Mt Richardson: Mt Thomas Forest - March 28th 2015

 Tramping in Mt Thomas Forest

I was planning a trip down to Mt Somers but had to cancel as some bad weather was due to roll in.
I'm still holding the Mt Somers track as a potential 3 day trip as I would like to go down and walk the full circuit.

Instead I went for a day tramp up Mt Richardson in North Canterbury over the weekend, as I work my way through my "to do" list of trips. I am hoping to get all of the Canterbury foothill tracks ticked off before the weather starts to deteriorate. I just have Mt Oxford and Mt Tomas still left to do as I have been up Mt Grey while in the Army.

Trig point on summit of Mt Richardson

Glentui to Mt Richardson Day Trip

I did a circuit on this trip, up Mt Richardson and then along the Blowhard and Bypass Tracks back to the car park at Glentui picnic area.

You start the Mt Richardson track from the picnic area at Glentui, there are a number of tracks starting from here into the forest, river and hills in the area.

Old 'Betsy' parked at the picnic area

Glentui picnic area, Mt Thomas Forest



It is signposted as a 2 hour trip, that is about right, it took me roughly two hours to reach the summit.

DOC sign at Glentui car park

Typical DOC 3/D map board

The start of the track is a old 4 W/D track, this gradually gets smaller and rougher the further up valley you walk. Most of the locals tracks start from this same spot.

Start of the Mt Richardson Track

The track soon changes into a benched one it is very pleasant walking along here. 

Nice benched track on Mt Richardson

The first track junction goes to Mt Richardson, in the other direction lies the Waterfall Track and access to the Bypass Track. Here is a link to the DOC track brochure for the Mt Thomas Forest Park.

Junction of Mt Richardson/Waterfall track

DOC track brochure page for Glentui/Mt Richardson area

The real track starts soon after the track junction, this is more typical of the type of tracks you will strike when walking in the Canterbury foothills: rough, muddy, rocky and narrow.

Mt Richardson Track: slightly rougher as we get going

Below is the only un-bridged  stream you cross along the entire length of the tramp, this area is very dry even in a "wet" year.

Only river crossing on Mt Richardson track

The point below is the start of the steep section of the track, you are climbing up the side of a ridge for about the next hour or so.

Last flat section, start of the climb to Mt Richardson

Mist over Canterbury Plains from Mt Richardson Track

There is a lot of wind fall around the track, probably as a result of the storms last year, it is cleared from the track, but it is still a real mess in the forest.

Mt Richardson Track:  wind fall damaged trees

Hard to see in this photo but the track is at a 60 degree angle up through this section.

Steep rocky track conditions on the Mt Richardson Track

Eventually you make it to the top of the ridge, from here you sidle along the top and sides of the ridge as you steadily climb towards the summit.

Mt Richardson track - ridgeline section

Plateau 3/4 of way to summit of Mt Richardson

There are a couple of half decent dry camp sites along this flatter section of track, nice location but absolutely bone dry- bring water if contemplating a camp.

Mt Richardson Track: Possible camping spot?

More open beech forest on Mt Richardson Track

Approaching Mt Richardson summit

The final steep section before you reach the summit, it is only 5 more minutes from here to the top of the hill.

Last climb before summit of Mt Richardson

There is a large broom covered flat on the summit of Mt Richardson, there are great views in all directions. Here is a series of shots showing the Lees Valley and Mt Oxford.

View south from Mt Richardson

View towards Puketeraki & Torlesse Ranges from Mt Richardson 

Lees Valley, Eastern end, Puketeraki Range from Mt Richardson 

Mt Oxford from summit of Mt Richardson

Lees Valley from Mt Richardson

Track sign, summit of Mt Richardson

Here I am on the summit, there is a area of rocks and low scrub here, exposed to the weather but with spectacular views. There were a trio of younger trampers here enjoying that most typical of tramping fare: hot cross buns and beer......?

What every hardcore tramper eats...isn't it?

 After a 10 minute break I set off once more along the Blowhard Track which runs along the top of a intersecting ridge in an easterly direction.



Jon on Mt Richardson summit

Heading along Blowhard Track following the ridge top

There are couple of nice looking camp-sites about 5 minutes along the Blowhard Track, with nice bush for shelter  & fire wood but no water. It is very dry along this ridge with no streams or tarns to source water from.

Camp-site near Mt Richardson summit

Scrub and beech along Blowhard Track

This ridge is crying out for a small 2-4 person bivy with a rainwater tank, similar to the one up East Hawdon.  If I win Lotto I will donate one....

Another dry ridge top camp-site on Mt Richardson

The East Hawdon Biv

Blowhard Track: Nice track conditions

There is an interesting plateau on a ridge off to the north east of the this track, I couldn't see any tracks to the area so don't know if many people visit. You would need to bush bash through the scrub to get there. Looks interesting......

Blowhard Track: Distant plateau from ridge

Mt Thomas in distance from Blowhard Track

Beech forest along Blowhard Track

Misty Canterbury plains from Blowhard Track

No views of Canterbury unfortunately as the Plains were completely covered with low fog, the effect is visually interesting though.

Heading along Blowhard Track from Mt Richardson

View towards Banks Peninsula from Blowhard Track

You eventually reach the Bypass Track junction after about 40 minutes of walking, the track heads down one of the spurs from here all the way back to the Glentui Picnic area. It is about 2 hours walk from this point to the car park.



Blowhard/Bypass track junction

Close up of Blowhard Track sign

Blowhard Track to Glentui car park

Moving down the Bypass Track

I stopped about 10 minutes down the track for lunch, in the distance you can see the ridge I climbed up earlier in the day. The track goes up the side of the ridge and then follows the crest all the way to the summit.

Mt Richardson in distance from Bypass Track

Another area of extensive wind fall, these steep rocky ridge lines are very prone to this sort of damage. Most of the trees have pulled their whole root systems out of the soil during a big wind gust.

Heavy windfall trees on Bypass Track

Steep gradient in mid section of Bypass Track

This was the largest Black Beech tree I passed all day, it is an impressive example. It is probably 30 meters tall and 2 meters around the trunk, that is big for this sort of tree.

Bypass Track: large Black Beech tree

Ferns and regrowth near Bypass Track end

First Bridge on Bypass track

Just after crossing the first bridge over the Glentui River I was surprised when two deer walked across the track about 20 meters from me. By the time I got my camera out they were long gone. I don't know who was more surprised me or the deer. When you are tramping by yourself you make very little sound so things like this happen quite often.

Spot where I saw the deer on Bypass Track

Second bridge on Bypass Track

The upper reaches of the Glentui River are very picturesque, you honestly wouldn't think you are only 40 km's away from Christchurch.

Upper Glentui River

You connect up with the Mt Richardson Track about 5 minutes walk from the river, from here it is a short walk along the nice benched track back to the car park.

Back on the Mt Richardson track

This was a good trip, and another peak from my to do list sorted!

Access:From Christchurch head to Loburn, take the signposted road to Oxford for about 22 km to the Glentui Bush Road turn-off. The winding, gravel Glentui Bush Road emerges at the Glentui picnic area after about 4 km.

Track Times: From Glentui car park, 1.5-2 hours to Blowhard Track, 1 hour along Bypass Track, 1.5 hours to car park: 4-5 hours total

Miscellaneous:Moderately steep tracks in places, no potable water source along any of these tracks, Blowhard track exposed to weather.

Peel Forest: 15th March 2015: Acland Falls Track and "Big Tree" Walks

Some day walks in Peel Forest

The family and I went down to Geraldine recently for a weekend get away, while there I took the opportunity to go for a walk at Peel Forest Scenic Reserve. I walked  to Acland Falls, and then around to Te Wanahu Flat and back to the car, about 1.5hrs total. Later that same day the whole family walked to the "Big Tree" which is an enormous 1000 year old  Totora tree in the forest. Awesome!

Acland Falls Walk, Peel Forest (1.5 hrs)

I went for a short hour long walk into Acland Falls and then followed the connecting track over the intervening ridge to Te Wanahu Flat. The track is off a very high standard although a bit muddy on the day as it had been raining the evening before. Peel Forest is full of interesting tracks from 15 minutes right up to 8 hour return tramps to Little Mount Peel 1790 meters.



Map of the Peel Forest track network

DOC Peel Forest track sign at road side

The track to the Falls is all up and down, luckily it only takes 30 minutes to get there so no major drama's really. It was quite muddy due to overnight rain as well, I imagine it is a bit of a mud slog in the Winter.

Closer view of some of the tracks at Mt Peel Scenic Reserve

Acland Falls Track: Start of climb over ridge

The Acland Falls are small, only 14 meters and not all that impressive in dry weather but I bet they are fairly spectacular if you visited during Winter. There is a very deep pool at the base of them and that requires a god amount of water. 

Acland Falls (14 meters)

Acland Falls

Jon at the Acland Falls

Good idea of the damp, dark nature of the area around the falls, with luxuriant fern growth on all of the gorge walls.

Track into Acland Falls

Jon at Acland Falls

The track into the falls was a bit muddy due to overnight rain.

Acland Falls Track: Start of the muddy climb to Te Wanahu Flat

Video of Bellbirds singing

Acland Falls Track: track junction, Peel Forest

Acland Falls Track: Close-up of track sign

The track to Te Wanahu Flat

Mature Rimu Tree on Te Wanahu Flat Track

Te Wanahu Flat Track: Rimu tree next to track

Track sign on Te Wanahu Track

That undergrowth is a bit thick on the Te Wanahu Flat Track

Semi mature Maitai tree next to Te Wanahu Flat Track

Te Wanahu Flat Track: close up of trunk of Rimu tree

Te Wanahu Flats ablution block

While I was walking Kathryn and the girls went for a horse trek down into the Rangitata River Valley. Here are a few photos of the horses and ladies when they arrived back at the horse trekking place. I sounded like it was a lot of fun.

The company name is Peel Forest Horse Trekking.

Georgia on her mount, Kathryn in background

Georgia and horsey companion

Juliet in horsely attire

Juliet and her mount

Juliet and friend

Big Tree Walk, Peel Forest (30 minutes return)

After I picked Kathryn and the kids up we went back down to Peel Forest and went for a walk into the "Big Tree" which is a 1000 year old Totora tree about 15 minutes into the forest. Peel Forest was logged in colonial times but there are still a few examples left of the enormous native trees which grew in the area.

Te Wanahu Flats, Peel Forest

One end of the loop track to the Big Tree starts to the right of the DOC shelter at Te Wanahu Flat, there are toilets and a picnic table here but no water point. Surprisingly, there were no sand flies here, nor anywhere in the area. Its possible the colder weather has forced them into hibernation.

Georgia making like a Zombie.......

There are some awesome examples of Totora and Rimu along the track, the undergrowth is very thick, so you really want to stay on the track.

How can you not stop and give a 700 year old tree a hug, it deserves it after standing for so long.

Juliet at another large Totora tree in Peel Forest

Tree huggers all...

Barely reaching around big Totora in Peel Forest

Peace y'all!

There are some nice interpretive panels along the track which give some information about the flora and history of the area. They point out good examples of the Totora and other natives along the track.

DOC sign at 800 year old Totora tree, Peel Forest

Jon at said big Totora tree, Peel Forest

Peel Forest: crown of a Totora next to track

There is a nice seat next to the Big Tree where you can sit and contemplate your surroundings, I recommend you take the time to do so, it was a very peaceful spot.

Peel Forest: looking up along the Big Tree

There were a couple of branches lying on the ground near the tree, obviously broke off due to the weight which were at least a full meter around! I'm sure there would be enough timber in this one tree for a moderately large sized house.

Closer look at the crown of a big Totora in Peel Forest

As you can see the so named Big Tree is absolutely enormous, it looks to be about 6 meters around and was at least 50 meters tall. There would be a lot of wood in one of these, the reason they were logged in days past.

Juliet for scale under the Big Tree

Thick bush covered ridge, Peel Forest

Peel Forest: a big Rimu tree poking out of the forest

 The large native Rimu tree sticking out of the canopy is one I passed on the track between Acland Falls and the Flats earlier in the day.

A couple of nice short walks.

 Peel Forest is but a small remnant of a much larger forest cleared in the 1800's for pasture. The disturbing thing is that the wood wasn't even used, most of the forest was simply burnt down by the early settlers of the area. This part was only saved because an English tourist to the area was so appalled by the destruction that he brought it and gifted it to the nation.

What a waste!