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Trip Reports 2016-11-09-Belmont Hills

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This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper Volume 88, no 11, December 2016

Belmont Hills M

9 November 2016

Twenty-one TTC trampers joined the Belmont Hills trip on Wednesday 9 November 2016. This was a quintessential New Zealand walk with many highlights. This trip show-cased how communities can work together to develop local tracks, green rolling fields with grazing sheep and cattle, grade three mountain bike tracks, a hillside desecrated by logging, low level tracks that connect with bright water streams and waterfalls and the commitment of the local council to ensure our tracks are accessible and safe.

The trip started with car parking in Cornish Street, then an amble to the Petone station to join the Melling train. A walk along the Hutt River to Kelson gave everyone a warm up before entering the community track by Speedy’s Reserve, coming out at the pylon above Hill Road. From here the rolling hills beckoned with up hills along the fence lines to avoid disturbing the sheep and cattle and then down into Belmont farm road to join the uphill bike track – the Bull Run. A lunch stop overlooking the logged pine forest was a happy relief from hill climbing and also it was here that Pete Smith lost his sole - actually his footwear should have been inspected by the leader before he commenced as both boots lost their soles. Half way through this trip he was left stranded near Stratton Street exit, reading the newspaper on a sunny bank while two women went to fetch a car to pick him up – shame on you Pete!

The final stage of this trip was the track to the Korokoro Dam to enjoy the sunshine and the Paradise ducklings, and we did note the new track development. Finally the three kilometres back to Cornish Street, where considerable work has been done to secure the track and build safe bridges, which are still to be completed.

This was a trip full of variety: distance 19 kilometres, ups and downs of 1250 metres and with happy breaks, it took us round 7 hours. A trip worth repeating.

Party members
Dave Reynolds (co-leader), Jan Nye (leader), Linda Beckett, Chris Leather, Christine Whiteford, Carol Kelly, Rob Joiner, Rosemary Wilson, Marg Pearce, Paul Armstrong, Marilyn Richards, Carolyn Jenkins, Brian Hasell, Bernard Molloy, Trish Smith, Pete Smith, Sue Rowe, Cheryl McDonald, Graham Rowe, Penny Salmond

Page last modified on 2022 May 14 02:51

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