Herbert Forest Tracks
A small group went into the Podacarp Track and finished off some of the track work that was still needed. We repaired the broken bridge and filled in some large holes left after trees were tipped over in the storm. Thanks to Maurice and Phyllis,
Robbie
Big Ben
Big Ben
Sunday 18 August 2013
Four hardy souls gathered in the car park on the second day of north-easterly rubbish. They departed optimistic that the weather either would be better inland, or would improve as the day went on. As they travelled up the Waitaki Valley, they were encouraged by a glimpse of the top of Station Peak above the low cloud. They set off from the car just after 9am in dry weather and an apparently brightening sky. The fools. Soon the cloud closed in and, as they climbed, the wind got colder and the rain heavier. After about 1 ½ hours they stopped for a snack and were astounded to see Bill emerging from the mist – or it may have been a cloud of steam – having slept in and made up half an hour on the main bunch.
Given the poor visibility, the intrepid five stuck to the track rather than attempt shortcuts. Nevertheless, they reached the peak about 11.45 to be greeted by a classic Leidecker view. Lunch was eaten quickly, photos taken, and the return journey commenced. It proved to be straightforward, notable only for some visibility returning in the lower reaches and a brief encounter with three teenage hunters with two dogs, an ATV and a trail bike. The cars (now two) were reached just after 2pm. All agreed the experience had been much better than sitting in front of a roaring fire watching television. The optimists were John A, Brian, Sam, John C – and Bill.
Club Night August 2013
North Otago Tramping and Mountaineering Club Monthly Report
The Herbert Forest tracks were damaged by the June storms, so 10 members have cleared the trees, but more track and bridge work is needed yet.
Trip Reports;
Nine hardy trampers did a round trip at Sullivan’s Dam in blizzard conditions coming back through the Leith cloud forest. An ascent of Mt. St. Cuthberts in the Benmore Range was rewarded with great views of four lakes and Mt. Cook.
Wednesday Walkers did a round trip of Rakis Table, Belmont Hill and Victoria Hill at Tapui, which included a walk through an old railway tunnel. The old Waitaki Bridges at Kurow led to a walk over the hill to Hakataramea Valley and back down the gorge with a side trip to view the old slip road that is hoped will become part of the Alps to Ocean bike trail. They also did farm walks on Matsingers and Altavady farms and up Boundary Creek from Murrays Road past the old Oamaru water race aquaducts and tunnels.
Last Wednesday they climbed Conical Peak from the Dunback side.
Coming ClubTrips are Big Ben, Station Peak from the North, and Trotters Gorge to South Peak. More information about these trips is available on the NOTMC website.
Guest Speakers were Club members John and Margaret Chetwin who entertained us with their 2012 tour of the cities and vineyards of France. It was a trip with a difference from the Paris metropolis with its majestic buildings and art culture, out into the rolling countryside of the Burgundy vineyards. It included gourmet cooking lessons, and 500 year old wineries that have seen 18 generations pass through. They stayed in Sala, a town smaller than Oamaru where 180 resistance workers were killed and another 160 taken to concentration camps in the Second World War. They marvelled at houses built into cliffs, bronze to middle age cave dwellings, stunning stalactite caves, and 17000 year old cave paintings. These 2000 paintings of mainly animal images were unique with their good depiction of movement.
Bordeaux was the last city visited with numerous wine shops and grand old buildings connected with a modern transport system. Then it was back to Paris on a high speed train and home.
8 July Club Night
The July meeting was again well attended.
The Herbert Forest tracks have sustained some serious damage especially with fallen trees. This will be attended to as soon as possible.
Two changes to the constitution were notified.
Bad weather again inhibited Club trips with the only one being seven members visit to Mt. Summers in waist deep snow, interspersed with climbing over fallen trees after the recent storms. The night in a warm hut with good food and company made up for it though.
Wednesday Walkers day trips were a Ngapara farm walk, the inland Timaru Walkway from Saltwater Creek, Katiki Beach and Shag Point, and an Island Cliff farm walk.
Coming Club trips are to Sullivans Dam North Dunedin, Mt. Staint Cuthbert, and the Mitchells Hut Siberia area. Further information is available on the NOTMC website / What’s on.
The guest speaker was Belinda Mellish. Belinda spoke of and illustrated through photograghs her love of the outdoors and adventure. She spoke of her very early family trips to the mountains in places like the Kakanui Range, Arthurs Pass and the Hopkins area. From an early age she was also taking part in trips with this local club. She developed her skills in bushcraft and rock and ice climbing with the assistance of local club members and also the local Alpine Club.
With the aid of excellent photography, Belinda took us down a journey of some of the trips she had completed in New Zealand and overseas. With her skills and excellent companions she tramped and climbed to some exquisite locations. These locations included Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, Fiordland and further afield in the Southern Alps. It wasn’t just climbing though as she also enjoyed rafting down the grade 3 Waiatoto River, and potholing down the 180m Howards Hole.
Overseas trips included rock climbing in Arapiles (Australia), Yosemite National Park (USA), and Thailand, and ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies. The frozen waterfalls she climbed were spectacular!
To finish the evening Belinda showed a range of images set to music, selected from over 20 years of outdoor adventures. Her passion and enthusiasm for the mountains shone through in her talk, and she left us enthused to get out there amongst the outdoors.
Herbert Forest Working Bee
3rd August 2013
The old saying many hands make light work, was very true when an unscheduled working bee to clear the tracks of recent storm damage was held on Sat 3rd.
A good turn out of ten members plus Chelsea Anderson, 4yr old daughter of John. Armed with loppers, handsaws,grubbers and two chainsaws we split into two teams. Hoods Creek track was the target with one team going in at the Pa Road end and the other at the top end of Breakneck Road. With the chainsaw operators going ahead cutting the large trees and the follow up brigade coming behind clearing all before them. The two teams met near lunch time,while one small party went over to the Podocarp to cut the large trees left exposed after a previous clearing around them.
The Glenburnie Loop was checked by John and Phyllis and declared clear.
Drizzle which had set in certainly did not deter the enthusiam of the group to achieve this wonderful result finishing at 3.30pm.
A follow up working bee will be held next Sun 11th to repair bridges and reinstate some track surface,contact Robbie Verhoef. This should put all tracks back to pre storm condition.
Thanks to, Ross,Robbie,Noel,Sam,Neville,Brian,John Chetwin,Phyllis,John and Chelsea Anderson. Maurice.
Benmore Range
Sunday 28th July.
Permission was not granted to go up Mt Saint Cuthbert so plan B was adopted, which was to go to the Benmore Range and climb to the conservation area.
For a change the weather was in our favour and was a lovely sunny day for most of it. Seven trampers left Oamaru and picking another one up on the way. We passed a tussock fire at the rock drawings just out of Duntroon, but was all but out when we passed by. (Saturday night entertainment for someone, they had set fire to the garden out by the road!!)
Around 10 ish we were heading up the track, following the markers along the fence line. Only a few minutes into the walk we had our first obstacle, a wee creek and a boggy area. Now us HARDY trampers didn’t want to get our feet wet at this early stage, so a bit of walking up and down the stream (which was quite deep and swift) to check out a suitable crossing but in the end most of us got one foot wet ! Once over the stream it was up hill from then on in, with the occasional down and a bit of cross country and still keeping our eyes on the orange marker poles.
Lunch was had behind some rocks as a nasty wee S.W. wind had got up. The views were magnificent, looking out to L.Ruataniwha,L. Pukaki, Twizel and onto Mt Cook and the Southern Alps. We carried on up until about 1.30 and some decided to call it a day, however 3 continued on so they could see the conservation sign at the top. (which was the same as the one at the car park!) The wind had got up by now and was very cold and we were pleased to get down to the warmth again.
A good Winter walk with great views, best done on a fine day. Thanks to Noel for organising the trip and to – Phyllis, Maurice, Lynda, Bill, Murray, and The Swedish Nurse for their company. Bronwyn. 
