3. An A2O bike ride from Oamaru.
4. Snow shoeing and cross country skiing at the Pisa Range snow farm.
5. A September event reminder of a snow skills weekend at Awakino.
Please look at “What’s On” for more information and booking cutoff dates.
Quiz Night
Members enjoyed a quiz on tramping topics organized by Bess, which included identifying bird song, recognizing huts, lakes and map points. A correct answer was rewarded with a chocolate fish and no yellow cards were issued!