Trip Report - Johnstones Creek track, Oteake Conservation park - 19th Nov 2023
Trip Report: Oteaki Conservation Park 19-11-2023 – Lead by Harry van der Pauw
I haven’t written a trip report for some time and when the call came out for a volunteer, I thought yep, it is definitely my turn! Then it transpired that I must have written the report on this particular trip in 2008, this was the last time the club did this particular trip, and Russell Thompson had made a copy of the report to show everyone. It also had a photo of Rick’s truck, which he is still driving, sitting outside the Ida railway station hut. From what I read in my report and remember of the trip at the time, I think this one weather wise was way much better! While we drove into fog at the top of the Danseys Pass, and it got denser as we entered the Mt Kyeburn track into the park and started to climb, I must admit to hoping it was not going to be a replica of 2008 (which I do remember as being closed in with a wee bit of snow) but it wasn’t, we suddenly popped out into sunshine at the top of the hill and that was it for the rest of the day. A beaut day to be up there with very little, to no wind.
On the top of the mountain we had lots of great views in all directions for the rest of the day and it certainly reminds you of just how small New Zealand is, when we can view the Waitaki Valley in one direction, glance across to the Pig Route, Macraes & Rock & Pillar Range etc. Wow - So much to see! It was a busy place thou! We met first, just coming down the track towards the Buster Diggings, a group of 4W-drivers who had camped overnight from the Dunedin 4WD club. Then further in, 3 Mountain bikers who were giving it there all - I don’t think they were on electric bikes…! Another small group of 4W drivers coming down a blind, (little bit steep) incline as we were coming up and finally mid-afternoon, hunters staying in the Ida Railway Station Hut which we called into to.
The only animal we spotted on the top early in the day was one lonely looking hare who wasn’t as frightened of us as he should have been! Otherwise, I think with all the activity happening around the park on Sunday, everyone else had prudently chosen to hide in the deep gullies.
There were 17 vehicles on this trip, we left Weston just after 8:00am and came out into civilisation just a little bit before 5:00pm. All the excitement for the day happened before or at morning tea which was at the Buster Diggings. We had a few deep rutted and sticky areas when we first entered the park that had to have careful negotiation, this caused a wee bit of excitement for one member who found himself doing something he would have much preferred not to have done and another to have suffered earache due to his truck mate expressing their displeasure over the pain caused to their bottom! This trip will always be remembered for the fact that at the diggings we learnt that one member in his excitement to be heading out on this trip had failed rule 01 - fill his truck up with diesel before leaving town and was alerted to this fact when his truck started to let him know by dinging! (I won’t put what he apparently said when he heard it…) so, an OH-Dear moment. Even more surprisingly, was that our very own tail-end-Charlie, Glen McGregor (yes, give that man a handshake when you see him next!) saved the day – he was actually carrying 40 litres of diesel! So, crises averted, we were able to continue on without having to abort the trip.
We finished our day rather nicely, by having tea and a chat at the Royal Hotel in Nasby. Thank you Harry for organising this trip, I know he has had several goes at trying to get us up this mountain range and along this particular trail to be thwarted each time by weather but Sunday couldn’t have been a better day and it was greatly enjoyed by us all..
I should also take this opportunity to say a quick thank you to Shirley & Donald Taylor who kindly allow me to wear out their back seat in their truck to enable me to still enjoy these experiences and…. occasionally do the odd trip report – thank you both very much.
Jennifer Dorsey
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