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Mt. Parker
Wednesday, August 5th, 2015
Sunday 2nd August 2015
It was cool and fine and stayed that way for the walk. As we approached Glenavy we thought we were in for a Leidecker View Day, as we encountered fog, but it turned out to be short lived.
We left the Mount Parker yard at 9 am. and headed on up the Hill. There was a VERY SHORT DEBATE about taking the 4 wheel drive track or straight up a quite steep hill, the steep hill won! At the top good views were to be had of the Waitaki River, Valley and the Mountains. After morning tea in the tussocks, we headed down, going north to the valley floor and muster’s hut, where we had an early lunch at 11.30.
There was a lot of evidence of a successful pest kill with many remains of wallaby about. We never saw a live one all day, which was good.
From the hut we made our way to Penticotico Stream where we decided to go down it rather than taking the 4 wheel drive track. With many river crossings and a bit of bush bashing we made our way down stream where there was some Kowhai in flower and we also found Clematis afoliata (not in flower).
We came down steam a bit too far and had to do a couple of manoeuvres to get back on track and reached the yard about 3.30 ish.
There were a few of us who hadn’t been in this neck of the hills , so it was good to see new country. As usual we had a lot of laughs and thanks to Neville for organising the Trip. Many thanks also go the land owners for allowing us onto their properties. Neville, Linda, Jane, Noel, Robbie, John & Bronwyn,
P.S. A fashion statement has been set for the male trampers, so the rest of you need to up your anti in the HAT department!!!
Orbells Cave – Three O’clock Stream Sunday 14 June 2015
Saturday, June 20th, 2015
Back up Orbells Creek
Looking down Three O’Clock Stream Cave
Looking up Three O’Clock Stream
Lunch near the Cave
Orbells Cave
Orbells Cave
Orbells Creek
The Party
The day dawned fine with a reasonable forecast as eleven trampers in three vehicles left Oamaru at 8am and headed south, picking up another at Maheno and the thirteenth at Waikouaiti. There, they turned inland for the 24km drive over Buckland’s Crossing, and along the winding, narrow, gravel, ridge-top Blucher and Lamb Hill roads to the Bendoran Huts. The weather looked increasingly threatening as we headed south, and we were met by a cold southerly wind and light drizzle as we kitted up. We parked opposite a gateway about 200m north of Bendoran Huts and, just before 10am, set forth through the gate on a little used 4wd track, up over a hilltop and down a ridge to meet up with Orbells Creek. From here on the route was sheltered from the weather and the walking pleasant. After a short snack stop, we continued down the track which followed the creek all the rest of the way down, mostly on the true left but with a short stretch on the opposite side before recrossing by some yards a few minutes before spotting the cave in the schist rock face above the true left of the stream just on 12.30pm. After exploring the caves, we found a sheltered spot for lunch nearby. About 1.15, three trampers headed downstream for the 15 min walk to the broad valley of the Three O’clock Stream into which Orbells Creek flows and which, in turn, joins the Taieri River near Hindon. Meantime, the remaining ten, with a wary eye on the increasingly threatening weather, headed back up the valley. The three caught up with the ten near the top, to be greeted by a biting southerly gale and needle-like sleet across the exposed hilltop at around 4pm. Fortunately, the squall was short lived, particularly as one vehicle had a flat tyre which required changing in difficult conditions. That achieved, the party headed home, back to sunny North Otago. Enjoyment and exercise were had by Vanessa, Marcel, Phyllis, Maurice, Noel, Linda, Jac, Roz, Neville, Jane, Bill, Sam and John.
Queen’s Birthday 2015 Track Clearing Staircase Ridge/ Tabletop Circuit.
Monday, June 1st, 2015
This was not a scheduled trip but a replacement for the Sudden Valley trip which was cancelled due to adverse weather. On a previous wander to the Staircase Hut by a few of us it was noticed that a considerable amount of wind fallen manuka had blocked the circuit track. In fact pick up sticks comes to mind when describing what it looked like and it made the circuit nigh on impossible with a pack on. So when it looked as if the original trip was not on, this alternative was considered and luckily it came about that 4 of us set off in a slight drizzle on Saturday morning. The drizzle didn’t come to much and after about 4 hours we arrived at the Staircase hut and boiled the billy for a cup of tea before heading on to the start of the circuit track . We spent the rest of the afternoon cutting the tangle with our handsaws. Back to the hut for tea and as it happened an early night because despite the fire going quite well, there was no way of keeping the smoke from billowing into the hut, making it hard to be comfortable sitting up. Waking up to a glorious morning with almost summer conditions and a mild NW breeze helped get us into the working mode again and we were back cutting rather large diameter trunks until we finished the job just after 10am. Back to the hut for a brew and an early lunch, then packing up and completing the circuit via Tabletop. We had a clean-up of the gorse bit when you cross the creek just before the old yards on the way. Someone with a scrub cutter has cleared the worst of the overgrown section of the track just down from the last tussocky bit and this helped us get down quite quickly. The last grunt completed, we arrived back at the carpark just after 4pm feeling quite pleased with our effort for the weekend. Thanks for the great effort Maurice, Noel and Tim from Robbie
Tim on big saw
Maurice getting the measure
Job done.
Mount Horrible- Otamatakou, 17 May 2015
Wednesday, May 20th, 2015
It was an early start at 7am at carpark for all (just one straggler arriving as the clock struck 7 as he had slept in having woken up at 6.50am, no breakfast and only managed to get his socks on before breaking two road rules to get to the meeting place by the departure time – wont mention his name!!!!) There was a great turn out with 15 members, Maurice, Phyllis, Tim, Bronwyn, Theresa, Linda, Robbie, Neville, John, Jane, Steve and Ann, Marcel, Noel and Ross. We travelled in 4 vehicles arriving at the track car park next to the camping grounds around 8.30am weather being overcast and a light northerly wind. We followed doc markers to the Otamatakou Station boundary and followed the 4WD track up the mountain for roughly 300m and made a right turn and climbed up to a small saddle and then over to the ridge. We are reassembled at the ridge and then followed the ridge to the fence line which we followed to the top. We had great views but a very cold wind. We spent around 45 minutes at the top before making our way back down to the vehicles. We headed for home with Jane and her car load stopping for icecreams at Kurow. Noel
Deep Stream Tramp Report 10-5-2015
Monday, May 18th, 2015
After all the good weather the week leading up to this day Tramp I was hoping it was going to hold out for this day because it had been a while since we had been out due to the weather. Sunday dawned fine so 7 of as headed off up the Waitaki Valley to the Aviemore Dam where we started our day. It was on with our day packs and off up the road on the north side of Lake Aviemore to the start of the Deep Stream public walkway. The walkway track follows around the side of a small deep lake that Deep Stream flows into. The track is about 2km long and along the way there are a couple of picnic spots. At the head of the lake and where the stream flows into it is where the walkway finishes but we had permission from the farmer to carry on up the stream. After crossing the stream the gorge opens up into a big flat valley. We followed a 4WD track up the valley till the stream veers to the right and goes into a bit of a gorge. We decided to go high along the true left of the stream to meet up with a wee valley that meets the gorge from the east. We headed up this valley but had to go higher up to get out of the scrub and matagouri that wasn’t very nice to go through. This valley was just hopping with wallabies; I have never seen so many in one place in all my tramping years. One popped up in some scrub beside me and I thought it was going to hop over me. At the top of the valley on a saddle we had lunch looking down over Lake Waitaki. After lunch we had to drop down into a wee gorge, push through a bit more scrub and matagouri to get up to a fence and 4WD track on the other side. We follow this track but it turned into a dry creek bed that took us down to other 4WD track pass the remains of a old stone building and along to the fisherman’s bends camping ground beside Lake Waitaki. It was then over a gate and up a gravel road back to the cars. The whole day took us 5 and half hours, with good weather and great company. Thanks to Bron, Linda, John, Jane, Phyllis and Maurice for a good day out Neville
Coming down dry creek bed
Stone building remains