2025-01-08 < Weekly activities > 2025-01-22
Activity summary: Wednesday 2025 January 15 to Tuesday 2025 January 21
Wrights Hill/Makara Peak Circuit/Marchant Stream Spur/South Coast/Eastern Hutt Hut
Wednesday
E Trip, ‘Wrights Hill’, led by Peter Nixon, Wed 15/01 5M and 1NM
Five members and one non-member participated, the non-member being Barbara' grandson Jamie. The weather was a bit grim with threatening rain, or very pleasant unseasonal Autumnal conditions. We set off southward from Karori Park to Fitzgerald Place and thence up the Salvation track. As the ageing bodies felt the pain of unaccustomed exercise, we stopped for lunch at the car park where the track meets the road. After lunch we went painfully down the road to Campbell Street rather than risking the bush track descent along the Zealandia perimeter. A good workout to remedy Christmas idleness.
EM Trip, ‘Makara Peak Circuit’, led by Brian Hasell, Wed 15/01 11M
11 Members enjoyed fine weather and good company on the Makara Peak Circuit. It was a 5-hour loop in the Bike Park visiting Makara Peak via the Swing bridge and return via Nikau Valley.
M Trip, ‘Marchant Stream Spur’, led by Marg Pearce, Wed 15/01 4M and 1NM
Our group started out from the DOC roadend on Kiwiranch Road at 9am in cool and drizzly conditions. Our route was the Dobson's Loop but we left the track at Point 656 below the Dobson's site to head off down Marchant Stream spur. It was very overgrown with windfalls galore so compass settings were very useful to keep us on the spur. We reached the Tauwharenīkau Valley Track just after 1 p.m. and enjoyed a sit down lunch after a very steep descent. After lunch I led off at a brisk pace and as a result, two of us got separated when we followed the DOC orange-marked alternative route over a slip and the following three went through the slip and got ahead of us, consequently the two of us sat and waited for them in vain. We finally decided to get up to the saddle and phone them and found they were almost back at the car park. At least everyone was accounted for. Our trip stats were: 15.7 km, 1,102 elevation gain/loss and time taken 7 hours 30 mins
SF Trip, ‘South Coast, South-East Coast, with mystery cave’, led by Mary Kane, Wed 15/01 10M
Ten of us enjoyed magnificent views on a mild day from the Eastern Walkway and Wellington’s south coast . We began with climbing to Te Raekaihoe Point from Lyall Bay then returned along the coast. We drove to Moa Point Settlement to get onto the Eastern Walkway via steps behind the airport. From the Pass of Branda we dropped down to Fort Dorset area for lunch. We explored the mystery cave as we rounded the coastline into Breaker Bay. Disappointingly we saw many blue bottles there and other Cnidaria at Tarakena Bay so no swimming for us. All up the trip was 6 1/4 hours.
MF Trip, ‘Eastern Hutt Hut’, led by Ant Hill, Wed 15/01 4M
It was just starting to spit as we set off up the Norbett Creek track at 8:50, and 20 minutes later we were climbing in waterproofs and a steady light rain, but by the time we were walking down the four wheel drive track to Hutt Forks this had stopped, and when we reached the Eastern Hutt River on the far side of the gorge bypass track we had carrot pie for morning tea in the sun. It was sunny for the rest of the day. This was at 11:30.
From there, we made good time up the terraces on the true right of the river until the valley narrowed. Then we waded and rock hopped up the river itself. Robin slipped off a boulder and fell in the river but that didn't seem to do him any harm. We got to the hut at about 13:30 for lunch. Robin announced that it was his 81st birthday.
On the way back down the river Franz said he wasn't looking forward to climbing back over the humps which was the closest thing to a grumble all day. I think we all felt like that. We saw a goat at the start of the first hump, the gorge bypass track, and as we climbed down the far side, David and Franz were stung by wasps. David pointed out some Dawsonia superba, the tallest moss in the world. It was sad leaving the river on such a warm sunny afternoon, so Franz, David and I waded across for a last time instead of using the swing bridge. We returned to the car at 6:30pm, 9 hours 40 there and back, 19.2 kms and 1260 metres ascent. [Anthony Hill, Franz Hubmann, David McNabb & Robin Chesterfield]
Total 34 members and 2 non members