Club Night 11 October 2021

Thursday, October 14th, 2021

14 masked and spaced out members attended the Clubs October meeting under covid level 2.

Robbie reported that the large pine tree lying lengthwise along the Hoods Creek track in the Herbert Forest has had a temporary track cut around it.

Since the last meeting one trip was cancelled because of adverse weather, but a trip up Maryburn stream was enjoyed by a small group who then climbed Simons Hill.

The Wednesday Walkers had walks on the Roseneath Station loop, the lower part of Station Peak, the Herbert Forest circuit and the escarpment from Waianakarua to Herbert.

Coming trips are to the Silverpeaks looking for the Hermits Cave, the Rock and Pillar Range, and the Signal Hill track from Logan Park.

There was discussion on the draft Waitaki District Councils Spatial Plan looking at urban housing expansion over the next 30 years. Concern was expressed about the possible inclusion of reserve areas being used for housing, in this plan.

Jonathan then took us down memory lane, looking through the Clubs archives at old trips, annual reports and bushcraft / survival courses.
Jane Naish expanded on one of these which was her first bushcraft course in the Hopkins Valley. Basically it was about why you don’t go up the Hopkins for a bushcraft course in a Nor’wester.
 It rained heavily and the rivers rose rapidly. A family in their hut had to be evacuated across the Hopkins pending the birth of their next child, members river crossings and hypothermia were coped with and another family group with an imbalance of food and wine was helped out, making it a bushcraft course to remember and learn from.

Club Night September 2021

Saturday, September 18th, 2021

The club managed to hold its monthly meeting under Covid 19 Level 2 rules.

Pre lockdown 5 members enjoyed a day on skis and snow shoes at Ohau ski field.
The weather turned out OK and a meal at the lodge on the way home capped of a good day.

Also pre lockdown the Wednesday Walkers had a new day walk on Elginview Station with excellent views over the Waitaki Valley from the North side.
 A 15k walk around Oamaru was managed under Level 2.

Coming trips are to Maryburn and Simons Hill, and a 2 day trip to the East Ahuriri from Quailburn, camping at some tarns.

The main event of the evening was a quiz with 80 questions on topics of tramping, geography, flora and fauna and general knowledge. All competitors were given “brain food” sweets at the start which were furtively slipped under our masks during the event, though they didn’t help much for some. Margie was a clear winner with a score of 56.

Club Night 9 August 2021

Tuesday, August 10th, 2021

The Club decided to participate in Conservation Week at the beginning of September. The committee will decide what to do.

Members were asked to report any wallaby sightings while out in the hills to a District Council, especially sightings on the south side of the Waitaki River.

Trip Reports
The Wednesday Walkers had day trips to Cornish Head and Matanaka, finishing with a return beach walk to the Waikouaiti River Mouth, the Earthquakes and farm walk near Duntroon,  The Tapui 3 Peaks and 2 Tunnels circuit, and the A2O track from Aviemore to Kurow.
The Tramping Club had a  weekend trip to Queenstown, where they joined up with Hokanui Tramping Club members. They walked the Mt Crichton Loop Track which took them past Lake Dispute. Some went night skiing or down the luge, and on Sunday they did the Sawpit Gully Walkway near Arrowtown.

The other Tramping Club Trip was to the Waiorau Snow Farm where they enjoyed snow shoeing and cross country skiing, staying in Wanaka. They managed to make it home over the Lindis Pass in a snow storm.

Coming Trips are skiing at Ohau, a weekend of Dunedin walks, and climbing the Ben Ohau Range returning via the Greta Track. The September Club night will be a quiz night.

The rest of the Club night was taken up with planning trips until the end of the year.

Club Night July 2021

Tuesday, July 13th, 2021

Club Trips

6 Members walked the length of Katiki Beach from the North end and continued round over the Shag Point Rock Shelf at low tide. The exit from the beach was, as usual, guarded by a contingent of fur seals, but as they were sleeping in the warm sun, it was easy to dodge around them.

Mt Cargill was climbed from Bethune’s Gully along with lots of other walkers and runners. The fine day enabled 360 degree views including the Rock and Pillar Range. They returned via the Organ Pipes.

Woosies bike trip from Kakanui took them down the coast, with the pedal power bikes turning up Bowalley Rd. and the ebikes continuing to the Waianakarua River. Both groups returned via inland routes to lunch at the Kakanui Café.

Coming Trips are to Big Hut on the Rock and Pillar Range, Queenstown walks with the Hokanui Tramping Club and cross country skiing at the Cardrona Ski Farm.

Wednesday Walkers had return walks on the A2O from Windsor through Rakis Tunnel and Otematata to Benmore Dam. A Timaru coastal walk revealed substantial damage from the previous night’s high seas, and a circuit from Ashlands Rd to overlooking Trotters Gorge and a return via Snake Gully was endured in a bitterly cold Sou-wester.

Club members then showed photos of various trips they had been on.

They included a return trip up the Karangarua River to Douglas Pass, some exquisite photos of mountain flowers, a tramp on Great Barrier Island, “creatures of the forest” showing life like moss covered stumps, the Hump Ridge track in a snow storm, and the Able Tasman which finished with a kayak trip in rough seas.

Club Night June 2021

Wednesday, June 16th, 2021

Club Night 14 June 2021

Trip Reports

16 bikers did a round Otago Harbour ride, starting with a ferry crossing from Port Chalmers to Broad Bay, doing a return trip to Portobello, lunch at McAndrew Bay and back to Port Chalmers via the Dunedin waterfront. An enjoyable ride on a sunny autumn day that will be even better once the tracks at each end are finished.

Trotters Gorge had some much needed track maintenance with 2 Trotters Creek Tracks being opened up again and a start made on Dave’s Track.

Swallows Track in the Herbert Forest received some gravel on the muddy areas.

The Wednesday Walkers had day trips to Lower Ben Lomond, returning via Sheepwash Creek, Black Cap and Scout Hill, Maraeweka Forest and Kuriheka via the Island Streem waterfall, Moeraki Millennium Track round to No2 Kaika and a new farm walk in the Island Cliff area. Older members also provided a guard of honor for Ivan Main’s funeral.

Coming trips are to Silver Peaks looking for Hermits cave, a Katiki Beach and Shag Point rock shelf beach walk, the Mt Cargill organ pipes and a 35k bike ride from Maheno. Members were asked to bring some photos of their favorite trip, to the July Club Night.

Guest Speaker was club member Julia Christie who gave a presentation of her and husband Bob’s Federated Mountain Club trip in Peru and then a private tour of Chile, Brazil and Argentina.

FMC tour leader Eileen Cameron took them on some fantastic tramps in the Andes mountains of Northern Peru in altitudes of up to 5000m above sea level. She made sure they acclimatized to the altitude gradually so there were only minor altitude sickness problems. Fast climbs were definitely not on the agenda though! We saw some fantastic photos of the high Andes with a smattering of June snow and a large variety of native birds and animals.

Another highlight was a trip into the Amazon Jungle with its associated animal and bird life including large flocks of white herons.

Cuzco, centre of the ancient Inca empire was the next stop, with a trip to Machu Picchu followed by walking the Lares Inca Trail nearby. Walking the Ausangate Trek brought to an end their FMC part of the trip.

It was then over the border to NE Chile, to the town of San Pedro de Atacama in the high altiplano and its extensive salt flats, pink flamingos, Valley of the Moons, volcanos, geysers and hot springs.

A flight to Rio de Janeiro and visits to Brasilia, a New Zealand owned dairy farm, the Iguazu Falls, Montevideo and Buenos Aires completed a fantastic 5 month tour of South America.