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.
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
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.
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Open Letter to Chris Hipkins, NZ Minister of Education. Reference: The Press article, 05.02.22
Dear Chris,
The Press article: "Teachers wanted: must take pay cut" refers:
Lee Kenny, Education reporter quoted a letter of your's: "Seabrook [School] did not 'offer an education that differs from the education students would get at an ordinary state school.'"
You are wrong Chris! Ordinary state schools have ordinary teachers with little or no knowledge of children with SLD, Specific Learning Difficulties / Disabilities (both terms acceptable), nor do ordinary teachers know how to teach SLD students in crowded classrooms. (Dyslexic, dyspraxic, ADHD students, as mentioned in The Press article). Few NZ organizations remediate dyslexia regarding psychology assessments, one-on-one tuition & teacher training. One such organization is SPELD, another is Seabrook McKenzie Centre, London St, Christchurch, where my wife Leah worked on low pay. Chris, for many years those private organizations were doing dyslexic remediation teaching which your Ministry of Education should have been doing.
The making of an SLD Teacher / Resource Teacher Literacy:
My wife Leah is our family breadwinner due to my profound deafness. Leah has been associated with Seabrook McKenzie Centre for 25 years as a self-employed tutor, full-time teacher & a teacher trainer.
2005. Leah was an inaugural teacher of children with Specific Learning Difficulties / Disabilities (SLD) at Jean Seabrook Memorial School, London St, Christchurch. The school is a private school, insufficiently trust funded, especially teacher salaries. Leah & teacher colleagues & support staff (teacher aides, psychologists, speech & language & occupational therapy staff) continued specialist remediation through Christchurch's 2010-2011 quake times (parents & staff dug away tons of liquefaction mud from school grounds after 2 big quakes) & beyond during demolition & rebuild times, enduring years of London St excavations by SCIRT & demolition ructions for years across the road at Richmond Working Mens Club, now rebuilt Richmond Club.
During the 9 years that Leah taught full-time at Jean Seabrook Memorial School it had small classes with a favourable teacher / student, 1:6 ratio, allowing close individual attention for SLD students from 2 teachers per class (2 classes) & 1 teacher aide per class. That low teacher / student ratio does not happen for SLD students in crowded state school classrooms, so SLD students lose out in state schools. Apart from Seabrook Memorial School, at Seabrook McKenzie Centre, in the same building, self-employed teachers, trained in SLD teaching, give private tuition to SLD students in separate offices, (or elsewhere e.g. state schools, like Leah did) specialist tuition paid for by parents. Overseen by Seabrook McKenzie Centre, prior to any SLD teaching, (Seabrook Memorial School or private individual tuition) all students are assessed by a battery of standardized tests done by psychology staff. Confidential psychology reports are then supplied to paying parents & specialist teaching staff for teacher interpretation & student SLD remediation during specialist teaching.
Leah worked with & mentored at least 3 teachers on-the-job. Once those low paid teachers had gained full-time, SLD teaching experience & professional guidance from Leah they left for higher salaries elsewhere. Leah was a gifted teacher, interpreting assessments & developing teaching methods to remediate dyslexic difficulties not found in text books. She willingly passed on her remediation knowledge to other teachers, parents & interested persons. At Jean Seabrook Memorial School, Leah's salary was never enough to support our family & for years we had to apply to WINZ for state financial support (dole) for our Burnside, 3 bedroom house rental. Whenever anyone asked me why Leah continued to teach at Seabrook I replied, "She's a dedicated, experienced teacher, but is not paid what she's worth."
For years Leah was / is part of the teacher training team at Seabrook & regularly ran / runs teacher training sessions during weekends & school holidays for teachers & others (parents, teacher aides...) wanting to know more about SLD teaching. She also mentors / mentored teachers studying for Seabrook diplomas. (NZQA approved diplomas). That teacher mentoring & teacher training may cease due to lack of funds. To my knowledge, no other NZ school provides those services & NZQA approved diplomas for the public & teachers interested in helping SLD children. Over the years, Leah had spent many days preparing SLD lectures / seminars & lecturing SLD interested teachers & public.
1997-2004. Leah was a self-employed tutor, teaching SLD students referred to her by Seabrook McKenzie Centre. She taught in our home office, state schools' offices & in Seabrook McKenzie centre hired offices. Her tutoring was one-on-one to remediate SLD, her hourly wage paid by parents. She was also volunteer librarian at Seabrook McKenzie Centre.
2005-2013: Leah taught primary school, SLD children, full-time, at Jean Seabrook Memorial School. For 17 years, While Leah worked for Seabrook McKenzie Centre / Jean Seabrook Memorial School, we were on wage / salary assisted dole. We had no savings & it would be impossible to ever buy a NZ house, unless we won the lotto. Our adult sons were in the same boat.
Only when Leah & I left Christchurch for S Canterbury did our finances improve, enabling us to get off the Working Poor dole.
From 2014, Leah taught for 3 years at Lake Tekapo School, an ordinary state school, after a Mt Gerald Station farmer / parent had head-hunted Leah & arranged for her to teach his dyslexic son & other children at Lake Tekapo School. The farmer / parent privately paid Leah's salary, more than what Leah had earned at Jean Seabrook Memorial School. 2016. During 1 winter school term, we lived at Mt Gerald Station, as the farmer wanted Leah to give home-schooling to his 3 children before they left for Christchurch schooling in 2017.
2017 to the present: For the last 5 years, using her hard won SLD training & expertise, Leah has been Resource Teacher Literacy, South Canterbury, based at a Timaru state school. We live at Pleasant Point near Timaru. Leah travels daily to various South Canterbury, state schools to teach primary school SLD children on a one-on-one basis, mentor teachers & advise parents, teachers & other staff about SLD challenges. Using her own car: Some S Canterbury towns / villages she visits (or could visit) as part of her itinerant, SLD teaching work at state schools: Timaru, Pleasant Point, Albury, Fairlie, Lake Tekapo, Twizel, Mt Cook, Geraldine, Woodbury, Peel Forest, Winchester, Temuka, St Andrews, Makikihi, Waituna, Waimate, Waihao Downs... involving a lot of driving in S Canterbury. (She was paid petrol expenses by her Timaru home school). Her beat involved intermittent teaching / advising / mentoring in 40 South Canterbury state schools, the biggest RT Lit beat in NZ.
While itinerant teaching in S Canterbury state schools, Leah did not lose contact with Seabrook McKenzie Centre, London St, Christchurch. Using her own car: Part-time, during weekends & holidays, Leah continued as part of the SLD teacher training team, for teachers reading NZQA approved, SLD teaching diplomas. She also continued her lectures / seminars / mentoring / advising for SLD interested teachers & public. She also trained SLD teachers at Ashburton: at a state school, a church hall, a Community Centre. Busy travel years involving great driving mileage in Canterbury. (She was not paid petrol expenses by Seabrook McKenzie Centre).
Leah's Work Background & experience which enabled her NZ Resource Teacher Literacy expertise:
SA & UK.
1975-77. Edgewood College of Education, Pinetown, SA: 3 year, pre-primary teacher diploma. (NZQA equivalent).
1978-84. Durban, SA: Several years' teaching at pre-primary, state schools, incl a Northdene acting principal position & beginning an experimental class where pre-primary children were accommodated in a Montclair primary school, Durban. Other Durban districts where Leah taught pre-primary children: Woodlands, Durban CBD.
1981. Our OE: Relief primary school teacher, various Haringey, London schools.
1984-85. Year 1 teacher at Kleinzee, Cape: A De Beers mine, private school.
Thereafter Leah was stay-at-home mother for our 2 sons.
1995. Our family emigrated to Christchurch, NZ.
1996-2004. Christchurch. Teacher aide (1996). Self-employed, SLD teacher while reading 2 NZQA approved, SLD diplomas at Seabrook McKenzie Centre. Private, one-on-one tuition for SLD students at our home office, state school offices & at Seabrook McKenzie Centre hired offices. Private, one-on-one tuition for SLD students at ordinary Christchurch schools, like Oaklands Primary, Halswell Primary, Elmwood Primary, McKenzie Residential School... The hourly pay rate was always low, pay rate set by Seabrook McKenzie Centre, enbling poor families to get SLD tuition. I did Leah's book-keeping & tax returns. For one year after our arrival in NZ we had to survive financially on our SA settling-in funds. Thereafter we could apply for NZ dole. In a low wage economy, as "Working Poor" we often applied for the dole to make ends meet! We had to inform dole personnel Leah's weekly earnings, so dole payments could be adjusted weekly.
The 17 years Leah taught at Seabrook McKenzie Centre, as a self-employed tutor, on the dole, then as a full-time, classroom teacher at Jean Seabrook Memorial School, on the dole, honed her expertise as a respected & sought after teacher for SLD children. BUT, for years, Seabrook McKenzie Centre was doing Ministry of Education work for free, by training dedicated SLD teachers & paying them peanuts while the Ministry of Education sat on its hands doing nothing for SLD students!
During the last 5 years as Resource Teacher Literacy, S Canterbury, Leah read a 3 year, correspondence, post-grad, Literacy Diploma, (with distinction) at University of Canterbury. Leah was the pioneering student for that post-grad diploma (NZQA, Hons degree equivalence). Now several other teachers have done that post-grad diploma at UC. Leah was expected to read the post-grad diploma at Victoria University, Wellington, N Island, a crazy idea as we lived at Pleasant Point, S Island. (During one semester, Leah had to attend weekly lectures at UC, lots of Pleasant Point - Christchurch travel involved). Leah had liaised with UC Education Faculty to start that post-grad diploma at UC.
Chris, there you have it, the making of a Resource Teacher Literacy, a vague designation, hiding the failure of SLD remediation by the Ministry of Education for many years. I doubt NZ state primary schools have speech & language therapists & occupational therapists doing SLD remediation & psychologists doing standardized tests for SLD students & confidential reports for parents & SLD teachers, which Seabrook McKenzie Centre did. Neither would ordinary state schools have a low 1:6 teacher / student ratio as extraordinary Jean Seabrook Memorial School had for SLD students.
Yours faithfully,
Mark JS Esslemont.
PS. I had a 22 year, primary & high school teaching career in SA, while going deaf, general science & biology specialist, teaching in Durban, Kleinzee, QwaQwa, East London, before our arrival in NZ.
Coda:
21.01.23. After PM Jacinda Ardern's resignation Chris Hipkins became the new Labour leader. 22.01.23. Chris Hipkins became NZ Prime Minister. 2024. Christ Hipkins became leader of the opposition after ousting by Chris Luxon, new PM, National Party.
Jan 2023. After completing her last teacher training course for teachers at Seabrook McKenzie Centre, Leah stopped teacher training for good. Over the years she was never paid for all the teacher training, planning meetings she attended at Christchurch, or Ashburton, or Methven. Nor was she paid petrol expenses. She was paid a pittance by Seabrook McKenzie Centre for the teacher training courses she led during weekends & school holidays. As for our overnight accommodation costs at Christchurch when Leah lectured at Seabrook McKenzie Centre, Leah paid for motel accommodation, or we stayed at a friend's Riccarton flat, when available. The flat was owned by the family of a retired director of Seabrook McKenzie Centre. Our motel expenses were never paid by Seabrook McKenzie Centre. After 6 years return commuting, Pleasant Point / Christchurch, after the flat became unavailable Leah stopped teacher training, as our expenses were a huge loss. I did most of the driving, chauffering Leah to / from her teacher training meetings & teacher training sessions in Canterbury.
Mar 2023. National teacher strike for more pay & support. That shows what nonsense ex minister of education & current PM Chris Hipkins talked. Leah is a Literacy support teacher for 40 South Cantebury schools. Go figure!
May 2025. Google search: "There are 1045 full primary schools in New Zealand. These schools cover Year 1 to Year 8. Additionally, there are 771 contributing primary schools which go up to Year 6".
So-called teacher support was provided by the newest National Govt when newest Finance Minister Honorable Nicola Willis announced her 2025 budget: Every NZ primary school would have a new Learning Support Coordinator to coordinate staff like psychologists, speech & language assistance & teacher aides. Snag was that primary school principals battled to staff classroom teachers! So where would hundreds of Learning Support Coordinators & teacher aides come from? What a waste of money!
The ugly part of Nicola Willis's subterfuge was that all 108 Literacy support teachers (aka Resource Teacher Literacy) were sacked by the National Govt from the end of 2025. Those 108 literacy specialist teachers covered literacy problems in all NZ primary schools. The biggest sacking of specialist teachers in NZ history! Leah was sacked! She & others found out about their sacking in the media! When Leah enquired about re-employment, most primary school principals mumbled about "Funding"! And the Teachers' Council & Teachers' Union did nothing about RT Lit sackings!
Why did Honourable Nicola Willis & her Honourable Minster of Education, Erica Stanford, sack 108 RT Lit teachers?
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
The Press article: "Teachers wanted: must take pay cut" refers:
Lee Kenny, Education reporter quoted a letter of your's: "Seabrook [School] did not 'offer an education that differs from the education students would get at an ordinary state school.'"
You are wrong Chris! Ordinary state schools have ordinary teachers with little or no knowledge of children with SLD, Specific Learning Difficulties / Disabilities (both terms acceptable), nor do ordinary teachers know how to teach SLD students in crowded classrooms. (Dyslexic, dyspraxic, ADHD students, as mentioned in The Press article). Few NZ organizations remediate dyslexia regarding psychology assessments, one-on-one tuition & teacher training. One such organization is SPELD, another is Seabrook McKenzie Centre, London St, Christchurch, where my wife Leah worked on low pay. Chris, for many years those private organizations were doing dyslexic remediation teaching which your Ministry of Education should have been doing.
The making of an SLD Teacher / Resource Teacher Literacy:
My wife Leah is our family breadwinner due to my profound deafness. Leah has been associated with Seabrook McKenzie Centre for 25 years as a self-employed tutor, full-time teacher & a teacher trainer.
2005. Leah was an inaugural teacher of children with Specific Learning Difficulties / Disabilities (SLD) at Jean Seabrook Memorial School, London St, Christchurch. The school is a private school, insufficiently trust funded, especially teacher salaries. Leah & teacher colleagues & support staff (teacher aides, psychologists, speech & language & occupational therapy staff) continued specialist remediation through Christchurch's 2010-2011 quake times (parents & staff dug away tons of liquefaction mud from school grounds after 2 big quakes) & beyond during demolition & rebuild times, enduring years of London St excavations by SCIRT & demolition ructions for years across the road at Richmond Working Mens Club, now rebuilt Richmond Club.
During the 9 years that Leah taught full-time at Jean Seabrook Memorial School it had small classes with a favourable teacher / student, 1:6 ratio, allowing close individual attention for SLD students from 2 teachers per class (2 classes) & 1 teacher aide per class. That low teacher / student ratio does not happen for SLD students in crowded state school classrooms, so SLD students lose out in state schools. Apart from Seabrook Memorial School, at Seabrook McKenzie Centre, in the same building, self-employed teachers, trained in SLD teaching, give private tuition to SLD students in separate offices, (or elsewhere e.g. state schools, like Leah did) specialist tuition paid for by parents. Overseen by Seabrook McKenzie Centre, prior to any SLD teaching, (Seabrook Memorial School or private individual tuition) all students are assessed by a battery of standardized tests done by psychology staff. Confidential psychology reports are then supplied to paying parents & specialist teaching staff for teacher interpretation & student SLD remediation during specialist teaching.
Leah worked with & mentored at least 3 teachers on-the-job. Once those low paid teachers had gained full-time, SLD teaching experience & professional guidance from Leah they left for higher salaries elsewhere. Leah was a gifted teacher, interpreting assessments & developing teaching methods to remediate dyslexic difficulties not found in text books. She willingly passed on her remediation knowledge to other teachers, parents & interested persons. At Jean Seabrook Memorial School, Leah's salary was never enough to support our family & for years we had to apply to WINZ for state financial support (dole) for our Burnside, 3 bedroom house rental. Whenever anyone asked me why Leah continued to teach at Seabrook I replied, "She's a dedicated, experienced teacher, but is not paid what she's worth."
For years Leah was / is part of the teacher training team at Seabrook & regularly ran / runs teacher training sessions during weekends & school holidays for teachers & others (parents, teacher aides...) wanting to know more about SLD teaching. She also mentors / mentored teachers studying for Seabrook diplomas. (NZQA approved diplomas). That teacher mentoring & teacher training may cease due to lack of funds. To my knowledge, no other NZ school provides those services & NZQA approved diplomas for the public & teachers interested in helping SLD children. Over the years, Leah had spent many days preparing SLD lectures / seminars & lecturing SLD interested teachers & public.
1997-2004. Leah was a self-employed tutor, teaching SLD students referred to her by Seabrook McKenzie Centre. She taught in our home office, state schools' offices & in Seabrook McKenzie centre hired offices. Her tutoring was one-on-one to remediate SLD, her hourly wage paid by parents. She was also volunteer librarian at Seabrook McKenzie Centre.
2005-2013: Leah taught primary school, SLD children, full-time, at Jean Seabrook Memorial School. For 17 years, While Leah worked for Seabrook McKenzie Centre / Jean Seabrook Memorial School, we were on wage / salary assisted dole. We had no savings & it would be impossible to ever buy a NZ house, unless we won the lotto. Our adult sons were in the same boat.
Only when Leah & I left Christchurch for S Canterbury did our finances improve, enabling us to get off the Working Poor dole.
From 2014, Leah taught for 3 years at Lake Tekapo School, an ordinary state school, after a Mt Gerald Station farmer / parent had head-hunted Leah & arranged for her to teach his dyslexic son & other children at Lake Tekapo School. The farmer / parent privately paid Leah's salary, more than what Leah had earned at Jean Seabrook Memorial School. 2016. During 1 winter school term, we lived at Mt Gerald Station, as the farmer wanted Leah to give home-schooling to his 3 children before they left for Christchurch schooling in 2017.
2017 to the present: For the last 5 years, using her hard won SLD training & expertise, Leah has been Resource Teacher Literacy, South Canterbury, based at a Timaru state school. We live at Pleasant Point near Timaru. Leah travels daily to various South Canterbury, state schools to teach primary school SLD children on a one-on-one basis, mentor teachers & advise parents, teachers & other staff about SLD challenges. Using her own car: Some S Canterbury towns / villages she visits (or could visit) as part of her itinerant, SLD teaching work at state schools: Timaru, Pleasant Point, Albury, Fairlie, Lake Tekapo, Twizel, Mt Cook, Geraldine, Woodbury, Peel Forest, Winchester, Temuka, St Andrews, Makikihi, Waituna, Waimate, Waihao Downs... involving a lot of driving in S Canterbury. (She was paid petrol expenses by her Timaru home school). Her beat involved intermittent teaching / advising / mentoring in 40 South Canterbury state schools, the biggest RT Lit beat in NZ.
While itinerant teaching in S Canterbury state schools, Leah did not lose contact with Seabrook McKenzie Centre, London St, Christchurch. Using her own car: Part-time, during weekends & holidays, Leah continued as part of the SLD teacher training team, for teachers reading NZQA approved, SLD teaching diplomas. She also continued her lectures / seminars / mentoring / advising for SLD interested teachers & public. She also trained SLD teachers at Ashburton: at a state school, a church hall, a Community Centre. Busy travel years involving great driving mileage in Canterbury. (She was not paid petrol expenses by Seabrook McKenzie Centre).
Leah's Work Background & experience which enabled her NZ Resource Teacher Literacy expertise:
SA & UK.
1975-77. Edgewood College of Education, Pinetown, SA: 3 year, pre-primary teacher diploma. (NZQA equivalent).
1978-84. Durban, SA: Several years' teaching at pre-primary, state schools, incl a Northdene acting principal position & beginning an experimental class where pre-primary children were accommodated in a Montclair primary school, Durban. Other Durban districts where Leah taught pre-primary children: Woodlands, Durban CBD.
1981. Our OE: Relief primary school teacher, various Haringey, London schools.
1984-85. Year 1 teacher at Kleinzee, Cape: A De Beers mine, private school.
Thereafter Leah was stay-at-home mother for our 2 sons.
1995. Our family emigrated to Christchurch, NZ.
1996-2004. Christchurch. Teacher aide (1996). Self-employed, SLD teacher while reading 2 NZQA approved, SLD diplomas at Seabrook McKenzie Centre. Private, one-on-one tuition for SLD students at our home office, state school offices & at Seabrook McKenzie Centre hired offices. Private, one-on-one tuition for SLD students at ordinary Christchurch schools, like Oaklands Primary, Halswell Primary, Elmwood Primary, McKenzie Residential School... The hourly pay rate was always low, pay rate set by Seabrook McKenzie Centre, enbling poor families to get SLD tuition. I did Leah's book-keeping & tax returns. For one year after our arrival in NZ we had to survive financially on our SA settling-in funds. Thereafter we could apply for NZ dole. In a low wage economy, as "Working Poor" we often applied for the dole to make ends meet! We had to inform dole personnel Leah's weekly earnings, so dole payments could be adjusted weekly.
The 17 years Leah taught at Seabrook McKenzie Centre, as a self-employed tutor, on the dole, then as a full-time, classroom teacher at Jean Seabrook Memorial School, on the dole, honed her expertise as a respected & sought after teacher for SLD children. BUT, for years, Seabrook McKenzie Centre was doing Ministry of Education work for free, by training dedicated SLD teachers & paying them peanuts while the Ministry of Education sat on its hands doing nothing for SLD students!
During the last 5 years as Resource Teacher Literacy, S Canterbury, Leah read a 3 year, correspondence, post-grad, Literacy Diploma, (with distinction) at University of Canterbury. Leah was the pioneering student for that post-grad diploma (NZQA, Hons degree equivalence). Now several other teachers have done that post-grad diploma at UC. Leah was expected to read the post-grad diploma at Victoria University, Wellington, N Island, a crazy idea as we lived at Pleasant Point, S Island. (During one semester, Leah had to attend weekly lectures at UC, lots of Pleasant Point - Christchurch travel involved). Leah had liaised with UC Education Faculty to start that post-grad diploma at UC.
Chris, there you have it, the making of a Resource Teacher Literacy, a vague designation, hiding the failure of SLD remediation by the Ministry of Education for many years. I doubt NZ state primary schools have speech & language therapists & occupational therapists doing SLD remediation & psychologists doing standardized tests for SLD students & confidential reports for parents & SLD teachers, which Seabrook McKenzie Centre did. Neither would ordinary state schools have a low 1:6 teacher / student ratio as extraordinary Jean Seabrook Memorial School had for SLD students.
Yours faithfully,
Mark JS Esslemont.
PS. I had a 22 year, primary & high school teaching career in SA, while going deaf, general science & biology specialist, teaching in Durban, Kleinzee, QwaQwa, East London, before our arrival in NZ.
Coda:
21.01.23. After PM Jacinda Ardern's resignation Chris Hipkins became the new Labour leader. 22.01.23. Chris Hipkins became NZ Prime Minister. 2024. Christ Hipkins became leader of the opposition after ousting by Chris Luxon, new PM, National Party.
Jan 2023. After completing her last teacher training course for teachers at Seabrook McKenzie Centre, Leah stopped teacher training for good. Over the years she was never paid for all the teacher training, planning meetings she attended at Christchurch, or Ashburton, or Methven. Nor was she paid petrol expenses. She was paid a pittance by Seabrook McKenzie Centre for the teacher training courses she led during weekends & school holidays. As for our overnight accommodation costs at Christchurch when Leah lectured at Seabrook McKenzie Centre, Leah paid for motel accommodation, or we stayed at a friend's Riccarton flat, when available. The flat was owned by the family of a retired director of Seabrook McKenzie Centre. Our motel expenses were never paid by Seabrook McKenzie Centre. After 6 years return commuting, Pleasant Point / Christchurch, after the flat became unavailable Leah stopped teacher training, as our expenses were a huge loss. I did most of the driving, chauffering Leah to / from her teacher training meetings & teacher training sessions in Canterbury.
Mar 2023. National teacher strike for more pay & support. That shows what nonsense ex minister of education & current PM Chris Hipkins talked. Leah is a Literacy support teacher for 40 South Cantebury schools. Go figure!
May 2025. Google search: "There are 1045 full primary schools in New Zealand. These schools cover Year 1 to Year 8. Additionally, there are 771 contributing primary schools which go up to Year 6".
So-called teacher support was provided by the newest National Govt when newest Finance Minister Honorable Nicola Willis announced her 2025 budget: Every NZ primary school would have a new Learning Support Coordinator to coordinate staff like psychologists, speech & language assistance & teacher aides. Snag was that primary school principals battled to staff classroom teachers! So where would hundreds of Learning Support Coordinators & teacher aides come from? What a waste of money!
The ugly part of Nicola Willis's subterfuge was that all 108 Literacy support teachers (aka Resource Teacher Literacy) were sacked by the National Govt from the end of 2025. Those 108 literacy specialist teachers covered literacy problems in all NZ primary schools. The biggest sacking of specialist teachers in NZ history! Leah was sacked! She & others found out about their sacking in the media! When Leah enquired about re-employment, most primary school principals mumbled about "Funding"! And the Teachers' Council & Teachers' Union did nothing about RT Lit sackings!
Why did Honourable Nicola Willis & her Honourable Minster of Education, Erica Stanford, sack 108 RT Lit teachers?
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Mueller Glacier, Hooker Glacier Walk, Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park
A 4 day, circular jaunt, NZ Alpine country:
16.12.20. Day 1.
Drove from Pleasant Point along SH 8 to Lake Tekapo. Attended the opening of rebuilt Lake Tekapo School & school pool. Having taught at the school recently, Leah enjoyed catching up with friends, staff & parents. In the school foyer we admired George Emson's mural photo of stormy Lake Tekapo & surrounding Alps. We often saw George Emson's Alpine pics on TV1 weather reports. We overnighted at Lake Tekapo Campsite in one of the posh new cabins. Sunset over Lake Tekapo & Alps reminded us of all the Alpine walks we'd done by Lake Tekapo over the years, especially at Mt Hay Station & Mt Gerald Station. As it was Covid pandemic time the only tourists were locals. In S Canterbury we hadn't seen a tourist bus for many Covid months.
Day 2.
Drove from Lake Tekapo to Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park. En route, we stopped at the Lake Pukaki lookout to admire distant Aoraki / Mt Cook & Alpine ranges. Coffee bought at the Salmon Farm kiosk was expensive crap! Next door, old hydro-electric historical info boards had been revamped into new Ngai Tahu historical info boards with a window view over Lake Pukaki & Alps.
En route to Mt Cook village, beside Lake Pukaki, we stopped at the biggest lavender farm in the S hemisphere. We sat on wooden chairs among rows of lavender bushes for happy snaps. By the farm carpark, a food caravan & a shipping container shop touted food & lavender wares. Mt Cook village: We booked into Alpine Lodge for 2 nights. The reception man said the hotel was about half full with Kiwi guests during Covid times, better than no guests at all. We wandered Governors Bush Track, about 1 hour walk through native bush. Descriptive signs along the way gave us an idea of Alpine flora we could see in the park, like parsley trees, snowberry bushes... Had fish & chips supper at The Hermitage cafe. Due to Covid, the cafe & restaurant was about quarter full. The cafe & our hotel bedroom had grand window views of Mt Cook & Mt Wakefield below.
Day 3.
Checked out the DOC info centre: Lots of displays & details about Mt Cook wildlife & historical & current climbing in the Mt Cook region. Tourist shop too. The DOC foyer gave daily updates about avalanche dangers & current weather conditions. Wind forecast: 40km/h for our Hooker Valley walk.
Drove to Mt Cook campsite carpark for our Hooker Valley walk. Starting from the campsite saved us an hour or so walking to / from our hotel. Although Mt Sefton peak was cloudy, we had good views of its icefalls. We passed the dead mountaineers' memorial. After crossing the rocky, bushy terminal moraine, from the DOC path near the first suspension bridge (swingbridge) we had a grand view of Mueller Glacier Lake, but no sign of receding Mueller Glacier round a moraine corner, just steep, lateral moraine walls & waterfalls from icy peaks above. The wind whipped up dust devils above Mueller Glacier Lake moraine walls.
Mountain walls both valley sides, the well maintained DOC path continued up windy Hooker Valley, over numerous wooden steps, 2 more swingbridges, a long, winding boardwalk & a small, wooden footbridge near 2 longdrop toilets. Smarter, durable concrete, longdrop toilets were being built nearby. Along the way many Alpine flowers bloomed: Wahlengbergias, celmisias, Mt Cook lilies, bush snowberries.
Snowy Mt Cook loomed over receding Hooker Glacier at the end of its glacier Lake. At the other end of Hooker Glacier Lake, a DOC sign, red & white print, warned:
DANGER
Glacier Lake - Mutiple Hazards Exist.
Unstable Icebergs. - Icebergs can move & spin violently at any moment. Keep a safe distance.
Glacier Terminal Face is very unstable. - Ice can break off from above or rise violently from below. Keep a safe distance.
Extreme Cold. - The water is only 3 degrees Celcius.
Surge Wave. - Ice can calve off the glacier & create a large wave.
Thin Ice. - When the lake is frozen, ice is not safe to walk on.
Your safety is your responsibility.
Lunch at the DOC wooden table beside Hooker Glacier Lake: The wind was so strong we held onto our daypacks to stop them blowing away. Using my binoculars, I checked out Hooker Glacier's terminal face, a high striated ice wall, grey moraine stones on top. No snow on top of the glacier, as it was high summer. A small iceberg was grounded near us in shallow awater near a lateral moraine where the path continued deeper into the Alps below Mt Cook. Despite Covid, we'd encountered many trampers on the Hooker Valley walk, 10 km return, approx 4 hours return including lunch. The walk rose gently from the campsite, only 124 vertical m, 800m - 924m.
Day 4.
Completed our circular trek: Mackenzie Basin, Twizel: Bought honey at the honey farm. Near Lake Ruataniwha: Bought fresh salmon at the Salmon Farm, had sushi lunch there. Past Benmore, down Waitaki River Valley, via Omarama & Otematata, past hydro-electric lakes Benmore, Avimore, Waitaki to Kurow for cafe tea. Over Elephant Hill. Down Waimati Gorge to Waimati. N1 to Timaru, SH8 back to Pleasant Point.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
16.12.20. Day 1.
Drove from Pleasant Point along SH 8 to Lake Tekapo. Attended the opening of rebuilt Lake Tekapo School & school pool. Having taught at the school recently, Leah enjoyed catching up with friends, staff & parents. In the school foyer we admired George Emson's mural photo of stormy Lake Tekapo & surrounding Alps. We often saw George Emson's Alpine pics on TV1 weather reports. We overnighted at Lake Tekapo Campsite in one of the posh new cabins. Sunset over Lake Tekapo & Alps reminded us of all the Alpine walks we'd done by Lake Tekapo over the years, especially at Mt Hay Station & Mt Gerald Station. As it was Covid pandemic time the only tourists were locals. In S Canterbury we hadn't seen a tourist bus for many Covid months.
Day 2.
Drove from Lake Tekapo to Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park. En route, we stopped at the Lake Pukaki lookout to admire distant Aoraki / Mt Cook & Alpine ranges. Coffee bought at the Salmon Farm kiosk was expensive crap! Next door, old hydro-electric historical info boards had been revamped into new Ngai Tahu historical info boards with a window view over Lake Pukaki & Alps.
En route to Mt Cook village, beside Lake Pukaki, we stopped at the biggest lavender farm in the S hemisphere. We sat on wooden chairs among rows of lavender bushes for happy snaps. By the farm carpark, a food caravan & a shipping container shop touted food & lavender wares. Mt Cook village: We booked into Alpine Lodge for 2 nights. The reception man said the hotel was about half full with Kiwi guests during Covid times, better than no guests at all. We wandered Governors Bush Track, about 1 hour walk through native bush. Descriptive signs along the way gave us an idea of Alpine flora we could see in the park, like parsley trees, snowberry bushes... Had fish & chips supper at The Hermitage cafe. Due to Covid, the cafe & restaurant was about quarter full. The cafe & our hotel bedroom had grand window views of Mt Cook & Mt Wakefield below.
Day 3.
Checked out the DOC info centre: Lots of displays & details about Mt Cook wildlife & historical & current climbing in the Mt Cook region. Tourist shop too. The DOC foyer gave daily updates about avalanche dangers & current weather conditions. Wind forecast: 40km/h for our Hooker Valley walk.
Drove to Mt Cook campsite carpark for our Hooker Valley walk. Starting from the campsite saved us an hour or so walking to / from our hotel. Although Mt Sefton peak was cloudy, we had good views of its icefalls. We passed the dead mountaineers' memorial. After crossing the rocky, bushy terminal moraine, from the DOC path near the first suspension bridge (swingbridge) we had a grand view of Mueller Glacier Lake, but no sign of receding Mueller Glacier round a moraine corner, just steep, lateral moraine walls & waterfalls from icy peaks above. The wind whipped up dust devils above Mueller Glacier Lake moraine walls.
Mountain walls both valley sides, the well maintained DOC path continued up windy Hooker Valley, over numerous wooden steps, 2 more swingbridges, a long, winding boardwalk & a small, wooden footbridge near 2 longdrop toilets. Smarter, durable concrete, longdrop toilets were being built nearby. Along the way many Alpine flowers bloomed: Wahlengbergias, celmisias, Mt Cook lilies, bush snowberries.
Snowy Mt Cook loomed over receding Hooker Glacier at the end of its glacier Lake. At the other end of Hooker Glacier Lake, a DOC sign, red & white print, warned:
DANGER
Glacier Lake - Mutiple Hazards Exist.
Unstable Icebergs. - Icebergs can move & spin violently at any moment. Keep a safe distance.
Glacier Terminal Face is very unstable. - Ice can break off from above or rise violently from below. Keep a safe distance.
Extreme Cold. - The water is only 3 degrees Celcius.
Surge Wave. - Ice can calve off the glacier & create a large wave.
Thin Ice. - When the lake is frozen, ice is not safe to walk on.
Your safety is your responsibility.
Lunch at the DOC wooden table beside Hooker Glacier Lake: The wind was so strong we held onto our daypacks to stop them blowing away. Using my binoculars, I checked out Hooker Glacier's terminal face, a high striated ice wall, grey moraine stones on top. No snow on top of the glacier, as it was high summer. A small iceberg was grounded near us in shallow awater near a lateral moraine where the path continued deeper into the Alps below Mt Cook. Despite Covid, we'd encountered many trampers on the Hooker Valley walk, 10 km return, approx 4 hours return including lunch. The walk rose gently from the campsite, only 124 vertical m, 800m - 924m.
Day 4.
Completed our circular trek: Mackenzie Basin, Twizel: Bought honey at the honey farm. Near Lake Ruataniwha: Bought fresh salmon at the Salmon Farm, had sushi lunch there. Past Benmore, down Waitaki River Valley, via Omarama & Otematata, past hydro-electric lakes Benmore, Avimore, Waitaki to Kurow for cafe tea. Over Elephant Hill. Down Waimati Gorge to Waimati. N1 to Timaru, SH8 back to Pleasant Point.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Monday, December 21, 2020
Mt Barossa, Hakatere Conservation Park
Mon 14.12.20. I drove from Pleasant Point to Mt Somers village & Hakatere Conservation Park.
From Ashburton Gorge Rd, I climbed Mt Barossa, 1364 m, Topo50 map ref, BX19 573687, a 7 hour return climb, approx 4 hours up, 3 hours down, incl many catch-breath, pic & lunch stops. Distance: 7 km return, 820 vertical m. A sunny day with grand Alpine views & views of Ashburton lake district, most lakes seen from the top, incl lakes Emma, Roundabout, Camp, Clearwater, Heron...
Many distant peaks were seen, too numerous to list: Some summits seen: Clent Hills incl Mt Barossa; Peters Range, branching off Moorhouse Range; Mt Tripp, slightly higher than Mt Barossa; Trinity Hill, Hakatere Station below; Tara Haoa Range, incl Coal Hill & Mt Peel; High Claytons; Sherwood Range, incl Mt Fox; Two Thumbs Range; Harper Range; Mt Guy; Dogs Range; Brother Range; Black Hill Range; Taylor Range; Winterslow Range; Mt Somers Range, Mt Somers coming into view on the right, about half an hour's tramp to the top of Mt Barossa. Canterbury Plains were hazy due to a high pressure system & brown smog over Timaru & Ashburton districts. As Mt Barossa summit ridge was above smog level, Alpine peaks were easily seen, like The Thumbs & D'Archiac.
The DOC track started at the DOC carpark as an easement off Ashburton Gorge Rd. The track went up a middle ridge, gullies & ridges both sides, was well marked with DOC marker poles & occasional cairns near the top. About a third of the way up there were several tors to negotiate, some the track sidled by, some a rocky scramble with scree underfoot. My aluminium walker poles were handy as a kind of zimmer-frame. High summer, many alpine plants bloomed: Bulbinellas, Hebes, Snowberries, Celmisias, Pentachondra pumila, Wahlenbergias, Coral Broom, Spear Grass...
The summit ridge had many big rocks for wind protection & many geode chips, bluish / grey agate, scattered amongst tussock grasses & Dracophyllum shrubs. Where someone had left hammered geode chips lying about, I took one as a paperweight souvenir. More weight in my backpack for my down-climb. My backpack had my usual safety kit, all weather clothes, food, water, maps. There was no cell phone coverage on top of Mt Barossa. I texted Leah on my return to Mt Somers village.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
From Ashburton Gorge Rd, I climbed Mt Barossa, 1364 m, Topo50 map ref, BX19 573687, a 7 hour return climb, approx 4 hours up, 3 hours down, incl many catch-breath, pic & lunch stops. Distance: 7 km return, 820 vertical m. A sunny day with grand Alpine views & views of Ashburton lake district, most lakes seen from the top, incl lakes Emma, Roundabout, Camp, Clearwater, Heron...
Many distant peaks were seen, too numerous to list: Some summits seen: Clent Hills incl Mt Barossa; Peters Range, branching off Moorhouse Range; Mt Tripp, slightly higher than Mt Barossa; Trinity Hill, Hakatere Station below; Tara Haoa Range, incl Coal Hill & Mt Peel; High Claytons; Sherwood Range, incl Mt Fox; Two Thumbs Range; Harper Range; Mt Guy; Dogs Range; Brother Range; Black Hill Range; Taylor Range; Winterslow Range; Mt Somers Range, Mt Somers coming into view on the right, about half an hour's tramp to the top of Mt Barossa. Canterbury Plains were hazy due to a high pressure system & brown smog over Timaru & Ashburton districts. As Mt Barossa summit ridge was above smog level, Alpine peaks were easily seen, like The Thumbs & D'Archiac.
The DOC track started at the DOC carpark as an easement off Ashburton Gorge Rd. The track went up a middle ridge, gullies & ridges both sides, was well marked with DOC marker poles & occasional cairns near the top. About a third of the way up there were several tors to negotiate, some the track sidled by, some a rocky scramble with scree underfoot. My aluminium walker poles were handy as a kind of zimmer-frame. High summer, many alpine plants bloomed: Bulbinellas, Hebes, Snowberries, Celmisias, Pentachondra pumila, Wahlenbergias, Coral Broom, Spear Grass...
The summit ridge had many big rocks for wind protection & many geode chips, bluish / grey agate, scattered amongst tussock grasses & Dracophyllum shrubs. Where someone had left hammered geode chips lying about, I took one as a paperweight souvenir. More weight in my backpack for my down-climb. My backpack had my usual safety kit, all weather clothes, food, water, maps. There was no cell phone coverage on top of Mt Barossa. I texted Leah on my return to Mt Somers village.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Rangitata Gorge Walk
Thurs 05.03.20. I did the Rangitata Gorge walk, halfway along to the highest point on Rangitata Gorge track (aka Tenahaun Track), map ref BX 557545, on the 500m contour, about 6 km return - 2h to my 3km turning point, 1,5h return. A sunny, windless day.
I drove 70 km from Pleasant Point, via Geraldine, crossed Rangitata River, upper bridge, and on the Mayfield Rd turned left along Ealing Montalto Rd, driving beside Mt Peel / Tara Haoa Range for about 20 kms, Mt Pukanui / Moorhouse Range straight ahead. I turned left at Klondyke Station turnoff & followed the Rangitata Diversion Race (RDR) canal along the canal dirt road for about 7 kms until the road ended at a DOC carpark, several signs at the entrance gate fence: RDR history info, DOC easement, Fish & Game Angler Access, Protect Our Waterways - Didymo... Outdoor Access video surveillance signs...
A Public Works Department, bronze, memorial plaque said:
Rangitata to Rakaia Diversion Race
IPENZ recognises this engineering work as an
important part of NZ's engineering heritage.
Approved in 1936 to provide employment relief &
a vision for Canterbury's future, this 67 km race was
the first major river diversion for development of
water resources. It supplies 66,000 hectares as well
as 27 MW of hydro power in winter...
Opened 1945.
Besides Rangitata River & the RDR canal I wandered past 2 bucket cranes, one under a green canopy & surrounded by a fence, NO ENTRY signs on the fence. The RDR inlet had several DANGER signs on a fence above the inlet: KEEP OUT AUTHORISED PERSONS ONLY...
From the river terrace above the RDR inlet, I watched 5 rubber rafts, filled with thrill seekers, shoot the rocky weir across Rangitata River, flowing partly into the RDR inlet & mostly along its river course to the Pacific. Also from the terrace, I watched a farmer across the river in his blue ute & his 3 huntaways herd red deer down 3 river terraces through a farm gate on a lower Rangitata River terrace. The huntaways ran like wolves.
The DOC easement track followed a farm fence along the E lip of Rangitata Gorge & sidled W side of Mt Pukanui & Moorhouse Range with grand views of Rangitata River running several rapids between Waikari Hills W & Moorhouse Range E. Waikari Hills' vertical strata showed tortured seismic activity over geological time.
After the the second farm gate, above a Flying Fox over Rangitata Gorge, the DOC easement track became bogged by Hereford herd pugs, so I climbed through the farm fence & walked through matagouri scrub on farmland, a safer stretch, avoiding cattle pollution & the potential for being trampled by the Hereford herd gathered on a gorge ridge at another farm gate on the DOC easement.
I climbed through another farm fence to a sheep paddock below Moorhouse Range & wandered the sheep-muddy, 500m contour track, across steep ridges to my 3km turning point, the track eventually leaving Rangitata Gorge. Grand views of Harper Range at the head of Rangitata Gorge.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
I drove 70 km from Pleasant Point, via Geraldine, crossed Rangitata River, upper bridge, and on the Mayfield Rd turned left along Ealing Montalto Rd, driving beside Mt Peel / Tara Haoa Range for about 20 kms, Mt Pukanui / Moorhouse Range straight ahead. I turned left at Klondyke Station turnoff & followed the Rangitata Diversion Race (RDR) canal along the canal dirt road for about 7 kms until the road ended at a DOC carpark, several signs at the entrance gate fence: RDR history info, DOC easement, Fish & Game Angler Access, Protect Our Waterways - Didymo... Outdoor Access video surveillance signs...
A Public Works Department, bronze, memorial plaque said:
Rangitata to Rakaia Diversion Race
IPENZ recognises this engineering work as an
important part of NZ's engineering heritage.
Approved in 1936 to provide employment relief &
a vision for Canterbury's future, this 67 km race was
the first major river diversion for development of
water resources. It supplies 66,000 hectares as well
as 27 MW of hydro power in winter...
Opened 1945.
Besides Rangitata River & the RDR canal I wandered past 2 bucket cranes, one under a green canopy & surrounded by a fence, NO ENTRY signs on the fence. The RDR inlet had several DANGER signs on a fence above the inlet: KEEP OUT AUTHORISED PERSONS ONLY...
From the river terrace above the RDR inlet, I watched 5 rubber rafts, filled with thrill seekers, shoot the rocky weir across Rangitata River, flowing partly into the RDR inlet & mostly along its river course to the Pacific. Also from the terrace, I watched a farmer across the river in his blue ute & his 3 huntaways herd red deer down 3 river terraces through a farm gate on a lower Rangitata River terrace. The huntaways ran like wolves.
The DOC easement track followed a farm fence along the E lip of Rangitata Gorge & sidled W side of Mt Pukanui & Moorhouse Range with grand views of Rangitata River running several rapids between Waikari Hills W & Moorhouse Range E. Waikari Hills' vertical strata showed tortured seismic activity over geological time.
After the the second farm gate, above a Flying Fox over Rangitata Gorge, the DOC easement track became bogged by Hereford herd pugs, so I climbed through the farm fence & walked through matagouri scrub on farmland, a safer stretch, avoiding cattle pollution & the potential for being trampled by the Hereford herd gathered on a gorge ridge at another farm gate on the DOC easement.
I climbed through another farm fence to a sheep paddock below Moorhouse Range & wandered the sheep-muddy, 500m contour track, across steep ridges to my 3km turning point, the track eventually leaving Rangitata Gorge. Grand views of Harper Range at the head of Rangitata Gorge.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
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