Ewe Range
8th September 2019
A couple of carloads left Oamaru at 8am and we picked up Bill at Kurow. The Ewe Range is south of Omarama so to get there, turn left onto Broken Hut Road, just after Omarama on the Lindis Pass Road. At the end of Broken Hut Road, the easement over private farmland, starts going south along the fence line, then turns east, over a creek up to a small square mustering yard. From here, the 4WD track zigzags up the side of the hill.
From the start of the tramp, we could see that there wasn’t going to be much of a view as there was low cloud and clagged in. So we set about enjoying the company. Near the top, there is a rocky outcrop, where we had lunch at 12pm. Last trip here, we could see Ahuriri Valley and Aoraki Mt Cook. Today, the view was zilch, nothing, Leidecker, zero, so we focused on the company.
After lunch we continued up onto the Oteake Conservation Area, where we moseyed around, taking photos of lichen (because that’s all we could see). To be able to access the Oteake Conservation Area from the Waitaki Valley, ideally, would allow more time in the Conservation Area. We made our way back down the same 4WD track. On the way, with the use of John’s map, we clarified that the 4WD road opposite the Ewe Range, goes over the hill and down Camp Creek to the East Branch of the Manuherikia River and out onto Hawkdun Runs Road. The other 4WD road that we could see further west, went up onto the Omarama Saddle.
Thanks for your company, John, Jane, Bill, Robbie, Roz and Neville. Bess
