2025-09-03 < Weekly activities > 2025-09-17
Activity summary: Wednesday 2025 Sept 10 to Tuesday 2025 Sept 16
Wednesday 10th September
E tramp From the sea to Newlands and Grenada Village led by Penny Salmond. 7M
This Easy Trip was populated with members more interested the environment about to be tramped through, than an expected regular bunch of Easy trip folk.
We left from ‘Kitchen Things’ at Ngauranga Gorge and took the Wakely Shared path up to Newlands. We continued uphill via Lyndfield Lane then in to Black Rock Road for a very short stretch before entering the Te Ara Paparangi ki Te Tonga escarpment walkway. We then followed the exact same route lunch break as my Easy Medium tramp last month (13th August) that was written up in the last Tramper. We said good-bye to one member who chose to catch the 52 bus back to the Gorge before we headed downhill into Seton Nossiter Park. Time spent was 4¾ hours, (the same time as previously), distance was between 13-14 kms and we caught the same bus back to the Gorge as the EM August version.
EM tramp over Rata Ridge, led by Muriel Christianson. 3M and 1NM
Four trampers set off from Lees Grove in Wainuiomata at 9.30 am. We completed a steady climb up the Lees Grove Track to meet with the Rata Ridge Track, continuing up to Mt Lowry, noting the pole that marks this high point. We continued to the junction with the Main Ridge Track.
As this proved to be windy, we did not linger, starting down the Main Ridge Track, finding a quiet sheltered position for a morning tea break. We continued to the Wainuiomata Lookout for our lunch break. This was also windy, so while a couple of us sat on grass sheltered by gorse bushes to eat, the other two braved the wind to use the table for lunch.
We returned up the Main Ridge Track to the junction with Rata Ridge then proceeded along the track to the top of the Fern Gully Track. A gentle descent took us back to Wainuiomata and our cars, finishing at 2.45. Three TTC members and one non-member, planning to continue with the TTC club. While we had wind, we managed the trip before any rain set in.
M Clay Ridge McKerrow led by Jim Gibbons. 20M
The medium trip went to the Catchpool area and walked the classic McKerrow/Clay ridge circuit. There were 20 people on this trip which took 6 hours. The threatened rain did not eventuate. We walked up the Catchpool track to its junction with the McKerrow track near the Orongrongo river, then up to the junction with the Clay ridge track where we had lunch and a few did the short walk to the top of McKerrow. Then down Clay ridge back to the cars.
MF tramp to Smith Creek - Pt 714 - Pt 805 - Pt 545 led by Lynne White. 4M
Four intrepid club members started at Kiwi Ranch, walked up and down to Smith’s Creek shelter, crossed the stream and followed good animal tracks up to about 600m where we had an early lunch.
Then the track petered out and the hail set in! The next one and a half hours were character building! Eventually we were spat out onto the pylon road and after a 15 minute walk, found the start of the track down to Puffer Saddle and back to the car park.
Total 34 members and 1 non member