2025-08-20 < Weekly activities > 2025-09-03
Activity summary: Wednesday 2025 08 27 to Tuesday 2025 09 02
Wednesday 27 August
Easy:Baring Head Lighthouse
Seven members walked along the river, around the coast, took a short cut up the hill to eliminate the long road walk. We had lunch on a sheltered grassy spot overlooking Cook Strait. Great views, blue skies, Wellington South Coast wind!!!
Easy Medium: Te Whiti Riser
Nine members and two non-members walked the Te Whiti Riser then along the Eastern hills before dropping down into Stokes Valley. The bus was waiting for us as we exited the bush and the train arrived two minute after we arrived at Taita station. The weather was amazing. No wind, plenty of sunshine and great views.
Medium:Western Hills
This tramp began and ended at Melling Railway Station. It was a sunny day- a mix of roadwalking and bush tracks through the Lower Hill Western Hill suburbs- with some nice views.of the snowclad Kaikouras and Tararuas. We started by going through Jubilee Park - looking at billboards with pictures of original houses and the waterfall, - and emerged on to Normandale Road. We continued to Poto Reserve in Normandale where we had morning tea. We continued up Normandale Road and went down the Bridle Path from Cottle park Drive to Stratton Street, and walked beside the Korokoro Stream and up the 3km 4 Degrees track to the Old Coach Road. We had lunch in the sun with a view of Mt Matthews. - then continued down to Hill Road, through to the back of the Maranatha Christian school and down the track to the Belmont Stream. We crossed it twice then went up the rope track to the two Fridge Book Libraries and then along the Park Hill track, the Park Meadowbank track and the Matui St track. We finally walked down Pomare Road and beside State Highway 2 to the start... About 18km.
Total time was just over 7 hours, as there were quite a few stops..
18 members
Alistair Beckett , Andy Leslie , Ann McIlroy , Bob Buckle , Christine Whiteford , Janet Dobbie , Joan Basher , Joanne Gapes , John Willett, Linda Beckett, Marg Pearce, Marilyn Richards, Mary Kane, Paul Bruce, Peter Morten, Rachel Fry, Susan Scott
Slow Fit: Climie Creek
Ten of us climbed from Tane's Track in Tunnel Gully to the long ridge that runs north from Mt Climie. After morning tea in a cold sunny spot with views of the Mangaroa Valley we left the ridge top down a spur leading into Climie Creek. After a while this broad spur split into rocky ribs separated by steep gullies – not at all what the map showed – and after some uncomfortably steep bits we came down to a little creek. Fortunately the creek was negotiable and we got to a forks with a nice lunch spot. We tried to follow the stream down further but a little fall leading into a gorge blocked our way. The ascent to Climie was through lovely bush, at the top we had a huge view of the Tararuas covered in snow. After a break we hustled down the 4WD road to the cars.
This trip was based on one led by Peter Jagger in 1997. Of course Peter's report has no map with a trace as GPS wasn't available then. It wasn't until after our trip that I was able to decode his writing and work out exactly where he went. We missed the spectacular waterfall and the pretty forks that he mentioned. We also didn't find the patch of ' fierce' scrub. I'll take that as a win!!
Saturday 30 August
: Remutaka Summit to Bucks Road
Twelve members and one non member participated in this trip