+Head Of Lake Wakatipu

Sunday, October 29th, 2023

Labour Weekend 2023

Day 1: Setting off on Saturday morning, John, Neville and I were in anticipation of a good weekend ahead. Also between Oamaru and Cromwell, tuning into many radio stations to get the gist of the All Blacks vs Argentina game. We picked up Lois in Cromwell and then met up with Jenny, Karyl and Graham in Glenorchy. They had travelled over on Thursday and on Friday, Jenny had walked up the Sugarloaf while Karyl and Graham walked in to Lake Reid. After a quick lunch we ventured up the Rees Road. The Rees Valley is named after European Settler William Rees who was the first runholder in the 1860’s. The Invincible Gold Mine Track is a gradual climb through bush on a well used track which had regular open views to the Rees Valley and Mt Earnslaw/Pikirakatahi. It was an hour to the site of the old water wheel, a stamper battery and seven berdans which are the revolving cast iron bowls that ground the ore. Neville found the mine shaft about 100 metres away which was not sign posted. After walking back to the vehicles, we drove around to Kinloch Lodge for the night. This accomodation provides bunk rooms, single beds, and double rooms which have recently been upgraded as well as the showers. The kitchen is fully equipped and the dining tables surface is covered in local maps which is inspiring for future trips.

Day 2 Lake Rere: The Greenstone carpark is 30 minutes down the road from Kinloch and it was apparent by the 25 vehicles that many people were out walking. We started walking at 9.15am and soon after crossed the lower Greenstone River bridge to walk for an hour across Greenstone Station towards Elfin Bay. We stopped for a snack near what used to be a homestead, with flowering clematis, lilac and corokia. Continuing on a marked route and which was obviously a stock route was reasonably muddy in places, we were enjoying the shade of the mountain Beech. We reached the spectacular Lake Rere 12.30ish and could see a clearing at the other end which the Boss (me) decided would be a good lunch spot. After the lake, the track descended gradually down towards the upper Greenstone River bridge to link up with the Greenstone Track. A couple of hours later, we came to the Greenstone/Caples Track junction. Jenny and Lois had shot ahead so they could walk up the Caples Track for a while and returned to meet us at that junction. After passing some waterfalls along the track, we met up with Graham back at the carpark about 3.30pm. We did this track at a leisurely pace as it was a beautiful place to be for the day, remembering Lake Rere was a popular tourist destination for Victorian ladies in the 19^th century. There were many groups going both ways and to avoid the hot afternoon sun, clockwise would be my pick. Driving back to Kinloch, there is an amazing view of Mt Earnslaw which John captured. A quick shower, drinks at Jenny and Grahams and then over to the restaurant for dinner – not hard core trampers.

Day 3 Moke Lake: John, Neville, Lois and I left the others at Kinloch as they were to drive back to Oamaru. We drove down the Glenorchy/Queenstown road and turned into the Moke Lake Road just before Queenstown. Reaching the lake 20 minutes later, we walked around the lake which was mirror smooth. The track is suitable for biking and has been upgraded recently with culverts and board walk over the wetland area. Also a track leads down to Lake Dispute. There is a high point of the track on the peninsula which is ideal for a stop. Two hours later, back at the camping area, we had lunch before heading home via the Crown Range to drop off Lois. The highlights for the weekend included the freedom to walk in a beautiful area and remember that early settlers had struggled for a long time. To think about how they got the gear that weighed tons to the Invincible Gold Mine site. To realise the dependency on the Earnslaw for provisions prior to and after the road opening in 1962. But the best highlight was the company of Lois, John, Neville, Karyl, Jenny and Graham. Bess.

Thanks to John for Photos.

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Trotters Gorge Working Bee

Thursday, October 12th, 2023

Sunday 30 September  2023

Five of us headed down to Trotters Gorge on Sunday the 30^th of September to do a bit of a tidy up on a track we have down there called Dave’s track. Dave’s track is in memory of a past member that liked exploring the trotters gorge area and was build many years ago by club members. Early this year I had been up the track and in was starting to get a bit overgrown and was in need of a cut back and tidy up.

We headed up past the Otago University hut, crossing Trotter’s Creek several times till we came to the clearing where the valley splits up past the hut. We took a track to the right and crossed Trotters Creek and up towards the eucalyptus trees. Along the way on this track, we had a bit of a cut back of the gorse, but it wasn’t too bad up this track to the entrance of Dave’s track just under Arns peak.

We cut back the entrance a bit and climbed up a good track and around the base of Arns peak, having a bit of a cut back along the way. Morning tea was taken before we dropped back down into the wee bushy valley. The plan for the day was to have a wee cut back and put some new markers up and having time for a walk in the area after lunch, but we got carried away a bit and spend most of the day working our way up the valley, having a good cut back and putting up new markers.

 At the head of the valley before you climb out, we had to re-route the track in places because there had been some small slips and the pigs had made a bit of a mess. It was about 2.30pm when we reached the forest road and instead of going up the road and back down passed Arns peak like we have done in the past, I decided that we would walk down the road to everyone’s joy to Horse range road which I hadn’t done before.

Well, it was a long 6km walk on a gravel road, so I know what it is like now and probably won’t go that way again, but I can say I have been down there now. We got back to the car about 4pm, so Dave’s track is now well cut back and marked and is all within the Trotters Gorge Reserve till you get to the forest road.

Thank for all your hard work and company for the day; – Bess, John, Maurice and Phyllis

Neville

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NOTMC Meeting Report 11.9.23

Wednesday, September 20th, 2023

NOTMC Meeting Report 11.9.23

Mt Somers Base Camp

Monday, September 4th, 2023

Mt Somers Base Camp Friday 25th – Sunday 27th August 2023

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By travelling up to Mt Somers village on Friday afternoon and evening, we had time to settle into our bunk rooms (beware the bunks’ wire bases), prepare a shared dinner including Karyl’s apple crumble for dessert, and play some hilarious games of ping-pong and pool in the games room. Then we were ready for an early start next morning.

We had a fine, frosty, still day to drive up the valley to explore Lake Clearwater and the surrounding mountains. We broke into two groups of four: the first one to explore the northwest side of the Lake Clearwater Circuit and Te Araroa Trail, the other group to climb Mt Guy.

The 2km climb up Mt Guy is short and intense, going straight up to the summit. The 4km from the carpark took us about 2 hours. From the top (1319m) the view is immense and magnificent, looking from the sea to the Taylor Range, across to the Arrowsmiths, the Rangitata River, the Southern Alps with Mt d’Archiac towering high, and down to Lake Clearwater. A breathtaking spot to eat lunch! The snow was low and glittering, the tussocks golden and the sky clear blue. From here we headed down the northwest ridge for 4km to meet up with the other group lunching at the saddle where the Te Araroa trail crosses between the Dog Range and Mt Guy. (Thanks to John and Neville on their radios, we knew exactly where to find them!)

From the saddle all eight of us retraced the footsteps of the first group, heading northwest along the Te Araroa track and around the Lake, across the tussock lands and wetlands with incredible vistas of the Alps ahead of us. The western carpark at the end of Lake Clearwater was a handy carpark to pick up tired trampers in the late afternoon.

Saturday evening saw us dining in style at Stronechrubie, a restaurant complex in Mt Somers village, followed by Roz’s award-winning pumpkin sultana cake back in the camp kitchen and a game of Five Crowns for everyone.

Snow and rain fell that night, so it was a cold start to Sunday. But with the promise of the weather clearing, we headed to the wide tussock lands of Lake Heron, parking at the Lake Heron carpark, hoping to walk to Double Hut by lunchtime. But the weather closed in, and we all turned back to the cars, heading straight into a sleet storm. Every item of warm and waterproof clothing was hurriedly pulled from our packs.

On the way home, Bess was keen to show us the intricately shaped macrocarpa hedges that are becoming a show- stopper in Mt Somers Village. Someone is having great fun creating lattice worked hedges. Then on to Barkers in Geraldine for afternoon tea.

Thanks to such a good-humoured team of trampers who are fun, flexible and enthusiastic; who are keen to share in and appreciate the beauty and magnificence of the country we are walking through.

Jenny Kitchin

Station Peak

Monday, September 4th, 2023

Station Peak, Sunday 20th August 2023

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Four trampers from the club met up in Kurow, drove over the Waitaki River Bridge and headed southeast along the Hakataramea Highway for 512 km, parking in a layby off the main road.

We set off northwest at 9.08 am back along the line of the main road over the paddock for 1.6 km to the gully that would be our ascent route, marked by a large willow tree by the road.

After heading up through the gully for half an hour, we could see across the Waitaki river to Kurow with the St Mary’s Range peaks of Little Domett (1860m) and Kohurau (2009m) in the background.

After a morning tea break, we continued up the farm track until we reached the crest of the range, joining the Station Peak access road with views out to the Hakataramea Valley, bordered by the Kirkliston Range, and the Hunters Hills. Following the road, we reached Station Peak (885m) summit two and a half hours after leaving the carpark.

With a cold nor’west wind blowing off nearby snowy peaks, three of us huddled behind tussocks to eat lunch, while Rodney ventured into the wind to check out the trig and collection of masts and sheds that are scattered over the summit.

We didn’t linger for long in the freezing winds and set off down the access road to the top of the steep gullies heading back down towards the Waitaki River. We were searching for the orange tracking tape that Neville had tied to a Taranaki gate at 650m. Neville was determined we would not get lost, and we duly found three tapes fluttering in the wind, guiding us down a 4WD track and the steep descent to large groups of flowering kowhai trees growing in the gully, before coming out to the carpark. The trip down took one and a half hours.

Thanks to Wade Newlands for permission to access the farm, and to John and Neville for finding the route.

Jenny Kitchin and Rodney Meiklejohn