Lindis Peak
Waitangi Weekend, 6th– 7th February 2022
Sunday 6th, 7am saw a group of eight trampers leave Oamaru to meet up with another four arriving from Twizel at the Wrinkly Rams for a morning coffee at 8.30am, before all twelve headed over the Lindis Pass to Old Faithfull Road. The signpost to the Old Faithfull Rd is just past Elliots bridge, and the start of the climb is well marked.
The track climbs steadily from 400 metres to the top at 1226 metres, sometimes along a poled route, but mostly up a grassy four-wheel drive track. It is a pleasant surface to walk, and easy to follow. The climb started under cloud keeping us cool on the trek up, but the sun broke through and soon we had magnificent views spreading out before us. At the top there are rock tors, flowering Spaniards and fantastic views right around from Lake Wanaka, down to Cromwell, over to the St Bathan’s Range and up the Lindis. High cloud over the mountain tops obscured Aorarki/ Mt Cook and Mt Aspiring.
The trip up and back took 5 – 6 hours, with a stop for lunch near the top. Julian, Lynette, Russell and Neville then headed back to Twizel , while the other seven of us, John, Mary, Geoff, Kevin, Uwe, Sylvia, Jo and Jenny spent a pleasant time camping overnight at the historic Lindis Hotel campsite, a beautiful, sheltered DOC spot. It was a most relaxing, social time and fun to explore this old goldmining area.
