Trip Reports
Herbert Forest Working Bee 14 January 2024 Report
Wednesday, January 17th, 2024
With a bleak forecast ahead it was a pleasant surprise to have 13 club members turn up for this the first club activity for the year and indicates the value that members hold for these tracks and their commitment to ensure that members of the public can also enjoy them.
Our focus for the day was the Hoods Creek Track which suffered huge damage during last years’ wind event as well as being impacted by the log harvesting of the previous couple of years. Deviations around the most major wind fells have required many steps and members carried a further 60 steps and pegs to the various sites that required them. Groups went in from both ends of the track dropping materials off where needed and meeting in the middle (the grassy spot with the seats) before heading back in each direction clearing overgrown vegetation and putting more track markers in as needed to clearly identify the new deviations.
The rain did come, more so for those at the top end of the track and this group came out at about 1.30pm, having completed the necessary work. The group at the bottom end had a little more work to do and didn’t get the rain so they finished at 2.30 as planned.
My thanks to those who came, its a good feeling to know that members love the tracks as much as I do.
Robbie
Kattothryst
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024
The original trip idea was for a two night stay at Mitchells hut at the top of Mt Dasher station, which then morphed into a single night stay on the Saturday. However, when the group convened at Five Forks, the weather was cold and drizzly with the forecast to only clear late in the afternoon, so decided instead to meet again at 6:30am Sunday 21st Dec for a long day out instead.
After a quick coffee and getting ready stop we carried on up the 4×4 track on foot to the top to decide next steps. Mt Obi looked far away (one for next time if on mountain bikes) and Mt Dasher looked a bit ambitious. Trip leader then confused directions to Kattothryst, requiring some cross country through high grass and minor boulder fields. Back en-route to Kattothryst passed a couple of wild pigs and a fine Merino sheep and lamb, then leaving the packs at the bottom of the short and sharp climb to the summit. Great views from there across to Kakanui Peak, rock and pillar range, up to Dommett and the Hakataramea all the way round back to Oamaru. A couple of squalls coming through on the return to the hut. Thank you to Mt Dasher Station for access.
Mt Dalgety
Sunday, November 26th, 2023
November 26th 2023
Setting off at 7am, Mark, John and Jonathan headed up to the Hakataramea Pass, picking up Fiona on the way.
With warm weather and sunny blue skies we set off from the newly installed cattle grid at the top of the pass heading up the fence line. John brought his Sika saw along for some wilding pine clearing, but only saw a few as the land is being well managed by the station owners. At the two-thirds mark John stopped whilst the other three carried on to the top, where there was light wind and great views all around the Mackenzie, the Waitaki and across to the Grampian range.
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
North Otago Back Country Roads Bike Ride
Saturday, November 11th, 2023
Saturday 11 November 2023
The planned ride the previous Sunday was postponed because of wet cold weather, so with a brilliant fine day nine riders turned up at the Cant’s Road shelter on the Alps to Ocean bike trail at 1-30 pm.
We headed down the A2O towards Duntroon, thankful that the track had at long last been repaired and made more resilient from the 2022 flood. A stop was made at Grants Road where one rider discovered a thorn in his tyre which necessitated a quick repair job. We continued down past Elephant Rocks to the Duntroon Livingstone Road before turning left and zooming up the flat towards Livingstone.
The e bikes made short work of the Livingstone pinch and soon we were on Smiths Road, riding through the carbon farm, newly replanted after the fire which caused so much damage. There were quite a few hills through here but we made good time, appreciating the 360 degree views. We eventually turned on to Davidson Road, which was mainly downhill, emerging on to the Tokarahi Tapui Road and a short ride up Cant’s Road to our cars shortly before 5 pm.
An enjoyable 42k ride through the North Otago Back country.
Ross
