This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper Volume 93, no 6, July 2021
Point Howard to Eastbourne via Butterfly Creek M
9 June 2021
The medium trip on Wednesday 9 June started at Pt Howard where we left our cars. After a short roadside stride by the sea, we followed the Serento Bay gully track up under private access viaducts camouflaged in the tree canopy, noticing on the way old, pre-1950s water piping and our late member Ray Gilbert’s concrete overbridge still intact.
We joined Howard Road at number 72, viewed J-P’s childhood home on the opposite side of the gully, and continued up the road for about ten minutes before entering speckled shade again to follow the well-defined track through lush bush. Sunshine, harbour views and cupcakes were enjoyed by all for morning tea at the top of Mt Lowry. Then we followed the Ridge track above the Eastern Bays for almost two hours before peeling off to go down MIRO trap lines on Middle Ridge. Lunch was eaten amongst giant northern rata roots on Middle Ridge before we continued downwards, making a brief stop to acknowledge Stan’s hut and obituary. An interesting character! From there, we continued to descend Middle Ridge and were delighted to meet the EM group of Carol Kelly, Lyn Pomare and Rosemary Wilson. Hugs were a welcome distraction from the fact we would not arrive in time for the Eastbourne bus before 3 p.m. Bird life, lush vegetation and the notorious Wednesday medium group chatter entertained us for the last couple of hours down to Butterfly Creek and up over to the sunny Bus Barns track with views over the harbour and of the Kaikouras. We arrived in time for a 20-minute sunbathe on the beach before taking the bus back to our cars.
Total walking time six hours, total time 6.45 hours with breaks. Twenty-two participants. Five took advantage of the option to peel off earlier and descended one of the steep tracks down to the bays. Perfect weather.
- Party members
- Joan Basher, Helen Beaglehole, Paul Bruce, Andrew Carmen, Paddy Gresham, Susan Guscott, Brian Hasell, Carolyn Jenkins, Howard Larsen, Jenny Mason, Jane-Pyar Mautner (leader and scribe), Cheryl McDonald, Diane Munster, Pip Newton, Mary Perkins, Marilyn Richards, Penny Salmon, Peter Smith, Alison Stevenson, Helena Weller-Chew, Christine Whiteford, Glynn Woodbury