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
Club Night September 2019
There was a good turnout for the Clubs monthly meeting.
Port Blakley are still logging in the Herbert Forest, so the Podocarp and Hoods Creek tracks are still closed.
Trip Reports
Woosey’s bike rides struck a great day, fine and cool. 4 bikers headed west, doing a 36k circuit as far as Tulliemet Road. 5 bikers headed east, doing a circuit via All-day Bay and Kakanui with great views.
A trip went up the Ewe Range from the end of Broken Hut Road near Omarama. A steady climb saw them into the Oteake Conservation Area, but unfortunately the views were nil.
The Wednesday Walkers had day trips to the White Horse Hill at Waimate, Doctors Point at Waitati, Takitu Station in South Canterbury and Sheepwash Creek in the West Marewhenua catchment.
Coming Trips are Tabletop, a Silver Peaks round trip via Pulpit Rock, Rosella Ridge and the Eucalyptus Track, a working bee in the Herbert Forest and the Labour Weekend Trip to Mt. Alexander on the West Coast.
The evenings Guest Speakers were a North Otago team of 4 who competed in the last Godzone in the Christchurch area. 50 teams started the race but just 20 teams completed the whole course of over 600k, as if they were too slow, a section was missed.
Preparation was meticulous as the right supplies had to be put in the correct boxes with a maximum weight. Food was divided into 12 hour segments and the bikes disassembled and placed in boxes to be transported to the next bike stage. They had 2 X 2 person pack rafts for the calmer water and the organisers supplied 2 person kayaks for white water sections, which sometimes had to be transported 2 k overland to the river. At times they were carrying up to 20k plus the kayak.
The race commenced at Akaroa with difficult coastal section, where it was quite easy to get a leg cut from mussels, or twist an ankle. Then a bike ride took them to Christchurch for a run through the adventure park. It was then a bus trip to Flock hill with different running, biking kayaking or pack rafting sections to the mouth of the Rakaia River, before returning to the Akaroa finish line.
They helped each other out when necessary, sometimes towing their bike, joining up when crossing rivers, especially in the dark, or tying the 2 pack rafts together. They managed a sleep most nights, twice in the dark zones when they were not allowed to travel. They had to take a tracking beacon and locator beacon, but were not allowed a GPS as all navigation had to be done with maps and compass.
No one was allowed to assist them, especially in the transition stages.
They all said they would like to do it again, but not next year, mainly because of the cost which was in the thousands of dollars each.
Woosy Bike Rides
Woosy Bike Ride , 18 August 2019
It took a lot of work arranging the perfect day for a bike ride and no effort was spared and the results were definitely worth it because this particular day was made for it, no clouds at all, brilliant views to the higher hills covered in last week’s snow, little wind.
Nine turned up at the Purton’s carpark in Maheno at 1pm, 2 non club members. There were ebikes as well as pushbikes. It seemed a natural selection process as those on the push bikes opted to do a 20km circuit and those with ebikes opted to do the longer western circuit amounting to 36km. So 5 on the eastern side of Maheno 4 the other and off we went.
One member on a new bike copped some questions relating to all the features in this latest edition of ebike which included the fitting of an airbag.
It is hard not to be enthusiastic about ebikes, there is nothing to dislike about them, they flatten all the hills and always give you a tail wind, in fact they take away about 50 years of ageing and make you feel like a ten year old on a bike. So for us on the western circuit we thoroughly enjoyed the ride through Kuriheka , admiring the old buildings and stopping at the memorial built to remember all those fro the area that went to fight in WW1.
On we went stopping only at the intersections enjoying the great views of the hills, quite roads, the only vehicles we met once when we were on the Tullimett Rd stopping for a drink.
The return leg into a breeze all the way along a network of roads zigzagging our way back to Maheno avoiding tarsal and the main road.
We arrived back at the carpark about 3.30pm with the ones who did the eastern circuit back too, good timing.
Bike ride report trip 2
Five of us on more traditional historical bikes with the exception of one e-bike did the shorter 20 km trip. We left Maheno on the Maheno/Kakanui Rd and then turning into the Maheno/All Day Bay Rd onto our first hill/work out for the day up pass the Maheno Cemetery. We follow this road onto the gravel and along it to we met up with Happy Valley Rd which we turn into and a downhill run to Robertsons Rd. We turned into Robertsons Rd and after going downhill it was back up hill again, with a few ups and down along this road but we had great views of the mountains with the snow on them. We followed this road till we met up with MacLean Rd which we follow down towards the coast and out onto Waianakarua Rd by All Day Bay where we stopped for a break. After our break it was a good uphill slog and along the coast towards Kakanui and as we were coming into Kakanui, Phyllis’s bike decided it had had enough and spat the dummy with bit of derailleur and springs flying out everywhere. So we had to leave Phyllis behind and travel back to Maheno on the Maheno/Kakanui Rd to the vehicles, where I went back and picked Phyllis and her broken bike up.
She may have a good excuse to get a e-bike now. Thank to Robbie for organising the maps and route, with great weather and views we all enjoyed our ride.
It sounded like their ride was enjoyable as well so all around everyone was happy and a good finish was had at the tavern by way of a nice drink and a debrief with the usual laughter. Thanks to those who made it, they were, Bron, Maurice, John, Robbie on the western circuit and Ross, Neville, Phyllis, Colin and Julie on the eastern one.
Club Night August 2019
The Cubs trapping programe in the Herbert Forest has been suspended while the area around the tracks is being logged, but the tracks could be open again by the end of August and trapping will commence again after that. We now have 34 mouse traps, which will be placed inside the larger predator traps, so the mice will be prevented from eating the larger predator’s bait.
We were told about a documentary about regenerating forest on marginal farmland on Banks Peninsula. Called Fools and Dreamers, it can be viewed on Youtube
Trip Reports.
One trip was cancelled because of wet weather but there was a day trip on the coast below Palmerston from the Pleasant River Estuary up the coast to Bobby’s head. It was a round trip initially walking down Goodwood Road and Goodwood Settlement Road, then heading down to the estuary thence to the beach at the tip of the peninsula. After morning tea there was a short climb to the top of the cliff for the walk up the coast. They were able to drop down to the beach after a while because of the low tide. Lunch was on the beach below Bobby’s Head and then a climb around the Head before a short road walk back to the cars.
Coming trips are a bike ride from Maheno, a weekend trip up the South Temple and a day trip up the Ewe Range in the Oteake Conservation Park.
The Wednesday Walkers have had walks on Derdan Hill and Baldy behind Waikouiti, Pidgeon Bush, Mt. Harris Run in the Waiho Downs district, the Domet Loop and a Tapui Homestead farm walk.
The Clubs Trip Programe was organise for the October – December period.
We were then treated to photos of a mid-winter Routeburn Caples tramp without the summer crowds and another from Lake Harris up to Lake Wilson a rugged but spectacular
Bobbys Head, Goodwood
Sunday 4th August 2019
Even though cold weather was forecast for the day of the trip to Bobby’s Head, seven trampers ventured out.
It started with a walk along Goodwood Road to a cemetery and old church yard. With the church no longer standing we noticed that a lot of the graves were of the Preston and Dunkley families.
We then continued along the road towards Matai Farm with the sun now shining and temperatures getting warmer, necessitating a few layers to be shed.
After following a fence-line down a paddock we came across the first of many electric fences which we found live after testing with the tester.. We then skirted around an estuary on a farm track, over sand dunes and onto the beach where the Pleasant River meets the sea.
A morning tea break was taken before climbing up to the cliff tops where we followed the coastline across the farmland and negotiated many more electric fences. (All shocks avoided)
As we were lucky enough to catch a low tide we made our way back down from Matai Farm to the beach and observed the unusual formations in the mud stone on the cliffs before reaching Tavora Beach for a lunch stop.
Now in the Tavora Reserve, we followed a track over the sand dunes and through stands of native bush up onto Bobby’s Head where we admired the views from the Otago Peninsula in the South to Shag Point in the North.
With a short walk across a paddock and over a couple of stiles, once again we came out onto Goodwood Road and after a 500 meter walk we were back at our vehicles at 3pm.
A stop at Palmerston for ice creams followed on our way home.
Thank you to John for the guiding expertise and liaising with the farmer to make this trip possible.
Thanks also to Lynette, Julian, Bronwyn, Neville and Maurice for their company.
Phyllis.
