Macraes Bike Trip
Sunday 26 November 2017
A golden day beckoned an enthusiastic bunch of bikers and a couple of walkers to Macraes on Sunday the 27th.
The ride started with heading off past the billboards in the art park up Redbank Rd then at the DOC headquarters we took a farm track south to link up with the skink ‘exclosure’ on Frazers Rd. With the main purpose of the fence being to exclude predators, DOC use the term ‘exclosure’.
DOC field officer, Patrick Liddy, kindly met us at the exclosure, briefing us on the protected area, their conservation efforts and what we’d likely find within. The majority of the group spotted most skink species which call the exclosure home: the Grand, the Otago, McCains, the Green and the Common Skinks. However the endemic species of gecko eluded us all. It was great to hear the success of the exclosure and the fact that several unique species are successfully cohabiting in their natural environment.
The manuka was in full bloom, including a prostrate variety and there were also a couple of plant species which seemed out of situ growing at that altitude, including a fuschia species.
After an hour spotting skinks, we tucked into lunch before heading up to the highest point on the ride which was Lott’s Wife (714m). We then backtracked down the hill to Bonanza Hut where remnants of an old mine shaft from Macraes early mining days could be viewed below. After returning to the intersection of Philips, Frazers and Bonanza we split in two groups with one group returning to Stanley’s Hotel via Frasers Rd while the second group added a few extra km’s to their trip, by rushing down a hill intending to link up with Ramrock Rd, and return via Nenthorn. However, with a nice downhill, nec minute, we found that we were at the end of a trapping line at which point it was decided it would be better to return to Frazers Rd and follow the other group out. An influence on this decision was the dirty, big threatening cloud that looked like it could open above us at any time, however, as we now know Roxborough received the lot while we basked in sun along with the lizards (skink) and finished at historic hotel Stanley’s with a well-earned drink.
Jane M
