Trip Reports - Mossburn and environs
Trip Report - Tuesday 16th November 2021
Parked up at the Mossburn Country Park camping ground and being 4 vehicles there, it was decided to do a short trip to Eyre Creek Station.
The weather not wonderful, heavy drizzle, freezing cold wind coming off the fresh snow on the hills.
The ground was very wet, large muddy ruts and cattle to navigate through.
Trip came to an end when a vehicle didn't quite make it through some water - slightly deeper than expected. All hands to the rescue and we were soon on the way again. Headed back to camp to dry out both vehicle and crew aboard.
Good day overall, can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. Anne Herbert
Wednesday 17th November - Mt Bee.
We left the camp at 9.35 9 vehicles, occasional drizzle but clear blue patches.
Met the farmer at his locked gate at 10 o’clock, a large amount of 2-3 year old bulls in the paddocks. Following the track we came to the Eyre Mountains Conservation area. (DOC) Travelled through Beech forest where the Manuka was just starting to flower and an abundance of Mountain Daisy’s not yet in flower. Stopped at the Mt Bee huts where we made use of the loo with a view. 2 accommodation huts with bunks, one hut for cooking and dining with a pot belly stove, and the third hut had a bit of firewood and an axe. Some members made a cuppa and we huddled on the lee side of the huts out of the biting wind, fresh powder snow on the top of the hills, clagged in on the higher peaks, great views down the gullies.
Carried on up to Mt Bee, the track had a few ruts with water in them but a firm base. The track climbed up and was getting rougher so Norm advised we turn around and we headed back to the huts for lunch. The wind had dropped so it was convivial to sitting in a semi circle for a social lunch time. Back down the track again, observing bad pig rooting on the side of the track, a group of pigs was spotted near one of the gates. We observed a large area of broom in flower in the distance, more broom than gorse in the area. When we arrived back down at the gate Norm and Neil travelled off to do some exploring of a possible track.
Jimmy Sinclair led us on up to the Irthing picnic area (DOC) he used to work in this area years ago. Track was a bit bumpy and rough – I wouldn’t like to take the caravan in there. What a lovely spot, quite a big clearing with a toilet, BBQ, picnic table and a swing suspended from a tree overlooking the Irthing river. What a lovely spot to camp.
Back at the Mossburn camping ground at 3 o’clock, just in time for a cuppa.
Was a great trip, wonderful to have been able to enjoy the amazing vistas, we really got up into the mountains, an awesome day thanks Norm & Jackie.
Russ & Chris Thompson.
Thursday 18th November - Roberts and Mataura Rivers
Eight vehicles left the Mossburn Country Park headed for the Roberts River, turning onto Cainard Road at Fairlight. We drove to the end of the road passing through deer and cattle country then forestry and into the Roberts Valley. With forestry on one side and beautiful clean hill country on the other we headed up the pastured valley until reaching a forestry road which had had a hedge trimmer up it for a distance. Once out of the forestry area we were then into the beech forest where the tracks became rough and narrow, at one stage driving over a rocky outcrop which caused our vehicle to lift a back wheel two feet off the ground while descending it.
We eventually came to a clearing with a neglected little hut, a good shelter for vermin by the smell.
Was very sheltered and warm at the clearing where some of us had smoko while the others had lunch. Realise now it was a communication breakdown, only finding out at the end of the three days Norms radio wasn't working, wondering why he was so quiet and Jackie not warning us of oncoming vehicles. Norm wondered why people hadn't reacted to his points of interest over the three days.
We headed back out the track and only had one hiccup, Owen couldn't get his vehicle back up the rocky outcrop without a little help. We arrived back at the bottom of the valley around 1pm where the morning tea-ers decided it was time for lunch, much to Norms disgust.
We then crossed the Roberts River and headed up another valley zig zagging up the Mataura River which had a couple of gnarly crossings. I believe a couple of vehicles put on a spectacular show getting through. We eventually arrived at Cowshed Hut, a DOC one but very poorly maintained.
Some of our group had been in there on a Combined Club event a few years prior. It took one and a quarter hours to drive back to Roberts River, then headed back to Mossburn.
Thanks Norm and Jackie for an interesting day out and showing us some of your old stomping ground. Pam Phaup
Friday 19th November - Part of Norm’s Southland Trip.
Shirley apparently drew the short straw for the trip report today as Norm said “we are not going anywhere until a scribe is appointed for today.”
Wednesday was the Mt Bee run, a good trip. Thursday was the Robert’s & Matarua river valleys, where entertainment was provided by Owen Phaup and Glenn McGregor with some extreme vehicle angles.
Friday the Mavora lakes area then over to Walter Peak Station.
8.30 start for most ex Mossburn & 8.15 for us Taylor’s ex Te Anau with a meet up point at the T intersection on the Mavora Road. While waiting for the main bunch of vehicles from Mossburn, a local farmer stopped to enquire “was I ok”, my reply was “ not at my age” with that said he asked where I was from and it turned out he used to live in the Duntroon area until about 1992. He asked was I going up to the lake fishing, I answered no, that I was waiting for the North Otago 4WD Club main bunch of vehicles. He then said that if it started to rain heavily to beetle off out of the Mavora Valley area as there was an extreme weather forecast out for the Fiordland area. A bit of good advice from a local. He worked as the area farm manager for Pamu (Landcorp) to Pakeha people. After he left the other seven vehicles from Mossburn arrived in a cloud of dust, we met up at the second lake for Norm to give his speal, not a long speech, “Righto see you at the head of the Lake” & then he was off on the track thru the water holes & along the lake beach to Carey’s Hut at the top of the Lake for a pit stop. Then on up a steep piece of track that climbed up off the valley floor, where DOC had told Norm, that they had cut the scrub back off the track, which was excellent for the first half, but they had forgotten the last half which was quite tight & scratchy & eventually we arrived at Boundary Hut at 11.30 am where some had morning tea some lunch. Major discussions were had about different types of makes of tyres were had by some of us.
With a peep of a horn, Norm was away down the valley. A slight hold up was had when an unnamed person in a silverJjeep had a slight navigational error by his wife of course that must be obeyed, and stopped, the vehicle bottomed out in deep ruts. No photo’s was the shout from the Jeep owner, which is like waving a red flag at a bull & shortly after Ron Pringle had winched his vehicle back so that the unnamed Jeep owner could make a rush at the obstacle, advice from “Tail End Charlie,” wildtrack Neil was “floor It”. Good advice, worked perfectly.
Back down at the start of the 4WD track. Norm stopped at 2pm & declared it was the lunch stop, but as most of the party had had their lunch at Boundary Hut, it was early smoko. Always a good interesting and scenic run up the Mavora Lake Valley. Half an hour later Norm said we are going to Walter Peak, & with a cloud of dust and small stones he was off down the track to the Walter Peak Rd. Norm turned the convoy off & up to the McKenzie Hut, an old well placed restored hut probably a century old, then off up the road to the South Von Hut which is a Mt Nicholas Station Musterers Hut on a ledge overlooking the South Von Creek. Another Le Mans start & we were off to the Stone Hut and major building. Leaving there we headed to Mt Nicolas Station & then onto Walter Peak tourist area. We left to go back to the Mossburn Pub for tea at 4-45pm & after travelling for approx. 1 hr Norm stopped & declared the trip officially over & that wildtrack Neil was fired as he was the hired help & not the great white chief. By the time we got to the pub at 5-30pm the dust had settled, maybe Jackie patted his leg, I’m told that usually works.
Another great 4WDriving day held in reasonably good weather conditions thanks Norm & Tail End Charlie – wildtrack Neil.
Saturday 20/11/21
Norm organised a trip to Duncan & Tina McGregor’s military museum at Gorge Hill approx. Halfway between Mossburn & Te Anau, arriving at 10am. What a great collection of army vehicles etc, we stayed there for 2 ½ hours & I could have put in another 2 hrs quite easily, as I relived an era of approx. 65 – 70 years ago as a kid driving our Chev puddle jumper truck round the Wanaka forestry & riding in the Taylor’s Lime works GMC lime spreader trucks. No health & safety then when Stan Mosely drove one of the spreaders if it wouldn’t go up a hill in a paddock he would drive it round the hill & always he sat on the top side with the door half open in case he had to bale out, which he did three times over a 20 year period but not with me in the cab. If the spreading job involved steep country Stan would say “You go and ride with Bill as he does mostly flat paddocks"
What an amazing collection of vehicles & memorabilia, well worth a visit. We then went down the road towards Te Anau to Princhester Stream & up the McDonalds farm to a DOC hut which is the starting point for a lot of the Takatimu Mountains tracks. Goodbyes were said at 2pm & Norm thanked everyone for coming on his Southland Trip, his longest speech of 1 ½ minutes. Whereabouts in Southland are we going next Norm ?
Shirley’s report but written by Donald Taylor, - guess who’s the boss.
Saturday 20th November - Military Mueum
Norm had arranged for us to have a visit to a private military museum $15 per head.
9.30 we headed to Duncan & Tina McGregor’s , Duncan bought to our attention a Bailey Bridge on loan from the authorities to give access over a stream to his museum buildings. 2 big buildings, the first we visited had American and British vehicles and memorabilia also tables and bench seats for morning tea with scones and pikelets with jams. Yum.
There was a field crane, bulldozers, GMC’s, Dodge’s Scout car, Bren gun carrier and an impressive truck in Desert colours, there was an amazing amount of assorted items on display, even missiles and bombs. Duncan indicated a belt of ammo draped along the wall, he explained that was for the gun on a spitfire fighter plane and was nine yards long – hence the saying- gave them the whole nine yards.
We moved onto the second shed that contained New Zealand military items. Old memorial boards from local halls that are no longer in use and the McGregor’s are saving them. There was a field grader, a field workshop on the back of a truck, jeeps, GMC’s a Bell tent, mannequin’s with full uniforms even a woman’s army one. A parachute hung from the rafters, camo netting and a search light, this was used at warbirds one year down at the lake edge, was seen clearly from the airport. All items were well displayed ( we had previously met the couple through our re-enactments at warbirds). Tina is a talented photographer and took photos of each couple as we were leaving, so possibly may be uploaded to the web-site in the future.
We travelled on for 5 minutes up the road and turned off at Princhester Road, where we had a look at the Lower Princhester Hut, the native forest behind the hut is called the Takitimu forest. Norm challenged the ladies to using the hand saws from the hut to cut a length of firewood from the heap that was stacked up. Check out the photos on the web-site. We had a great weekend getting into places we had never been before, thanks Norm & Jackie for the fun.
Russ & Chris Thompson.
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