Trip Reports - Combined Clubs weekend
Friday 25th April - Combined clubs Four-wheel drive trip
Everybody met up at 7:30 at Oamaru New World. As it was a larger than usual group with members from Southland and Central Otago 4 wheel drive clubs, it had been decided to split the group into two groups and run two separate trips, then run the same trips the next day with each group swapping.
I was in group A with Chris Smyth as trip leader. After listening to the group leader's talk, we were off south to Herbert where we briefly stopped to pick up someone who had grown up on The Dasher and pick up some lunchs Ferne had kindly made.
Turning off just past Herbert, but we carried along onto Glencoe Road then Tulliene Road past Camp Iona and gradually uphill until we reach Mount Stalker station, turned in by the woolshed where we stopped to the let air out of our tyres.
We carried on uphill along the track where we stopped for a brief moment to take an amazing view of the valley below us which Chris then told us that on his reckies the weather had been foggy and cloudy and he'd been unable to see a lot.
We were lucky to have a beautiful clear and sunny day where we can see views for miles.
As we drove along the summit we could even see the steam coming from the lime works at Dunback.
Driving through a gate we left Mount Stalker station and into The Dasher station.
Carrying on we drove down the steep rocky track to Cayane Hut to have a brief look before continuing our trip.
We passed an area where we could see wild pigs have been busy rooting up the ground.
We stopped for morning tea on the summit of Mount Obie 1426 meters above sea level, where there was solar panels and aerials. The views of other mountain ranges with Mount Cook peeking up over in the distance and looked down over the Pig Route. Could see in the Maniototo area, Naseby Forest and over towards Mccrae's Flat.
As we left Mount Obie after morning tea and driving along the track we also had views of the ocean.
We carried onto another track where we stopped to look down onto the head waters of the Kakanui River and over towards Livingstone and could see over towards Half Moon Spur where we would be driving along later.
We drove past Mount Kakanui and bouncing over rocks made our way down the mountain where someone spied a cat. Maybe it was a Mountain Lion or the elusive Canterbury Black Panther.
We stopped by the Kakanui River, which was at this stage just a small stream, for lunch.
A beautiful spot made better by the warm sun and although there was a nice hole to swim in, nobody had brought their togs.
After lunch we drove a long on a track alongside the river and headed up hill onto the Half Moon Spur then crossed through a gate that lead us into Mount Dasher Station.
The track up zig zagged but it was fine getting up although got a little challenging on the bed of rocks. There were views over to the Waitaki Valley.
A couple of muddy sections on the track did cause a few where issues for some vehicles. It was certainly challenging to get up there.
After a bit of a mishap with one vehicle getting a flat tire, the majority of us waited uphill. It was a good chance for the rest of us to chat and hear some stories of other mishaps from the other two clubs, while our trip leader and club president when back down the hill to assist.
Two vehicles then chose to turn around and take a different track while the rest of us carried on forward .
After a bit more mud on the track we found ourselves on a smoother grassy track downhill through the gate which through the gate which let us into Belmoral Station down to the river then back into Mt Dasher Station where we meet up with the other two vehicles and stopped by the stream for afternoon tea in the sun.
With the sun dropping behind the mountain we left that spot and drive up this zig zag track to Scout hut where we stopped to put air into the tyres.
We headed down the hill on a gravel road which was a private road maintained by the owner of Mt Dasher, until we got onto the public road, carried on then stopped for a debrief beside Five Forks school.
There was some very thirsty people who did need to make a pit stop at Fort Enfield on the way home. I'd like to say big thank you to Chris and Ferne for the wonderful day and great organisation of it all. Thank you to Bill on Tailend Charlie and Carol for shutting all the gates and thank you to Forrester who had opened a lot of these gates
Definitely a great day had by all. By Michelle Mcfarlane.
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