Trip Report for Herbert Forest Working Bee, 11 October 2020
Ten members made it out for this event and we started at the Queen’s Rd end of the Podocarp Track. Two of the main jobs undertaken were a replacement of a dodgy round pole bridge with a more standard version and continuing with step building downhill from the bridge. These 2 tasks were completed successfully and should improve the track. Clearing the track from any windfalls, and general plant incursions was also done on both the Swallows and the Podocarp Tracks. Old signage from the days of the NZFS was also carried out from the big tree junction, it had long been abandoned but was in remarkably good condition albeit it very waterlogged and heavy. The weather was fine for this day, not too hot, ground conditions were very dry. The Hoods Creek Track is still closed due to harvesting and was avoided except for scrub barring the bottom entrance. Scrub barring was also done on the gorse section of the Swallows return track. A big thanks to those who came, these jobs make a big difference done with many. Also thanks to Port Blakely for their continued support and supply of materials used for track work.
Club Night October 2020
12 October 2020
A full room of members at the SAR rooms in Severn Street listened to Zac Robinson, Health, Safety and Environment Manager for Port Blakley, give an informative address about their programme to protect critically endangered long tailed bats in South Canterbury.
They are quite small with a wingspan of about 120mm and live in clusters of about 20. They cling to the tree rather than hang upside down like an Australian fruit bat. 
There are only about 300 left due to predation and loss of habitat. They roost in trees such as willows, sequoia’s and oaks, tending to move around according to the weather as they like to keep warm. They go into a state of semi hibernation during the winter.
Zac and his team use automatic bat monitors which tune in to their transmitting frequency to follow them round. They also put transmitters on some, to make tracking easier. When a roosting tree is identified, adjustable metal bands are placed around the tree to prevent possums and other predators from attacking them.
Other environmental work the Port Blackley team are involved in include looking at falcons nesting patterns and water monitoring, using a DNA test called Wilderlab. This test analyses the DNA of plants and animals found floating in the river or stream. They can see if there are any possums left in the area after eradication measures have been used, and identify what fish, birds or farm animals are present in the catchment.
Trip Reports:
A Trotters Gorge farm walk over a cutover forestry block revealed interesting rock overhangs and caves including a stalactite.
10 bikers rode from Duntroon to Kurow and back on a track covered in branches from the recent strong winds.
The Herbert Forest tracks received a repaired bridge and several new steps during a maintenance day.
The Wednesday walkers had walks to on Dave’s track to South Peak in Trotters Gorge, The Wainono Lagoon track with lots of birdlife and inland views, a new walk along the escarpment above the Mill House, and the Seacliff Split Rock circuit.
Coming trips are a bike ride on the A2O to Duntroon, Arthurs Pass at Labour weekend and Ohau Peak in the Quailburn area. Details can be found in this website in “what’s on”.
The club gratefully received a donation from the Waitaki District Council to replace their out of date Locator Beacon.
Harvesting around the tracks in the Herbert Forest is nearly finished and normal access will be available shortly.
The Club has talked to the Waitaki District Council about reinstating parts of the Oamaru Walkways and upgrading the signage.
Trotters Gorge
Four of us headed down to Trotters Gorge to explore a new area. We met Jane M along Horse Range Road on her farm that she would guide us around for the day. Jane and her Husband brought this land about two years ago with a plan of farming some of it and putting a majority of it back into native bush.
At the moment the front half of the property is pretty rough ground after the pine forest that was on it got milled before they brought the property, so they have a big job ahead of them cleaning this area up. The back half of the property is a mix of a bit of farm land and native bush, gorse with some great mudstone cliffs. We started by following a track over the rough milled ground following a stream with some interesting things to see along the way, like a water shoot through mud stone and a wee gorge with some native bush and a sulphur and coal seam. From here we zig zag our way up to the south east end of the property before dropping down into the back of the property which was a mix of a bit of farm land and bush. Jane showed us the spring where they get most of their water from and her bee hives. We then followed a track through some bush climbing up and then dropping down to follow a track that Jane had cut through the bush and gorse north along their boundary by Back Creek and above us was some mudstone cliffs that Jane was still in the progress of cutting a track under, so we didn’t get up there this time. At the northern boundary we climbed up out of there and dropped back down into another wee gut, full of bush and lined with mudstone cliffs on both sides. We followed this gut back up through a track that Jane had cut and zig zag our way up under the cliffs. We came to a stand of Pungas and as we came through them, we came out under a big overhang under the cliffs that curved for about 100m lined with bush on the bottom side, really impressive. After this we then climbed out on to a road track and up to the highest part of the farm for lunch, with some great views of the Katiki Beach, north to Oamaru, south to Mt Cargill and inland to the peaks behind Trotters Gorge Reserve. After lunch we went down over a paddock and into a pine plantation, visiting another big overhang which had a column made from a Stalactite coming down from the roof and meeting up with Stalagmite coming up from the floor. All this is just above Horse Range Road and you would never know it was there. We were soon back onto Horse Range Rd and a short walk down the road soon had us back at our vehicle. We thank Jane for showing us around, she and her husband have got a big job on their hands, but we look forward to going back sometime to see the progress.
Thanks Jane for showing – John, Mike, Jane G and me, Neville around.
Swampy Ridge Track
13th September 2020
We met Rodney, Helen and Jane at Leith Saddle and after taking a vehicle to the bottom of Nicholls Creek Track on the Leith Valley Rd, we started walking up the Leith Saddle Track. This wide track has been well maintained with boards along the side. We soon warmed up and by 11am, were at Swampy Spur and had an early lunch. We met up with a group of youths training for the three peaks run. We continued along Swampy Summit and instead of turning down the Moon Track toward Nicholls Creek, we continued along to the Pineapple Track junction. It was here where the fire burned alot of scrub last year. Rodney had come up here soon after the fire and there were just rocks scattered over the area, no flora whatsoever. But a year later the flaxes were 1 metre high, the tussocks just as high though less dense. It was incredible the growth that had occurred. Five minutes further down the Pineapple Track, we came to the Pepper Tree Track junction and turned here. We walked down into a gully, had a brief break, and continued up the other side to a clearing and then turned right onto the Moon Track. We followed this down and crossed some bike tracks which apparently are reasonably new. Further down, we traversed over towards the south and got to Nicholls Falls, and then 10 minutes later, out onto Leith Valley Road. Here Graham was waiting, he had biked out to Port Chalmers, Waitati and picked up the car at Leith Saddle. A good day out on some new tracks. A big thanks to Rodney for his guidance in the unfamiliar areas.
Rodney, Helen, Jane, Roz, Mike, John, Ross, Julian and Bess
Club Night September 2020
This meeting was held in the Ardgown Hall to allow for more social distancing.
A report was presented on the Oamaru Walkways tracks indicating a need for maintenance. There are gates locked, parts of tracks blocked off and a lack of signs to indicate where the tracks are. Some narrow sections of the track are being used by mountain bikers, creating a danger to walkers. The committee will look at what the Club’s next moves are.
There was general agreement on holding another Herbert Forest Guided Walks day in April next year.
Trip Reports:
Eight e bikes and six pedal power bikes joined Nev’s Mystery Bike Ride, though it was not so much of a mystery after being issued with riding directions at the start. We started at the Historic Precinct heading North along the railway line before climbing Buckleys Hill and winding through rural roads to the Enfield Domain for lunch. Then there were various bike riding competitions before riding home.
A trip to Swampy started with a climb through the cloud forest to the communication towers, before going down the Pineapple and Secretary Tracks and circling back to the cars.
Wednesday Walkers walked the Kurow Hill circuit anticlockwise from Kurow, the Tapui Farms circuit anticlockwise, Kuriheka to the dogs den and return, The Benmore Walkway from Loch Laird and the A2O from Elephant Rocks to Prydes Gully, returning via Grants Road.
Coming Trips are:
A farm walk near Trotters Gorge, Huxley Forks Hut, Duntroon to Kurow bike ride and a Herbert Forest working bee. Details are available on this website – Whats on?
The next Club Meeting will feature a talk on a programme to protect endangered long tailed bats in South Canterbury.
The evening concluded with an entertaining quiz led by Bess, complete with yellow and red cards and a mix of serious and not so serious tramping questions. One not so serious question was; on which trip did John have to mend his shorts with duct tape? Almost everyone knew the answer!