Dalgety Range Traverse
Sunday 10 January 2020
One mountain range, eight wallabies, one chamois and a pine tree accounted for. The mountain range was the Dalgety Range, which runs between the Hakataramea and Mackenzie Passes, and which was walked end to end by seven trampers. The eight wallabies were spied, some bounding through the tussock and others just sitting there erect, ears pricked, watching us. The chamois was photographed and the wilding pine despatched. And there were the views, huge and spectacular. To the north, the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps stretching across the horizon, Aoraki/Mt Cook dominating, Sefton and Tasman also prominent. The sharp, white peak glistening away south could only be Mt Aspiring. In between the plains of the Mackenzie Basin stretched, the predominant brown punctuated by blocks of irrigated green and glimmering lakes. To the south stretched the long and broad Hakataramea Valley, bounded on the east by the Hunters Hills and on the west by the Kirkliston and Grampians Mountains. For most of the day the sky was clear, a heat haze building up as the day went on and clouds gathering over the Alps in the afternoon. A light easterly provided some welcome cooling, but gathered strength and swung south around mid-afternoon.
The team travelled up on Saturday evening, leaving Oamaru at 4 o’clock and getting to Kurow at five. Fish and chips ordered and consumed (mostly – for future reference half a scoop is plenty for one person), we set out up the Hakataramea Valley to Cattle Creek, across the river and up the true left to friendly farmers who allowed us to pitch our tents on their front lawn and in the adjacent paddock. In the morning we rose at first light – 5.30 – breakfasted, struck camp and were on the road by 6.40. First stop was the Hakataramea Pass where the four trampers who were tackling the south to north route booted up and set off at about 7.30 while the three who were doing the north to south option took the first party’s vehicle the 23 kms north and then east to the Mackenzie Pass, stopping briefly on the way to admire the memorial to James Mackenzie with its inscription in English, Maori and Gaelic.
North to South
We were looking for a 4wd track which the map showed zig-zagging up the range from between the Mackenzie Memorial and the Pass. However, we spied a track leaving from the pass itself which seemed to offer a more direct alternative. Bad mistake. The grassy track started promisingly, but soon petered out, leading to a slog through waist- high matagouri and knee-high Spaniards which punctured skin through gaiters and drew blood. After a while, a clearer route seemed on offer higher up; it was up a fenceline, direct but steep and with a loose rubble surface. Eventually, 1 ¼ hours after leaving the pass and having climbed some 300 metres we came to a gate on the track we were looking for. This was a 4wd track, mostly gravel and climbing up the range in a series of ups and downs, the former always bigger and the latter consequently depressing. We would follow it for almost 2/3 of the journey on to the natural ridgeline to the high point of Mt Dalgety, rising another 600 metres over 12 kms. About 10.30am, 2 ½ hours after starting the climb, we paused on a level section of track for morning tea/first lunch. We also made first radio contact with the other group who were making good progress on the way down from Mt Dalgety. Two hours later, at 12.30, the two groups met just south of the radio masts on Point 1588. Keys were swapped and second lunch taken.
Lunch over, we carried on along the track for another hour or until it petered out. It was almost a relief to be walking on the natural ridgeline after the hard surface of the track, even though the ups and down were steeper and rocky crests had to be negotiated, in one case by taking an animal track which sidled around below the rocks. The vegetation was more varied and we came across several “flocks” of vegetable sheep. By now it was seeming like “over every hill there is another hill” with Mt Dalgety itself proving illusive until, about 3.30, we could at last see the final climb up a spur leading to the rocky 1752 metre summit. It was time for poses and pictures, taking in the now hazy 360o view, a final glimpse back along the range we had traversed, and then turning west and heading down the long spur to the Hakataramea Pass and our waiting car. The route down was pretty straightforward, with a few obstacles in the form of rocky outcrops and rocks hiding in the tussocks, but it took the best part of two hours and we reached the car just on 6 o’clock after a tramp of some 20kms and elevation gain of 1300 metres.
It had been a hard but very satisfying day for Bron, Jane and John.
South to North
Our day started with a 5.30am wake up and the billy on to boil while we packed up our overnight camp. The early start would later be appreciated as the day was going to be hot and the 20km walk included an 850m climb to the high point.
After driving to the Haka Pass, John’s party would continue on to Mackenzie Pass with the vehicle that we would walk to. The time was 7.30am when we set off up the fence line towards Mt Dalgety (1752m) which kept us in the sun’s shadow and made for a pleasant temperature. Later we left the fence line and followed the main ridge direct to Mt Dalgety. Contact with the sun was made and layers discarded as the temperature suddenly increased, thankful that most of the climb was behind us. At 9.30am Mt Dalgety was sighted and soon after we were standing on top admiring the 360 degree views including the Southern Alps, Mt Cook, Mt Aspiring and the lakes. The view of our route ahead looked rather daunting in terms of distance, but as they say every step forward is a step closer to your destination.
Some of the rocky high points on the way were sidled around following old animal tracks, making for a lot easier travel. A couple of wallabies, a Chamois and kid were sighted nearby. A first lunch break was taken before reaching a 4WD track which allowed for more time to take in the views rather than watching every foot step. We were in radio contact with John’s party arranging to meet for lunch and swap car keys, which happened at a rather warm sheltered part of the track.
With farewells we departed in opposite directions. Our journey was the easier, heading down to the Mackenzie Pass with the advice from John not to take a short cut to the vehicle which was up the road from the track end. We did consider it, but after Bron showed us the damage it had done to as much leg as she was going to show us, we decided to stick with the track and a short walk back up the road to the vehicle, which we reached at 3pm. The four tired bodies were, Julian, Mike, Phyllis and Maurice.
Whitehorse Waimate and Beyond
15 December 2019
This trip was meant to be up Mt Kyeburn, but once again the weather would have been chasing us if we had gone there.
So there still were four of us that wanted to stretch our legs & get out for the day before the Christmas rush. I decided that we would go and do the walkways around the Whitehorse in the Waimate area & the weather was meant to be better near the coast. We all piled into Mike’s electric car, so no carbon used on this trip & headed for the car park on the Hakataramea highway.
On arriving at the car park we thought we were in a tourist town because the car park was full & we just had enough room for our car. There were about 20 people in the car park & we later found out they were from Forest & Bird & were doing a bird count in the area before they get a trapping programme up & running.
We started off along the railway track walkway for about 2km & then it was a short climb up with good views to meet the waterfall track. It was here we spotted our one and only Wallaby for the day. The waterfall track is a wee side track that takes you down to a bushy area and a waterfall, which was dry and I got a hard time for it being dry, so it was then back up to the main track for a morning tea break.
We then headed along the Bellbird track & then on to the Whitehorse link track & arrived at the Whitehorse monument for lunch. The skies were clear & we got some good views to the North, South & along the Coast & of course Waimate & It was very pleasant sitting in the sun having lunch.
After lunch we had a look around the monument before heading down the main track through the bush beside the bike tracks to eventually come out on to Point Bush Rd. It was then down the road to the river bridge & down the Garlands track beside the river to meet Mt John Rd. We went down Mt John Rd to Hodges Rd, back out to the Hakataramea highway where the southerly blew up and the weather changed, but we were back at the car park just in time, about 3pm. All up it was about 13km, about 4km of that was on the road.
I would like to thank John, Bron & Mike for their pleasant company for the day.
Neville
Not the Dalgety Range
Sunday 8 December 2019
This was supposed to be tramp by eight participants along the length of the Dalgety Range, between the Hakataramea Pass and the Mackenzie Pass. Sustained bad weather forced cancellation. Instead, two did a tramp around the lower hills on a sheep and cattle run on the west side of the upper Hakataramea Valley. After a brief shower from the north, the day was dry and wind moderate at the relatively low altitude. The cloud-capped Grampian and Dalgety Ranges were in view most of the day.
They started on a broad ridge and wound down into the valley of the Grampians Stream which comprised alternating grassy flats and steep, rocky gorges. At one point they were frustrated by dense matagouri and forced back to descend to the stream. Soon they came to an impressive gorge which brought a side stream (Morton Stream) into the main valley. The crossed the main stream and climbed up a steep spur and along a high ridge which ran 100 metres above the stream’s true right and provided extensive views of the surrounding countryside. This also provided a sheltered spot for lunch.
After lunch, the pair carried on northwards along the ridge as it gradually dropped, and finally descended off it into the valley just before the Grampian Stream entered it from the north-west. Crossing the stream and the valley floor, they climbed up a track heading north on the eastern side of the valley, then swung right to cross the broad ridge which separates the Grampian and Dunstan Streams and drop down to the latter. As the Dunstan valley floor looked boggy, they sidled along above the true right of the stream, enjoying views across to the Hunters Hills. At a marked bend in the valley, they stopped to admire the scene and do a spot of map-reading to identify the best route up the hill back to the car. This proved to be a shallow gully heading south-east past a stock dam housing a family of Paradise Ducks – 2 adults and 9 ducklings – which provided some entertainment.
The car was reached by Bill and John after a very pleasant 5 hour walk on interesting terrain.
Mt Ida Water Race Bike Ride
1st December 2019
At 7.30am with a trailer loaded with bikes, six people left the car park for a day ride in Central Otago on the Mt Ida Water Race Trail. Two then travelled to Herbert where they joined another couple and two more bikes, all eventually meeting with another couple at Wedderburn. All ten drove along the gravel Hills Runs Road for about ten kms to a carpark. After a few showers south of Hampden the skies had cleared but still looked murky around the hills.
The ride commenced immediately with a stream crossing and a grind uphill on the road for two kms. Four of the riders on E bikes took a detour into view the huts at Falls Dam, coming across four little unidentified long legged chicks and their mum on the road. Finally after twelve kms on the bumpy road, several stream crossings and pedalling into the wind we came to a DOC sign indicating where we were to turn off to the track. Morning tea was taken half way along the gentle ascent at an old derelict hut before reaching the water race. One cyclist disclosed that he had forgotten his bike pants but had found a new use for his knee pad. (Unfortunately it was lost later on) The gradient became easier and with the wind at our backs, we pedalled on down a 4wd track for eighteen kms negotiating overgrown grass and tussocks at times and being careful not to fall in the fast flowing water of the Mt Ida water race. A clearing in the bush provided us with shelter for a lunch break and afterwards we took a short walk up to a hut which was complete with carpet, an outside bath with lid and a coal range to heat the water. Back on the bikes for the last few kilometers the wind gusts became stronger and we encountered a brief shower just before arriving at the cars at about 3pm, without any major mishaps for the day.
Thanks to Jane, Graham, Julian, John, Bronwyn, Ross, Barb, Robbie and Maurice for their company on an enjoyable ride in Central Otago
Phyllis.
Dave’s Track – South Peak
17 November 2019
This was a combined tramp with the Geraldine Tramping Club. Five trampers from Oamaru and two from Kakanui met the five from Geraldine at the Trotters Gorge Reserve parking area at 9 o’clock. Introductions made and boots donned, we set off up the main track through the six stream crossings (mostly ankle deep) to the University of Otago hut. After a chat with inhabitants and ascertaining that the swimming hole was still well filled with gravel, we resumed the walk to the end of the “maintained track”, through some gorse and across the stream for the last time, exiting up a 2 metre clay bank. The track continued to follow the tributary creek to the point where Dave’s Track turned off. It was then up a steep bank, along a terrace and back down across the creek. Thanks to the efforts of Maurice and Phyllis, the track was clear and well marked as it wound across the valley floor. Finally it turned up, traversing under an overhanging cliff and, after a couple of steep, slippery ascents, came out on top of a rocky ridge.
This was the perfect place for a snack and to look back down the valley to work out the route we had followed. Shortly, it was time to move on so we continued up the ridge, over a rocky step, to come out on to a forestry road. This led at first downhill, then steadily up towards South Peak. Nearing the top, we chose a track veering off to the right (east) and, when it ran out, turned left between the pine trees and gorse to find a way to the peak, which we reached from the eastern side just before 12.30pm. This provided excellent views of the coastline from Cape Wanbrow to the Dunedin hills, and of the volcanic cones and other hills inland as we settled down for lunch.
Lunch over, we struggled to find a way down from the summit to the road we knew lay directly north. Any old tracks were completely overgrown and it took a bash through the gorse eventually to find the bulldozed track leading down to the road. At the road, we turned left past a locked barrier to continue down to the junction with the Piwakwaka Road which we followed down for some 300 metres before veering left on to a semi-obscure track which took us steeply downhill. Another 300 metres down, a largely overgrown “clearing” marked the entrance to the track to Ahn’s Peak, a rocky knob with sheer faces to the west, south and east but an easy approach from the north. The easy approach, however, was well overgrown so some bushbashing was required before we reached the spectacular rocky summit.
View admired and cameras triggered, it was back to the track and down it to meet up with our morning route at the entrance to Dave’s Track. From there, we retraced our steps down beside Trotters Creek, past the University hut on through the seven stream crossings to reach the cars just on 3 o’clock. Then back to Hampden, where the Geraldine group were introduced to the world’s largest ice-creams, so rounding off an excellent day for Lindsay, Claire, Jenny, Pam, Des, Neville, Julian, Colin, Jane, Phyllis, Maurice and John.
