Misty Mt Thomas

2010. Turnoff to Mt Thomas from Oxford - Rangiora Scenic Route

I drove across Canterbury Plains on Tram Road to Cust and Summerhill, joined the Scenic Route between Oxford & Rangiora, which passed Ashley Gorge and Glentui, to Mt Thomas Forest, about 70 kms NW of Christchurch.

I wanted to do a circular walk up Summit Track to Mt Thomas summit (1023 m); walk Ridge Track along Mt Thomas summit ridge; then descend Wooded Gully Track to my car at Wooded Gully Picnic Area / Carpark.

Caution: Although I climbed Mt Thomas in the mist, the summit was sunny with intermittent clouds and my descent through beech forest was humid. Water, food and weatherproof gear are needed. Hill walking fitness is required.


2010. DOC Map, Mt Thomas Walks


2010. DOC Sign, Mt Thomas Tracks

1. MT THOMAS, SUMMIT TRACK. Mt time, 2 hours 30 minutes from Wooded Gully Picnic Area to Mt Thomas summit.


2010. Misty Mt Thomas Summit Track, Gorse, Douglas Firs & Pines

Two other cars were parked at misty Wooded Gully Carpark. Campers with bell tent and car, and caravan and car camped at the nearby campsite. I coolpixed the DOC map board and info board, then started along Summit Track. I crossed a stile into mist-wet grass which soaked my shoes, socks, pants in the first 100 metres.


2010. Misty Mt Thomas Summit Track, Gorse & Pines

I crossed a forestry road and climbed steep Summit Track up a forested ridge, the track beginning on slippery, white clay, with gorse and broom lining pine forest on both sides of Summit Track. Gorse was cut in places. Misty Mt Thomas made my uphill trek humid: soon my hair, hat, pack, clothes and body were sopping.


2010. Misty Mt Thomas Summit Track Pines


2010. Misty Mt Thomas Summit Track Pine Needles

I crossed another forestry road, and while I sweated upwards, mist obscured the pine forest and Canterbury Plains below. Pines morphed into Douglas firs while I slogged upwards.


2010. Misty Mt Thomas Summit Track, Sunbeam through Pines

Besides pines and firs, gorse, broom, bracken ferns, blackberries, griselinias, pittosporums and wineberries, Aristotelia serrata lined Summit Track.


2010. Misty Mt Thomas Summit Track, Sunbeam on Pine Needles

Misty Douglas firs morphed into pine forest again, and after 40 minutes or so Summit Track levelled briefly, before continuing steeply up the ridge over pine needles and rocks. Kanuka replaced gorse the higher I climbed.

I passed red fly agaric mushrooms growing in dark pine- needle beds. I passed other mushrooms and lichens, like old mans beard growing on pine trunks and branches.


2010. Misty Mt Thomas Track, Sunbeam on Pine Forest Undergrowth

Through canopy gaps, sunbeams shafted mist, swirling mist into strange shapes, spooking me, like I climbed a Maori tapu place. After 1 hour 20 minutes climbing, I emerged from mist into sunlight.


2010. Misty Mt Thomas Summit Track, Misty Clearing


2010. Fly Agaric Mushroom, Summit Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Sunbeam, Misty Mt Thomas Summit Track

At midday by a kanuka and beech break in the pine forest, I stopped to coolpix clouds above Canterbury Plains, Port Hills and Banks Peninsula, and clouds creeping up Mt Thomas Wooded Gully.

Westwards I coolpixed Mt Oxford summit floating above clouds, and in the distance Mt Hutt and Southern Alps. I saw beeches and kanukas going up gullies to Mt Thomas summit ridge, and beyond to Mt Richardson, and further to Torlesse Range, Southern Alps.


2010. Mt Thomas Summit Track view of Cloudy Canterbury Plains


2010. Mt Thomas Summit Track view of Cloudy Canterbury Plains & Malvern Hills


2010. Mt Thomas Summit Track view of Mt Oxford


2010. Mt Thomas Summit Track view of Wooded Gully, Mt Oxford & Torlesse Range


2010. Mt Thomas Summit Track view of Wooded Gully

Summit Track sidled and widened, alongside beeches in Wooded Gully below, and pines above. Near Mt Thomas summit, the track broke through pines onto another forestry road which went to flat Mt Thomas summit.

The road continued down the other side of Mt Thomas, with views of Puketeraki Range and Torlesse Range in the Southern Alps. I lunched by Mt Thomas summit survey beacon: CocaCola, sarmies, muesli bar, apple.


2010. Top of Mt Thomas Summit Track


2010. Mt Thomas Summit view of Cloudy Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps


2010. Mt Thomas Summit view of Cloudy Canterbury Plains


2010. Mt Thomas Summit, DOC Tracks Sign


2010. Mt Thomas Summit, Geodetic Beacon & Aerial


2010. Mt Thomas Summit, western view of Southern Alps


2010. DOC Mt Thomas Summit Sign


2010. Mt Thomas Summit view of Cloudy Canterbury Plains


2010. Mt Thomas Summit, western view of Cloudy Southern Alps


2010. Mt Thomas Summit, western view of Forestry Road & Cloudy Southern Alps


2010. Mt Thomas Summit view of Cloudy Puketeraki Range, Southern Alps


2010. Mt Thomas Summit view of Cloudy Canterbury Plains


2010. Mt Thomas Summit, Trig Beacon, Aerial & Solar Panels

I wandered Mt Thomas summit, and coolpixed 360 degree views of clouds rising above Mt Thomas northern slopes; clouds covering Canterbury Plains and rising above Mt Thomas; and mist still creeping up Mt Thomas beech gullies from Canterbury Plains. Mt Thomas summit western views were clear to Torlesse Range and Puketeraki Range, cumulus clouds above the ranges.

On Mt Thomas summit, I coolpixed Celmisia Alpine daisies and low, white-flowering Hebe odora bushes, with bees pollinating hebe flowers. Mt Thomas summit was scented with Hebe odora fragrance.


2010. Mt Thomas Summit, Hebe odora & Celmisias


2010. Mt Thomas Summit, Hebe odora


2010. Mt Thomas Summit Hebe odora western view of Mt Thomas Summit Ridge, Wooded Gully & Southen Alps


2010. Mt Thomas Summit Hebe odora western view of Cloudy Southen Alps

2. MT THOMAS, RIDGE TRACK. My time, 1 hour: 30 minutes exposed summit ridge, 30 minutes beech forest from Mt Thomas summit ridge to Wooded Gully Track fork.


2010. Ridge Track, Mt Thomas Summit. Wooded Gully & Southern Alps backdrop

Ridge Track, along exposed Mt Thomas summit ridge, was well marked with DOC signs and fence standards with orange plastic tops. Leaving Mt Thomas pine forest, along the ridge I had glimpses of Canterbury Plains through cloud gaps. Early afternoon mist still swirled up Mt Thomas Wooded Gully. Westwards, I had clear views of more pine-forested gullies and clear views over Southern Alps.

On sunny, soggy Ridge Track I passed turpentine shrubs, Dracophyllum longifolium, tussocks, great mats of Alpine daisies, Celmisia sessiflora, and some windblown kanukas and beeches.


2010. Celmisia sessiflora & Dracophyllum longifolium, Ridge Track, Mt Thomas Summit


2010. Celmisias, Ridge Track, Mt Thomas Summit


2010. Ridge Track view of Mt Thomas Summit


2010. Lone Beech, Ridge Track, Mt Thomas Summit

Ridge Track went down steep, slippery rocks in humid beech forest, well marked with DOC signs and orange plastic triangles nailed to trunks. I would descend the humid beech gully for 3.5 hours. Mist left Wooded Gully extremely humid.

Beech trunks were blackened by fungi feeding on honeydew from sap-sucking scale insects. Wasps foraged honeydew too. A mouse scuttled down a blackened beech trunk. I wondered what it ate?


2010. Ridge Track, Mt Thomas Summit, descending to Beech Forest, Wooded Glen


2010. Dracophyllum / Beech Tree Line, Ridge Track, Mt Thomas Summit


2010. Celmisias, Hebe odora & Flax, Ridge Track, Mt Thomas Summit


2010. Start of Beech Forest, Ridge Track, Mt Thomas Summit


2010. Wasp on Sooty Mould, Beech Tree Bark, Ridge Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Beeches, Ridge Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Beeches & Understory, Ridge Track, Mt Thomas

Masses of ferns grew in beech understory, with luxuriant lichens and mosses growing on rocks, trunks and roots. Moist totara trunks shone russett in dappled understory.


2010. Ferns in Beech Understory, Ridge Track, Mt Thomas

3. MT THOMAS, WOODED GULLY TRACK. My time, 3 hours from Mt Thomas Ridge Track fork to Wooded Gully Picnic Area / Carpark.

In the beech forest, I came to a DOC sign at a Ridge Track fork which stated:

RIDGE TRACK <-
WOODED GULLY PICNIC AREA 3 hr
BOB'S CAMP BIVVY 3 hr

MT THOMAS SUMMIT -> 1 hr

WOODED GULLY TRACK
WOODED GULLY PICNIC AREA 2 hr


2010. DOC Sign, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Wooden Steps, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas

The DOC employee who'd guesstimated times to the Wooded Gully Picnic Area via Ridge Track (3 hr) or Wooded Gully Picnic Area via Wooded Gully Track (2 hr) was a speed freak. I walked the last option in 3 hours, non-stop.


2010. Stream & Understory, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Beech Trunks & Russet Totara Trunk, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Slipppery Roots, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas

The DOC sign I'd seen on Mt Thomas summit underestimated walking times too: No way could I descend Mt Thomas summit down Ridge Track, then Wooded Gully Track to Wooded Gully Picnic Area in 3 hours. I did it in 4 hours, hill-walking fit.


2010. Old Mans Beard Lichen, Beech Branch, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Leafy Lichen on Beech Trunk, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Crustose Lichens on Beech Trunk, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Leafy Lichen, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Crustose Lichens on Rocks, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas

Wooded Gully Track took me mostly downhill through humid beech forest, past native trees, shrubs, mosses, lichens, fungi, ferns and fauna. Due to morning and early afternoon mists Wooded Gully Track was wet and slippery, so I had to watch every step of my way down wooden steps, over soggy leaf-litter, over slippery roots and rocks, crossing several streams and wooden footbridges.

I passed two recent mud slips with toppled trees and a fallen rock on the track. In hazardous spots with bad erosion, DOC had tied plastic warning tapes between trees.


2010. Horopito, Pepper Tree, Pseudowintera colorata, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Ferny Understory, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Crustose Lichen on Beech Trunk, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Wooded Gully Track Beeches, Mt Thomas


2010. Stream, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas

Near Wooded Gully bottom, I passed three DOC signs showing shorter tracks off Wooded Gully Track viz: Red Pine Track... Forest Track... Kereru Track... While I descended, clouds lifted, giving me late afternoon glimpses of Canterbury Plains and Mt Thomas summit through beech canopy.


2010. Brown Bracket Fungus on tree trunk, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Lichens on Mossy Rock, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Tree Fuchsia, Fuchsia excorticata & ferns, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Tree Fern in Beech Forest, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Dappled Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Beige Bracket Fungus on Rotting Log, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas


2010. Wooded Gully Track view of Wooded Gully, Mt Thomas


2010. Stream Picnic Site & Wooden Bridge, Wooded Gully Track, Mt Thomas

Near Wooded Gully Picnic Area / Carpark, I encountered trackside gorse and broom again. At the carpark my car was the only vehicle left with stinging sandflies. Other cars and campers gone. All day walking misty Mt Thomas tracks, I hadn't seen a soul.


2010. Wooded Gully Carpark, Mt Thomas


2010. Wooded Gully Carpark DOC Sign, Mt Thomas

On my late afternoon drive back to Christchurch, I stopped to coolpix Mt Thomas, which I hadn't seen in the morning mist.


2010. Mt Thomas, Canterbury

Post New Year 2013, Leah & I stayed at a friend's Oxford cottage & did a couple of walks on Mt Thomas lower slopes: 

Thurs 03.01.13. Forest Track, from Wooded Gully Carpark, via pine plantation up the Summit Track a bit, crossed a forestry road, then at the next forestry road, took a left turn down a valley side through beech forest to a small waterfall & pool by a footbridge. Sandflies sucked. Returned through beech forest on the opposite valley side via Wooded Gully Track back to the carpark. Return time, about 2.5 hours. Return distance, approx 3 kms.

Fri 04.01.13. Red Pine Track, a big loop track from Wooded Gully Carpark, climbing about 2.6 kms up a valley side through beech forest. About half way up Mt Thomas, the track looped back through beech forest down the same valley side, via Wooded Gully Track. As creeks were crossed, sandflies were inevitable. Return time, about 3.5 hours. Return distance, approx 5.2 kms.

04.01.13. Red Pine Track turning, half way up Mt Thomas

 

Kereru Track, about 2.2 kms, 1 hour return, looped within Red Pine Track to & from the carpark.

Wooded Gully Track from the carpark continued from Red Pine Track turning point for another 2.6 kms up to Mt Thomas summit. One way time, about 3 hours. One way distance, approx 5.2 kms.

04.01.13. Wooded Gully Track, half way up Mt Thomas

As it was holiday season, campsite busy, there were other walkers on the tracks, some walking their dogs. After a pesky dog followed me up Red Pine Track from the carpark, I yelled, "Voetsak!" He did.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

Sumner's Capt Thomas Track & Scarborough Bluffs Track

2010. Our 1995 Denman Street, Sumner Rental House, Christchurch

One hot Waitangi Day afternoon, I parked my car at Denman Street, Sumner, as I wanted to walk up Sumner Valley on Capt Thomas Track, cross Evans Pass at Rapanui Bush, and return down-valley on Scarborough Bluffs Track.

Years before when we'd first arrived in Christchurch, we'd rented a two-bedroom cottage in Denman Street. Looking up Denman Street, I coolpixed Richmond Hill bluffs beyond Wakefield Avenue.


2010. Denman St, Sumner view of Richmond Hill, Christchurch


2010. Wakefield Ave, Sumner start of Capt Thomas Track, Christchurch


2010. Van Asch Deaf School Sign, Wakefield Ave, Sumner, Christchurch


2010. Christchurch Bus, by Van Asch Deaf School, Wakefield Ave

Due to MTB shared-use, I didn't want to join Capt Thomas Track in Sumner, so I walked along a path beside Wakefield Avenue, through native bush plantings below bluffs, past Van Asch Deaf School (began 1880), then turned right into Sumnervale Drive off Evans Pass Road.

Along Sumnervale Drive, I had grand views of Scarborough Bluffs on my left, Evans Pass going up to Summit Road, Jollies Bush and Mt Pleasant ahead, and Richmond Hill bluffs on my right. February hills were covered in dry, brown grass.


2010. Corner Sumnervale Dr & Evans Pass bottom, Sumner


2010. Sumnervale Dr, Sumner view of Gully below Capt Thomas Track


2010. Sumner Valley Riding School. Evans Pass left, Capt Thomas Track right


2010. Sumner Valley Riding School view of Sumner & Scarborough

Sumnervale Drive end, I coolpixed girls riding ponies in Sumner Valley Riding School. A smiley mother shovelled horse dung into a barrow and wheeled it away. I crossed a stile, walked across the Riding School paddock, crossed another stile, and zigzagged up a steep path through native bush plantings going up to Capt Thomas Track. By a macrocarpa, two small boys sweated past.


2010. Track joining Capt Thomas Track above Sumner Valley Riding School


2010. Capt Thomas Track view of Sumner & Scarborough Bluffs

The steep path joined dusty Capt Thomas Track, where I coolpixed a distant paraglider over Scarborough, and Evans Pass below Scarborough Reserve. I coolpixed views from a wooden footbridge below Richmond Hill bluffs, near a left path sign: SCARBOROUGH BLUFFS.


2010. Capt Tomas Track view of Sumner & Scarborough

Two sweaty girls jogged past while I enjoyed cooling breezes coming up Sumner Valley. Leaving the bush, along a dry, grassy slope, Capt Thomas Track curved towards Evans Pass. I walked through a small gate with sunny views of Sumner Valley and the Pacific on my left, Scarborough Bluffs across Sumner Valley, and Richmond Hill behind.


2010. Capt Thomas Track view of Richmond Hill


2010. Capt Thomas Track view of Sumner, Scarborough & Pacific


2010. Capt Thomas Track view of Evans Pass & Rapanui Bush

By pines, I walked round a bend with views of Sumner Valley head ahead, Richmond Hill on my right, and across the valley, Evans Pass, with Godley Head Road near the top of Scarborough.

Two skinny couples sweated past, with two panting dogs, one leashed with a blue poop-bag tied to the leash. A plump woman carried her panting pooch up the dusty track, where MTBs had ground the track to powder.


2010. Capt Thomas Track view of Evans Pass, Sumner, Scarborough & Pacific


2010. Steep section of Capt Thomas Track. Scarborough Reserve & Evans Pass backdrop

I passed three MTB signs, one warning MTBs: GIVE WAY TO WALKERS! The other signs stated:

MOUNTAIN BIKERS!
TECHNICAL RIDING
WITH STEEP DROP
OFF AHEAD
PORT HILLS RANGER SERVICE


2010. Walkers, Capt Thomas Track above Evans Pass, Sumner, Scarborough & Pacific

At steep, sharp bends, if MTBs went off track, they had a long drop to Sumner Valley bottom. I passed the dog-walkers again, while they waited for a dog running down a steep, grassy slope. Meanwhile track entry-signs stated:

! PLEASE NOTE:
SHEEP GRAZE THIS AREA
DOGS MUST BE ON
A LEASH AT ALL TIMES
FROM THIS POINT ON


2010 Capt Thomas Track view of Evans Pass, Sumner & Pacific

Near the top of Evans Pass, I crossed a stile, entered a small bit of Rapanui Bush, crossed Evans Pass, then entered a bigger bit of Rapanui Bush on Scarborough side of Evans Pass. It took me 1 hour 30 minutes to complete Capt Thomas Track.


2010. Capt Thomas Track Sign near Evans Pass top

Below Godley Head Road, SCARBOROUGH BLUFFS TRACK was slightly higher than Capt Thomas Track across Sumner Valley. Two fat women crossed a stile, waddled out of Rapanui Bush, and wandered down Evans Pass. Another dog-walking couple wandered out too.

I passed a RAPANUI BUSH sign and a NO BIKES sign at the start of Rapanui Bush, then turned left at a SCARBOROUGH BLUFFS TRACK sign which also stated: TO SUMNERVALE & TAYORS MISTAKE



2010. Scarborough Bluffs Track view of Evans Pass, Sumner & Pacific


2010. Scarborough Bluffs Track Fork, Rapanui Bush

In Rapanui Bush I enjoyed cool breezes coming up Evans Pass. I quaffed CocaCola while seated on a bench with wooden words:

PROVIDED BY TRACK MAKERS TERRY EVRARD & BILL LE GROS


2010. Bench, Rapanui Bush


2010. Rapanui Bush view of Capt Thomas Track, Richmond Hill

Through a gap in Rapanui Bush I watched MTBs across Sumner Valley racing down Capt Thomas Track, while three late afternoon walkers slogged upwards. Looking down Sumner Valley I had glimpses of Sumner and the Pacific.


2010. Rapanui Bush Stile view of Sumner & Pacific

Leaving Rapanui Bush, by young kanukas I crossed a stile, and in the distance on a brown, grassy slope I saw the plump woman still carrying her pooch. I passed another bench with wooden words:

DONATED BY DOUG MEHERNE A FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE SUMMIT ROAD SOCIETY


2010. Rapanui Bush view of Evans Pass & Summit Rd below Mt Pleasant, Port Hills


2010. Scarborough Bluffs Track view of Evans Pass, Sumner Valley & Pacific

Scarborough Bluffs Track crossed dry, north-facing grassland and masses of red-flowering cotyledons, Cotyledon orbiculata. Below basalt bluffs, two pretty girls, who'd walked from Taylors Mistake, asked me directions. My options: Rapanui Bush; Evans Pass; Godley Head Road; Summit Road; Lyttelton; Mt Pleasant; Richmond Hill; Capt Thomas Track...


2010. Cotyledons, Cotyledon orbiculata, Scarborough Bluffs Track, Scarborough Reserve


2010. Cotyledons, Scarborough Bluffs Track, Scarborough Reserve


2010. Scarborough Bluffs Track view of Evans Pass & Rapanui Bush


2010. Scarborough Bluffs Track view of Sumner & Pegasus Bay


2010. Cotyledons, Sign & Bluff, Scarborough Bluffs Track

At a track fork a sign stated: TO TAYLORS MISTAKE 2.5 ks. While I coolpixed cotyledons on Scarborough Bluffs, a panting black labrador arrived, and sat in my shadow. The labrador's blonde owner silently arrived, and silently took the high track to Taylors Mistake with her panting labrador.


2010. Cotyledons, Bench & Bluffs, Scarborough Bluffs Track

I zigzagged down to Evans Pass again near Sumner houses. Halfway down, I sat on another bench with wooden words: SCARBOROUGH BLUFFS TRACK


2010. Scarborough Reserve Sign & Bluffs above Evans Pass

By Evans Pass I passed another SCARBOROUGH RESERVE sign, crossed a stile, and across the road by another stile another sign stated:

WATERFALL TRACK
TO UPPER & LOWER SUMNERVALE DRIVE


2010. Scarborough Bluffs Track, Evans Pass

By Sumner housing at the bottom of Evans Pass, I watched a seagull pecking a roadkill possum. When a SUV drove by, the gull flew away.


2010. Evans Pass, Sumner


2010. Bottom of Evans Pass, Sumner

While walking Wakefield Avenue again, I watched two blokes rock-climbing a Richmond Hill bluff towards a lone pine. I took 1 hour 30 minutes to dawdle down Scarborough Bluffs Track from Rapanui Bush to Denman Street.

Coda: Post 22.02.11 & 13.06.11 earthquakes, Capt Thomas Track & Evans Pass were closed due to rockfall hazards. Sumner was extensively quake damaged, especially rockfalls from Richmond Hill & Scarborough Bluffs. For months post quakes, shipping containers cordoned Wakefield Ave below Richmond Hill & Heberden Ave below Scarborough Bluffs.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.