April 2025 Clubnight
Julian chaired our meeting today.
Trip Reports
Elephant Hill 8 people enjoyed this walk including some from Waimate. A round trip,visiting both the head and the backside of the elephant.Good weather.
Glen Warren Twilight Walk
The public were invited to join us on this walk starting and ending at the gardens.
Nth Temple
5 people went up to the Temple valley hoping to make Rabbiters Peak but because of the very windy conditions were driven back but made it as far as the tarn.
Mt Kyeburn
6 people did this walk.They enjoyed good views and good weather.
The Wednesday walkers and the wanderers gave their reports,
Up and Coming Trips
Mt Heim via Canyon Creek
Oahu Peak or Egg Lake
Lake Coleridge .Options from a base accommodation.
A reminder of our A.G.M. and Trip planning for next months meeting.
Our speakers tonight were Julian and Lyn Hardy telling us about their recent trips ,walking the Motatapu track,the Heaphy track and up to the Mueller hut.The Motatapu Trackgoes from Arrowtown to Glendu Bay.This track is almost all along high ridges which are exposed but with great views.A lot of up hill grunts.They spent 3 nights in good huts. The track passes through Soho Station and luckily the weather wasn”t windy.
The Heaphy track was enjoyable .It runs from the Collingwood area to Karamea and is 78.4 kms long.They spend 3 nights and 4 days covering this in good company and in good huts.A great tramp with varying terrain,bush, rivers and beaches and they crossed the new bridge over the Heaphy.They also had good weather for their tramp.
Another walk they did was in the Mt Cook area up to the Mueller Hut They had beautiful weather and great views.
Meeting closed at 8.20pm followed by a cup of tea.
March 2025 clubnight
Jenny chaired our meeting.
Trip Reports
Nth Peak Cave 10 people did this walk from Trotters Gorge .Made it to the cave then on to the top of Nth Peak for lunch.Good views from the top on a fine day.
Twilight Walk
A walk around Cape Wanbrow was held on Feb 17th and the public were invited to join us.3 people took up the offer and enjoyed the evening walk.
Dusky Trail 4 people left the Pukaki Canal carpark and had a hot but picturesque walk along this biking/walking trail.
Lake Herron to Lake Emily Hakatere
A nice easy walk from Lake Heron to Double hut then on to Manuka hut.Tents were required at Double hut but the weather was good. Beautiful views in this backcountry area.
Mt David
7 people climbed this peak from Danseys Pass Rd.A gentle start then steeper and nearer the top quite tricky.Lovely 360 views and Mt Cook could be seen in the distance.A rewarding climb but a big day.
Wednesday walkers gave their report.
Up and coming trips Skyline walk at twilight
East Matukituki at Anniversary Weekend
Nth Temple with options include Rabbiters Pass
Mt Kyeburn
Members Summer Adventures
Neville spoke about exploring the East Matukituki with Colin and doing the Wanaka Skyline walk.This is from Mt Roy carpark to the top then on over to the top of Mt Alpha.Amazing views,some interesting rock formations,but a very hot day out.
Mary showed us photos of a coastal walk in the Palmerston area This was on a beautiful day and her photography reflected this.
Jenny reported on her `Round the Mountain` bike ride.This started with a trip across Lake Wakatipu on the Ernslaw to Mt Nicolas Station then biking around the Eyre Mountains and through Garston and finishing at Kingston.Good accomadation at old hotels on the way.An easy ride with only one hill.Fabulous views.
She also had lovely photos of her Glacier Burn near Kinloch.
Meeting closed at 9.00pm.
December 2024 Club Night
Jenny chaired our meeting. D.O.C. are wanting feedback on National Park management as they are updating their policies.
Trip Reports
Paradise Gully In the Hopkins area. There was a lot of climbing and bush bashing at first then down into the valley. A lovely spot.Followed trap lines on the way back.A good weekend.
Scout Hill 11 people turned out for this walk in the Kakanui range. A windy day out but with good views.
Love our Huts – 5 people checked and up Monument hut and Elcho huts. This walk included a night spent sleeping under the stars.Mistletoe was in full bloom.
Wednesday walkers gave their report
Up and Coming trips
Nth Temple .Overnight trip with options.
Pearsons Hut Mountainbike to hut
Awakino Botanical Trip See alpine plants in their habitat.
Silver Peaks Walk a circuit.
Oahu Peak A climb of 1200m
Mt Alexandra and Mt.Nobbler 2 peaks in the Kakanui range
Evening Walks open to the public will be held on our February club night.Start at 6.30pm and walk around the cape tracks.
New automatic traps have been installed in the Herbert forest. There are now 15 altogether.A great effort.
Our speaker tonight was Dave Woods
He recently returned to the UK to connect with friends and family.He talked about the places where he grew up and his early experiences walking in the hills.The Lake District area and the Yorkshire dales were favourite places and where he climbed his first mountain ” Helvellyn”
Dave also explained to us how different height hills and mountains have been given different names.E,g Wainwrights,Munroes,Corbetts,Nuttalls, Marilyns etc.,all these are different heights and people are very keen to tick off all in the same catagory over the U K. The names mostly originated from guide books written by the namesakes who had climbed them.
Dave also visited Scotland and Skye where he ticked off 3 munroes.He followed his talk with a quiz and a quick lesson on gaelic pronouciation.
This interesting talk was followed by a Christmas supper
November 2024 Meeting Report
NOTMC Meeting Report Nov.2024
Jenny chaired our meeting. A handbook has been produced by the club to be given to new members as a guide .
Trip Reports
Waianakarua river mouth to Kakanui river mouth. 5 people enjoyed .this coastal walk .They timed their walk according to the tide.Very successful.
Bike Trip
Weather not good for this ,only 2 people were keen. They enjoyed it Route kept under wraps for a fine day another time
Discovery of Cave at North Peak
This cave has been lost to the club for quite a few years,but found again after a lot of searching.Trees in the area had been felled so it was a good time to search.The cave was rediscovered on the south ridge of Nth Peak. A good result .
Mt Milne
4 people walked 4 hrs to the top of Mt Milne. There was still snow on the west side and it was foggy on top. A good day out.
Up and Coming Trips.
Paradise Gully in the Hopkins area.
Mt Sommers staying overnight in huts in Hakataere area.
Scout Hill in the Kakanui Ranges.
Love Our Huts
An expedition is planned to tidy up and check on some of the huts in the Ohau area.Hope to visit Cullers Hut ,Dazzler Biv,and Elcho huts.
Trip Planning then went ahead for the next 3 month period.
An idea to have night walks was put forward and supported by members.Looking to hold them in February.A discussion on locator beacons and emergency contacts was had also.
Meeting closed Followed by a cup of tea.
Trip Report, Rabbiters Peak, 29,30 March 2025
Four members and 2 extras set out from town at 7 am. We rendezvoused at the Wrinkly Rams for a quick coffee and headed up to the Temple carpark which was quite busy with campers. It was a blue sky day and we had a pleasant walk up the valley, reaching the head of the valley in time for lunch. One of the group decided to stay and camp there for the night while the rest carried on up the steep hill in the general direction of Rabbiters Peak. Good route finding skills by the 2 extras resulted in minimal scrub bashing. Our aim was to find a camping spot at the tarn just below the 1600 contour and explored the ridge beyond that for possibilities to get to the peak by following along the ridge. After about 2 1/2 hours we reached the tarn and set up our tents and after the usual snacks and drinks were had we went to the ridge just there 150m further up to check the likelihood of going that way in the morning. It turned out that this way was not the easiest with some steep rock climbs required with a lot of exposure to bad outcomes should anyone take a tumble.
So we packed up and went down retrieving some of the bits of gear that had blown away during the night as we went. We met up with the lonely camper at the head of the North Temple, even getting him out of bed and after his pack up walked back down the valley to reach the cars just before lunchtime. The day was much more overcast than the previous day and a broody NW promised rain at some point.
This was a short but otherwise very nice trip into out backyard hills. We didn’t reach our objective, but there is always another day. Thanks to Julian, Lorena, Neil, Jonah and Scout for coming .
Robbie