Thursday 07.12.23. Sunny, breezy morning, rain showery afternoon, Mt Somers vicinity. I drove 110km from Pleasant Point via Geraldine, Mayfield, Mt Somers, Ashburton Gorge to Lake Clearwater in Hakatere Conservation Park to climb Mt Guy, 1319m, overlooking Lake Clearwater & surrounded by Alpine peaks.
My climb stats: From Lake Clearwater carpark, 11km, 7h return. 600 vertical metres climb. (5.5km, 3.5h ascent to summit cairn. 5.5km, 3.5 descent back to carpark). Excl in stats, half hour lunch & pic break by the summit cairn. A full day's hike.
The DOC pole-marked track had various DOC signs enroute. The farm track from the carpark skirted SE end of Lake Clearwater to a Pringle memorial bench near a footbridge at the lake outlet. NE end of Lake Clearwater, beyond the footbridge, the track led to a stile from where the climb began through tussock, becoming steeper through matagouri scrub beside a rocky gully. About halfway up, the track became very steep sidling up & over rocky outcrops to ease over summit tussock with grand Alpine & lake views from the summit cairn.
Anticlockwise, Some lakes & mountains seen enroute: Lake Clearwater, Lake Camp, Harper Range, Lake Emma, Mt Peel, Coal Hill, Moorhouse Range, Trinity Hill, Ashburton Gorge, distant Canterbury Plains, Mt Barrosa, Clent Hills, Mt Somers Range, Winterslow Range, Taylor Range, Dogs Range, hidden tarns in tussocklands at mt bases, The Pyramid, Mt Potts, Mt Sunday (Edoras, Lord of the Rings fame), snowy D'Archiac, The Thumbs, snowy Main Divide, Two Thumbs Range, Rangitata River headwaters, Ben McLeod Range...
Fauna seen: Black swans in Lake Clearwater; 1 pipit, I imitated its whistle keeping it company a while; 1 butterfly; skinks; grasshoppers, flies.
Flora: Tussock grassland; matagouri; small, white flowering celmisias; bigger celmisias; speargrass; yellow flowering bulbinella; creamy flowering snowberries; white flowering pentachondra pumila, some red berries trackside; yellow flowering buttercups; pale blue flowering wahlenbergias; broom; scleranthus; drachophyllum; craspedias; scabweeds... Also yellow flowering hieracium hawkweed, seen from lakeside to mt top, thanks to past stockfarming.
As on previous hikes over the years I found DOC signs wishful thinking regarding walk times & distances. DOC didn't reckon on lengthy zig-zagging needed to avoid plant, mud, rock & scree obstacles. An example, DOC sign by the stile below Mt Guy: Mt Guy Summit 2 km / 1 hour 15 min.
My reckoning from stile to summit, as per 2 fitness apps on my Cell: 3km / 2h 45 min. (Same for ascent & descent climbs).
Patchy Cell coverage: Midday, I texted & phoned my wife from Mt Guy summit, no problems. But enroute texts I sent from Lake Clearwater carpark & half way up Mt Guy were undelivered.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Saturday, December 9, 2023
Friday, March 17, 2023
Lake Clearwater, Hakatere Conservation Park
Wed 15.03.23. Hiked round Lake Clearwater, 14km, 4.5h. Anniversary of Christchurch mosques attacks.
From our Pleasant Point home, via Mt Somers, through Ashburton Gorge & Hakatere Potts Rd, Lake Clearwater was about 110km.
Parallel glacier formed lakes, Lake Camp & Lake Clearwater, popular holiday lakes, were surrounded by Alps: Mt Guy 1319m N side & Mt Harper Range 1829m S side dominated Lake Clearwater. Eastwards, passing through Ashburton Gorge from Mt Somers, I'd driven past Mt Barrosa 1364m which I'd climbed pre Covid19 lockdowns. NW of Mt Guy were grand autumn views of Dogs Range, The Pyramid 1748m & Mt Potts 2184m which had featured in Lord of the Rings movie. Further W were clear views of higher Alpine peaks at the head of Rangitata River.
Lake Clearwater circuit walk: At Lake Clearwater village, I parked my car at the lakeside carpark near the campsite. Walking eastwards along a farm track marked by DOC poles, I passed 2 fishermen & their SUVs & a memorial bench at the east end of Lake Clearwater. I crossed a wooden footbridge over the lake outlet stream. I walked a farm track on the N bank below glacial terraces on Mt Guy S flank. There were various side tracks for fishing spots on the lake shore & a track junction for those wanting to climb Mt Guy. Passing an island, I had grand views of Lake Clearwater village on the S shore, below Harper Range. Some Alpine plants seen enroute: matagouri bushes, porcupine bushes, Pentachondra pumila, Scleranthus, white flowering gentians, spear grass, tussock grassland. Due to stock farming, lots of high country, including Lake Clearwater environs was covered in Hieracium hawkweed. W end of the lake I saw waterfowl: ducks, paradise shelducks & black swans whose wings clapped against the water when they took off & flew low over the lake.
W end of Lake Clearwater, I reached a swamp with numerous swamp plants soaking up Alpine waters. A grass featured on a DOC info board by the swamp:
24/7 workers on the job here.
Wetland plants never stop working and Carex specta / pukio is a standout.
They are a flood controller, helping to hold excess water then releasing it slowly. With a big sreading root sytem they trap sediments and pollutants.
Nothing is wasted - their old leaves drop into the water providing food for invertebrates. They in turn feed fish and birds.
Working for us forever.
As long as we keep pukio around, they'll stay on the job. They can grow large and live over 100 years...
A DOC raised boardwalk & duckboards let me to wander over the swamp without getting my boots wet. Westwards, there were grand views of the high Alps & eastwards, magnificent views of the swamp & Lake Clearwater. Thistles amongst swamp plants spoiled the conservation idea. Therereafter, as it was midday hot without any breeze across the lake, I rejoined Hakatere Potts Rd at a DOC carpark to enjoy an easterly breeze all the way back to Lake Clearwater village.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
From our Pleasant Point home, via Mt Somers, through Ashburton Gorge & Hakatere Potts Rd, Lake Clearwater was about 110km.
Parallel glacier formed lakes, Lake Camp & Lake Clearwater, popular holiday lakes, were surrounded by Alps: Mt Guy 1319m N side & Mt Harper Range 1829m S side dominated Lake Clearwater. Eastwards, passing through Ashburton Gorge from Mt Somers, I'd driven past Mt Barrosa 1364m which I'd climbed pre Covid19 lockdowns. NW of Mt Guy were grand autumn views of Dogs Range, The Pyramid 1748m & Mt Potts 2184m which had featured in Lord of the Rings movie. Further W were clear views of higher Alpine peaks at the head of Rangitata River.
Lake Clearwater circuit walk: At Lake Clearwater village, I parked my car at the lakeside carpark near the campsite. Walking eastwards along a farm track marked by DOC poles, I passed 2 fishermen & their SUVs & a memorial bench at the east end of Lake Clearwater. I crossed a wooden footbridge over the lake outlet stream. I walked a farm track on the N bank below glacial terraces on Mt Guy S flank. There were various side tracks for fishing spots on the lake shore & a track junction for those wanting to climb Mt Guy. Passing an island, I had grand views of Lake Clearwater village on the S shore, below Harper Range. Some Alpine plants seen enroute: matagouri bushes, porcupine bushes, Pentachondra pumila, Scleranthus, white flowering gentians, spear grass, tussock grassland. Due to stock farming, lots of high country, including Lake Clearwater environs was covered in Hieracium hawkweed. W end of the lake I saw waterfowl: ducks, paradise shelducks & black swans whose wings clapped against the water when they took off & flew low over the lake.
W end of Lake Clearwater, I reached a swamp with numerous swamp plants soaking up Alpine waters. A grass featured on a DOC info board by the swamp:
24/7 workers on the job here.
Wetland plants never stop working and Carex specta / pukio is a standout.
They are a flood controller, helping to hold excess water then releasing it slowly. With a big sreading root sytem they trap sediments and pollutants.
Nothing is wasted - their old leaves drop into the water providing food for invertebrates. They in turn feed fish and birds.
Working for us forever.
As long as we keep pukio around, they'll stay on the job. They can grow large and live over 100 years...
A DOC raised boardwalk & duckboards let me to wander over the swamp without getting my boots wet. Westwards, there were grand views of the high Alps & eastwards, magnificent views of the swamp & Lake Clearwater. Thistles amongst swamp plants spoiled the conservation idea. Therereafter, as it was midday hot without any breeze across the lake, I rejoined Hakatere Potts Rd at a DOC carpark to enjoy an easterly breeze all the way back to Lake Clearwater village.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
The Long & Winding Road, Mt Nessing, Hakataramea Valley
Tues 21.02.23. A scorching day in the Hakataramea Valley: 6am, I drove off from Pleasant Point, I wanted to climb a bit of Mt Nessing from Hakataramea Valley.
Pleasant Point - Cave - Fairlie - Burkes Pass - Dog Kennel Corner to Haldon Rd: Rollesby Range, Mackenzie Pass, Dalgety Range left, Grampian Range right, Hakataramea Pass Rd, drove over several rocky fords both sides of Hakataramea Pass top, 947m. 2017. I had summitted Dalgety Range & Grampian Range, different tramps.
After 115 km drive, at the N end of Hakataramea Valley I parked at the DOC carpark beside the road. A DOC sign:
Access to
Hunters Hills
Conservation Area
The DOC Conservation Area was a water catchment area where waters gathered from Dalgety Range, Grampian Range, Hunter Hills including Mt Nessing in the form of Hakataramea River & tributaries like Dalgety Stream & Longden Stream... Thus the DOC Conservation Area was a mix of Hakataramea River, dry & wet creek beds, low river terraces, river terrace grassland, bogs & in places impassable matagouri scrub.
My Topo50 map showed a farm track going up one of the western ridges of Mt Nessing, 1601m. Boots wet, after wading across Hakataramea River, I found the track was unmarked by DOC poles. I had to scout a bit: over a fence, river terraces, knee high grassland & prickly matagouri before I found the farm track which crossed the cachment area then zigzagged up the Mt Nessing Ridge. The farm track was also covered in knee high grass, first through matagouri scrubland then alpine vegetation, like tussocks & speargrass. Just below 900m height the farm track curved downhill to a farm fence marked on my map. My tramping logic would've been to follow the fence-line all the way to the top of Mt Nessing. Wishful thinking!
As it was scorching hot, I stopped climbing at a high point just above the farm road top curve, 860m, Grid ref: BZ17 153843. Grand views: farmsteads & green farmlands in Hakataramea Valley & views of snowless ranges: Hunters Hills, Dalgety, Grampian, Kirkliston, Benmore, Kurow. I could've climbed another trackless, 100 vertical metres to a higher part of the Mt Nessing ridge, but the February heat was dangerous, a cooling breeze, disguising my dehydration. I'd already quaffed 1.5l Coke during 2 hours' climbing. It was time to return to my car.
I drove the rest of Hakataramea Valley, about 60 kms, to Kurow where I had pie & Coke at Te Kohurau Cafe. I drove back to Pleasant Point via Waitaki Valley, Waimate & Timaru.
My climb stats:
* Height: 300 vertical m from Hakataramea River bed, partly up a Mt Nessing ridge.
* Return time: 3 h. (2h up, 1 h down).
* Distance: 9 km.
* Emergency communication: No cell phone coverage, text message undelivered, at the DOC carpark. But I was able to text my wife from the farm track a short way up Mt Nessing. Oddly, Spotify music played via my cell phone directly to my cochlear implant, was perfect, all the way. The Long & Winding Road my favourite. I don't carry a locator beacon, too expensive.
* Circular road trip: 300km.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Pleasant Point - Cave - Fairlie - Burkes Pass - Dog Kennel Corner to Haldon Rd: Rollesby Range, Mackenzie Pass, Dalgety Range left, Grampian Range right, Hakataramea Pass Rd, drove over several rocky fords both sides of Hakataramea Pass top, 947m. 2017. I had summitted Dalgety Range & Grampian Range, different tramps.
After 115 km drive, at the N end of Hakataramea Valley I parked at the DOC carpark beside the road. A DOC sign:
Access to
Hunters Hills
Conservation Area
The DOC Conservation Area was a water catchment area where waters gathered from Dalgety Range, Grampian Range, Hunter Hills including Mt Nessing in the form of Hakataramea River & tributaries like Dalgety Stream & Longden Stream... Thus the DOC Conservation Area was a mix of Hakataramea River, dry & wet creek beds, low river terraces, river terrace grassland, bogs & in places impassable matagouri scrub.
My Topo50 map showed a farm track going up one of the western ridges of Mt Nessing, 1601m. Boots wet, after wading across Hakataramea River, I found the track was unmarked by DOC poles. I had to scout a bit: over a fence, river terraces, knee high grassland & prickly matagouri before I found the farm track which crossed the cachment area then zigzagged up the Mt Nessing Ridge. The farm track was also covered in knee high grass, first through matagouri scrubland then alpine vegetation, like tussocks & speargrass. Just below 900m height the farm track curved downhill to a farm fence marked on my map. My tramping logic would've been to follow the fence-line all the way to the top of Mt Nessing. Wishful thinking!
As it was scorching hot, I stopped climbing at a high point just above the farm road top curve, 860m, Grid ref: BZ17 153843. Grand views: farmsteads & green farmlands in Hakataramea Valley & views of snowless ranges: Hunters Hills, Dalgety, Grampian, Kirkliston, Benmore, Kurow. I could've climbed another trackless, 100 vertical metres to a higher part of the Mt Nessing ridge, but the February heat was dangerous, a cooling breeze, disguising my dehydration. I'd already quaffed 1.5l Coke during 2 hours' climbing. It was time to return to my car.
I drove the rest of Hakataramea Valley, about 60 kms, to Kurow where I had pie & Coke at Te Kohurau Cafe. I drove back to Pleasant Point via Waitaki Valley, Waimate & Timaru.
My climb stats:
* Height: 300 vertical m from Hakataramea River bed, partly up a Mt Nessing ridge.
* Return time: 3 h. (2h up, 1 h down).
* Distance: 9 km.
* Emergency communication: No cell phone coverage, text message undelivered, at the DOC carpark. But I was able to text my wife from the farm track a short way up Mt Nessing. Oddly, Spotify music played via my cell phone directly to my cochlear implant, was perfect, all the way. The Long & Winding Road my favourite. I don't carry a locator beacon, too expensive.
* Circular road trip: 300km.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Mount Studholme Rd, Waimate District
Valentines Day 14.02.23. Along Waimate Hunter Rd, then Upper Hook Rd, I drove 13 km NW from Waimate to Mt Studholme Rd, a dirt road going steeply up a Hunter Hills ridge to Mt Studholme summit, 1085m. A red skull & crossbones, pesticide threat sign by the roadside farm gate:
WARNING POISON
Potassium cyanide
DO NOT touch bait
WATCH CHILDREN at all times...
DEADLY TO DOGS...
NZ farmers & foresters were a poisonous lot, happily poisoning or hunting verminous animal & plant species. Never mind copious amounts of Roundup sprayed on gardens & road verges!
The left upside of Mt Studholme Rd (forestry area?) was like a war zone, dead vegetation completely grey-sprayed to hell for 2 km farmside of the foothills road, till I parked my car by a farm / forestry(?) fence at the DOC bush area. A DOC sign:
Mt Studholme Conservation Area
Road suitable for 4WD vehicles only
In a roadside ditch near the DOC sign lay 2 animal skeletons, so hunters had been busy in the hills.
I trekked up the rocky, zigzag road for an hour odd through native bush, passing roadside native plants like Pseudopanax 5 fingers, Tutus, Hebes, Coprosmas, Pittosporums... Roadside, there were exotic plants too, like gorse, thistles, broom, foxgloves, wooly mulleins... DOC didn't spray the roadside exotics. The higher I trekked up Mt Studholme Rd the better the view: bushy ravines both sides of the road; low clouds, green farmlands & Pacific eastwards; Gunns Bush & Waimate southwards; Hook Bush & Mt Cecil northwards; low clouds scudding over Mt Studholme summit westwards, last gasp of Cyclone Gabrielle which had devastated the N Island, causing widespread slips & flooding.
Above the bushline, for another hour odd, I trekked up the rocky road through tussockland, mostly tussocks interspersed with spear grass, Dracophyllum & stunted flax. Notable were Celmisia white daisies by roadside rocky cuttings. I had missed NZ Alpine plants in their natural state over the last couple of years, due to Covid-19 restrictions, my Cochlear Implant op at St Georges Hospital, Christchurch & hearing rehab (2021) & my catching Covid flu (2022). My fitness training walks around Pleasant Point gone to waste!
Midday. Mt Studholme summit views: N & S over Hunter Hills; SW Waimate; E farmlands & Pacific; W Pentland Hills & Campbell Hills, gouged by Waihao River below. I didn't continue along the summit road or explore cycle tracks, as last gasp, Cyclone Gabrielle was threatening lowering clouds. The summit mast & two locked electrics cabins were already rattling in the wind so it was time to get off the mountain, soon covered in mist & sporadic rain showers. On a locked door a final threat sign:
CHORUS
Operational Area
This is a Multiple Hazard Area
Wear Test Specific PPE!
Beware Trip Hazards!
Beware Exposed Live Metal Low Voltage DC!
Heed Posted Warning Signs!
From the DOC sign 2 km up Mt Studholme Rd, my walk stats:
Time 4.5h return (2.5h up, 2h down).
Return Distance 11km.
Height climbed 700 vertical metres.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont
WARNING POISON
Potassium cyanide
DO NOT touch bait
WATCH CHILDREN at all times...
DEADLY TO DOGS...
NZ farmers & foresters were a poisonous lot, happily poisoning or hunting verminous animal & plant species. Never mind copious amounts of Roundup sprayed on gardens & road verges!
The left upside of Mt Studholme Rd (forestry area?) was like a war zone, dead vegetation completely grey-sprayed to hell for 2 km farmside of the foothills road, till I parked my car by a farm / forestry(?) fence at the DOC bush area. A DOC sign:
Mt Studholme Conservation Area
Road suitable for 4WD vehicles only
In a roadside ditch near the DOC sign lay 2 animal skeletons, so hunters had been busy in the hills.
I trekked up the rocky, zigzag road for an hour odd through native bush, passing roadside native plants like Pseudopanax 5 fingers, Tutus, Hebes, Coprosmas, Pittosporums... Roadside, there were exotic plants too, like gorse, thistles, broom, foxgloves, wooly mulleins... DOC didn't spray the roadside exotics. The higher I trekked up Mt Studholme Rd the better the view: bushy ravines both sides of the road; low clouds, green farmlands & Pacific eastwards; Gunns Bush & Waimate southwards; Hook Bush & Mt Cecil northwards; low clouds scudding over Mt Studholme summit westwards, last gasp of Cyclone Gabrielle which had devastated the N Island, causing widespread slips & flooding.
Above the bushline, for another hour odd, I trekked up the rocky road through tussockland, mostly tussocks interspersed with spear grass, Dracophyllum & stunted flax. Notable were Celmisia white daisies by roadside rocky cuttings. I had missed NZ Alpine plants in their natural state over the last couple of years, due to Covid-19 restrictions, my Cochlear Implant op at St Georges Hospital, Christchurch & hearing rehab (2021) & my catching Covid flu (2022). My fitness training walks around Pleasant Point gone to waste!
Midday. Mt Studholme summit views: N & S over Hunter Hills; SW Waimate; E farmlands & Pacific; W Pentland Hills & Campbell Hills, gouged by Waihao River below. I didn't continue along the summit road or explore cycle tracks, as last gasp, Cyclone Gabrielle was threatening lowering clouds. The summit mast & two locked electrics cabins were already rattling in the wind so it was time to get off the mountain, soon covered in mist & sporadic rain showers. On a locked door a final threat sign:
CHORUS
Operational Area
This is a Multiple Hazard Area
Wear Test Specific PPE!
Beware Trip Hazards!
Beware Exposed Live Metal Low Voltage DC!
Heed Posted Warning Signs!
From the DOC sign 2 km up Mt Studholme Rd, my walk stats:
Time 4.5h return (2.5h up, 2h down).
Return Distance 11km.
Height climbed 700 vertical metres.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont
Sunday, February 5, 2023
Gunns Bush Track near Waimate
Sat. 04.01.23. Waitangi Weekend. I drove about 10kms from Waimate along Parsonage Rd, Waimati Hunter Rd, Upper Hook Rd, Gunns Bush Rd to DOC conserved Gunns Bush.
Gunns Bush Track beside Gunns Bush Creek undulated in a string & baloon walk up the creek valley, crossing several smaller tributary streams, enabled by a muddy / rocky track, boardwalks & a wooden pedestrian bridge. Distance: slightly less than 6 km. It took me 2.5 hours with lots of flora & avifauna stops en route. Notable were bird calls, old mans beard fungus, sphagnum moss, understorey ferns & bigger tree ferns. There were lots of whiteywoods & old tree fuschias too. From the small DOC carpark, about 1km from the track start, a fine old matai can been seen just off track.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Gunns Bush Track beside Gunns Bush Creek undulated in a string & baloon walk up the creek valley, crossing several smaller tributary streams, enabled by a muddy / rocky track, boardwalks & a wooden pedestrian bridge. Distance: slightly less than 6 km. It took me 2.5 hours with lots of flora & avifauna stops en route. Notable were bird calls, old mans beard fungus, sphagnum moss, understorey ferns & bigger tree ferns. There were lots of whiteywoods & old tree fuschias too. From the small DOC carpark, about 1km from the track start, a fine old matai can been seen just off track.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
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