2025-10-29 < Weekly activities > 2025-11-12
Activity summary: Wednesday 2025 November 05 to Tuesday 2025 November 11
Te Papa Café/Belmont Area/Sea to City Walkway/Waiohine Campsite/Deep Creek - Waiohine/Turere Stream Waterfall/Eastbourne
Wednesday
Lunch at Te Papa Café [co-ordinated by Pip Hart-Smith and Euan Macpherson]
E Trip ‘Belmont Area’ led by Alison Stephenson, Wed 05/11 9M
Nine enthusiastic members enjoyed the interesting and varied bush on the Otonga track around the flank of Belmont. For three this was enough, but the rest of us tackled the farm road to the summit and enjoyed lunch with a view before retracing our steps to the cars.
EM - M Trip ‘Sea to City Walkway’ led by Brian Hasell, Wed 05/11 15M
The trip from Island Bay to Bolton Street was enjoyed in calm occasionally sunny weather; 15 walkers including one Prospective Member. The route strictly followed the Wellington City Council route which links up the Council reserves and goes over all the high points. 14 km over 5 ¼ hours. As we got close to the central city , walkers dropped out by arrangement and 3 completed the full distance
M – SF Trip ‘Waiohine Campsite – Pt 545 and Pt 632’ led by Rob Handyside, Wed 05/11 11M
Eleven club members joined this climb from the Gorge Road up to to points 532 and 632. Local guide and club member Gerald Leather took over navigation to guide us down a spur running to the north where we found a suitable lunch spot.
In the month which has elapsed since the leader's exploration of this area we have experienced very strong wind conditions. The group was quite amazed at the extent of the damage with large trees uprooted and thrown down, crushing a lot of vegetation.
The enjoyment of this trip was increased by the fine, warm conditions and dry underfoot track - a contrast to some of our more recent trips.
Rob Handyside (Trip leader), Gerald Leather (Local guide ), Joan Basher, Leonore Hoke, Tim Stone, Colin Hoare, Robin Chesterfield, Pip Newton, Jane-Pyar Mautner, Helena Weller-Chew, Angela Vanderpoel.
MF Trip ‘Deep Creek - Waiohine’ led by David McNabb, Wed 05/11 6M
Six members walked up the Lower Waiohine Track to Makaka Creek. After safely crossing the Waiohine River, we spent an hour walking up the not-so-deep Deep Creek, before climbing the spur which leads directly up to Waiohine peak, enjoying the panoramic views from the summit. A short walk south along the ridge led us to another spur which we followed down to the Rocky Stream confluence. Both of the spurs we used had trap lines on them, making navigation slightly easier. Finally, it took us 1½ hours to follow the marked route sidling above the Waiohine River back to the cars. A 10 hour day, covering 16.7km in warm sunny weather.
Weekend:
SF Trip ‘Turere Stream Waterfall’ led by Mike Voets, Saturday 08/11 7M
From Catchpool Valley Car park at 8:40 am on a sunny Saturday morning, seven keen trampers set off at a good pace up the Five Mile Loop and Clay Ridge tracks. Layers came off quickly. We reached the viewpoint before McKerrow Highpoint in 1 h 40 m, beating the DOC estimate. A great spot for morning tea.
From McKerrow, we dropped down a spur to Turere Stream and enjoyed lunch at the top of the waterfall. Sidling the waterfall was tricky, so we climbed back up and over the spur to find its base. After giving the falls our full admiration (and taking a group photo), we spearheaded up to the Whakanui Track via a near-vertical ascent on a steep, blunt spur.
On Whakanui we met fellow weekend trampers and followed them for a bit down to the river before veering right onto the Turere Spur. We followed the ridgeline down to Jacob’s Ladder for afternoon tea, then returned via the Catchpool Track.
9 h 45 m of pure adventure; about 1,300 m of ascent and descent over 21 km. Great weather, great company, no loss of limbs.
EM Trip ‘Eastbourne’ led by Jenny Olsen, Sunday 09/11 10M
Tramping from Lowry Bay all along the main ridge track to Days Bay. We finished at The Pavilion which was a great café stop before busing back to our cars in Lowry Bay. Perfect weather for a great day in the bush.
Total 58 members and Nil non members