THE OUTSKIRTS OF DUNEDIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20720, 18 May 1929, Page 20

THE OUTSKIRTS OF DUNEDIN.

A TRAMPER’S PARADISE. Written for the Otago Daily Times. By E. V. B. 11. THE CHAIN HILLS TARN. The walk to Chain Hills Tarn can be done in an afternoon, but more comfortably in a day. We start out from Caversham, and go through the old timnel, emerging at Burnside. Then we proceed up the hill to the - Southern reservoir, and thence along the Silverstream water race. This easy tramp soon brings us to a; racekeeper’s house,, and at a similar distance from that is another house, where we leave the race, and make over to the left, soon coming to, the edge of the hill. This descends steeply to a pool below—the Chain Hills tarn, mto which, flows Abbott’s Creek. The tramper who can swim will find a flounder in the tarn very refreshing after the monotonous walk round the race, but a uon-swimmer cannot similarly indulge, for the pool is very deep, being quite enough to drown in and something to spare. On following Abbott’s Creek from the tarn we come to an old railway cutting, on which all the water from the surrounding slopes, much to our discomfort, has gathered. We soon gome to the old tunnel which is boarded up at both ends to keep out visitors, and, I think, imprison the smells. I once clambered through the boarding and tramped through the tunnel, though the smell was 'most offensive, and came to deep water at the far end. Herein were bags and other “muck,” but that did not act as a deterrent, for I pushed on, stirring up quantities of evil-smelling mud in the knee-deep water, and climbed out through the boarding into the fresh open air. Not far away from this end is the Wingatui racecourse. From the tunnel there arc several routes to town. We return back along the old railway level, which, after following above tho Mosgiel-Dunedin railway line, finally merges into it. Here we must climb over a hill above the lipe down into a stream which is mostly swamp. It is, rather difficult to cross to the WingatuiAbbotsford road, beyond which we follow to Abbotsford and thence to Dunedin via Mount Grand. The advantages of the Chain Hills as a walk are accentuated by the large number of routes by which they can be approached by the visitor. For instance, he could easily reach them by leaving Kaikorai car terminus and proceeding up to Wakari; and so along the Taieri road, until he reached Five Tree Hill, whence a road runs to tho left. ■ Provided he keeps to the right on this, he soon comes to Abbott’s Hill. The road, now a mere track and impassable for motor traffic, follows round the summit of the hill, and then down to the Silverstream water race, thence he can easily make his way downto tho Chain Hills tarn. MURDERING AND KAIKAIS BEACHES.. The tramper is wise to mingle tho trips to interesting features of the coast line with those places situated further inland. But the drawback to, the coast trips is that they must be made in most cases by the hard road, the beaten track of our abhorrence. The walk to Kaikais and Murdering Beaches is, to say tho least, long and uninteresting, and it plays havoc with the novice and with tender feet. The tramper is wise to return, part of the way at least, in the train. We set out from Normanby car termimis and take the short cut up Bethune’s' Gully,’ w-hich brings us out on to the Main North road near the Brown House, and, after following the road to the crest we take tho first turning to the right below the trough, which leads round above -Purakanui and Mihiwaka. Near the site of the old creamery, above Murdering Beach, a road which is usually unfit for motor traffic, takes us down tho spur between Murdering Beach and the Kaikais Beach. On the east side of this, spur is Kaikais Beach, to which we descend. This beach much resembles Murdering Beach, for it is flanked by a low- cliff line on which sand has banked up. There are also one or two caves in which some industrious persons have placed straw bunks, tables, chairs, and chimneys, but I would not care to sleep in- one of these, for the two I visited abounded with large ugly rats. Further along a track in the cliff-face denotes the presence of a fairly large cave which, however, is uninhabitable because of the depth of the watery mud on its floor. But. the strange thing about this cave is the fence—nearly buried in the mud,, it is true—which stretches across its interior. Apparently the opening was once much wider when the fence was built, but a fall of rock from above has left only the narrow opening through which wo entered. It is possible to roach Murdering Beach by climbing round Purehuehu Point at low tide, but even then trousers might have to be discarded in the attempt. Murdering Beach abounds with rabbits, hut is quite deserted as far as inhabited dwellings go, though there are two old farm houses in which no ope lives,' except numerous birds. Tho stream, which flows down the valley merges into a large, almost impassable, swamp, in which frogs treat us to a monotonous chant. Prom Murdering Beach we climb over to. Long Beach, which, being a popular pjcnic and holiday resort, is well known to most Dunedin people. Thence wo follow the road up to Mihiwaka Railway Station and then take the train homo. . An alternative route, though longer, is quite interesting. We return up the road which wo - took down to Kaikais Beach and proceed along to half a mile south of the junction with Purekanui road, and take the short cut down to Deborah Bay and thence on to Port Chalmers. WHARE FLAT AND CRAIGLOWAN 1 ‘ , FALLS. This walk, which can be (lone in an afternoon, is well known to trampers, but I include it for the benefit of the novice. We leave Kaikorai car terminus and proceed up the Waltari road, past' the power station, and then branch off up a steep grass road on our right. Wc follow- this, finding that it soon emerges into a foottrack which meets the road near a concrete trough,—a -well-known landmark to trampers. We follow the road downhill for a short way until, on our left, we see a gate on which are painted the words “Craiglowan Falls.” We pass through this and follow down the ridcc on which wc now find ourselves.- As we approach a stream at its foot, M’Quilkin’s Creek, the ridge becorrles very steep and ends in a bluff. We scramble down this to the stream,—a rather difficult descent. By following the-bed of the stream a short way wc come to the Falls. From here it is very difficult to follow the bed, for we have to climb over huge, slippery boulders and cross or circumnavigate deep pools. Thus it takes a fair amount of difficult travelling to reach a bridge consisting of a huge log cut in half, with a rope beside it. There wo can either turn' to the right, follow tho track through a gate and over to the road near Mrs Giendining’s holiday residence, tramp a little i further along to the Silverstream water race, and follow that to its junction with the Wakori-Tnieri road, or take the track to the left. This leads us over to a house and then up hill. If the tramper-follows it carefully he comes to the cross-roads near the “ trough.” The log bridge across the stream .was in what is known as Upper Wliarc Flat. From the trough the journey home can be made by the route already indicated. MOUNT CARGILL AND PIGEON FLAT. We start out from Duke street and follow the Leith Valley road to the bus stop, where a road branches off, going past Bishopsgrovc It is not long, however, before we find ourselves following a grass road and then a mere track. When we have reached high and very bare ground we can see Mount Cargill’s summit (2232 feet above sea-level).' Thither we go, finding that the ground becomes rather marshy and climb the Inst few yards ovi-r bare rock to the highest point, where the trig station is situated. Down the back of the hill is a farm house near a stream on the right. Now to reach that stream, along which, by the way, there are the remains of a 'bush tramway, involves a painful journey because of the solid wall of bramble that is immediately below us. We walk along the rocky ridge of Cargill’s summit, but come to its end in a steep bluff down which we descend. Just in front of this is a track going into the bush —a pretty track, but the last word in mud, for it crosses a swampy hollow. Not far along this the bush thins

out. There we make a turn to the left; and climb down to Pigeon Plat, emerging from the bush alongside the stream already mentioned. On following this down’ we come to a smooth and grassy patch of ground beside the stream. As there is an abundance of dry wood about us we fill our billy from the creek and consume our lunch, —a formality at home timeep but a grim necessity after the climb to Cargill and the descent to Pigeon Plat, where we now are. We climb up the hill to the left, making our way over to the, farm house already mentioned. From it a boulder-strewn road leads us to the Leith Valley road, which we follow down to Dunedin. ORGAN PIPES The trip to Organ Pipes is a very interesting and provides .an alternative route to Mount Cargill. The Organ Pipes arc well known, though most people -care little what route they take to reach them. Mount Holmes is another name for. them. We leave Duke street, and follow the Leith Valley road to Sullivan’s dam, five miles from our base. We enter through „the gate, and take the path going round “the far side of the dam. Crossing the water, and away ahhve our heads, arc two hawsers which we take as our landmark, for we begin our climb directly under them.. This is not an easy route, and there is ,no track. As we climb higher the hawsers come nearer to the ground, and provide a substantial help in our struggle upwards. Soon we come to _ their end, wnere there is a small quarry, long disused. "We climb round this, and make straight ahead from it, but are confronted by more and even denser bush, though that, too, is left ■ behind after a little bush whacking. We emerge on open “ground, where, though water is rather scarce, we have lunch. After a further ascent, in which wo pass across the track leading past Bishopsgrove, we come within sight of Mount Cargill. I have already given the route from there to the track leading through the bush. . When that begins to mount we leave it, and climb to the, hill on our-lcft, the one on the side of which the basaltic pillars known as the Organ Pipes are situated. There we again descend to the track, and it takes us to a fence over Which there is an original type of stile. From it we proceed,to the Main North .road, which wc follow down to Dunedin. ■ ' THE OLD RACE AND PIPE LINE. TRAQUAIR STREAM. This is an interesting and little-known trip, winch has the disadvantage that it is rather far out*of Dunedin, To walk there and Lack in a day from town is an impossibility. We take the train to Mosgiel, and . thence walk to the bridge °xer the Taieri, near Outram. Here .the old Eindpn road, leads away on our right, and we _ follow it for some distance uphill until we see a well-cut track branching off on *tfie left. This denotes the starting point of an old water race, which wo follow, -finding that it soon becomes covered with light bush. The ‘ Traquair,' Stream down below us, flowing through the bush-covered valley, .presents an imposing spectacle. The race now becomes overgrown in places, and not far ahead wc see a rockibluff jutting out. The water usecl to flow round this in a wooden trough, supported on scaffolding, but now that' lias decayed away, leaving only scattered pieces of woodwork attached to the cliff face. . But near this bluff the race is not far above the stream, to which wc now descend down a fairly gentle slope. When wo come to the w-ater we sec a largo Took, and beside it a tree. Between these .is a wooden plank, the property of the Otago Boys’ High School Field Club, which they use as a drawbridge, At the narrowest point of tho stream we place the plank across it and, one at a time, march over to the right bank. We follow this up, a fairly diffi6ult job because of the number of steep pinches en route. Here are long stretches of deep water where we can enjoy i swim. Above these it is possible to cross over to the left bank, along which traces of the race are still visible. . We return along the stream to the drawbridge, which we take care to draw after us, and place between the tree and the rock, in order to guard against the stream washing it away in flood. ‘ On returning along the race for some distance we come to a clearing on the hill on the left above us. Up there we go, soon coming to the old Hindon road, from Which we scramble down to the Xaieri River, and follow it down, to the Outram bridge. To those who know the banks of the Taieri this sounds impossible, but it has been done. From the bridge wc tramp back 4 to Mosgiel, whence we take tho train home.