14 December, 2025
Bell Rock is a favourite walk for us. Today was to be the first trip, to Bell Rock, for Judith. A tramp she was pleased to have competed, like all of us, enjoying the initial walk through the bush. The tramp to Bell Rock continues on a poled route over open farmland.
The views from Bell Rock, to the west, are wide and vast. The dramatic drop off of the land adds to the majesty. The return journey, from Bell Rock, was via a spectacular display of limestone rocks. At the stile where the decision can be made to return through the bush or traverse a 4 wheel drive track which comes out at Pohokura Road where there is a short walk downhill back to the van, The decision was made to return the way we had come.
From Bell Rock we returned down Pohokura Road to Bellbird Reserve. Where we found the Spooner Hill track that had been, on my last visit in August 2020, a loop track was now a linear track going through to Toi Flat Road. My assumption is that the loop track, which had numerous tomo, was damaged in Cyclone Gabrielle, February 2023. The track has had little foot traffic on it and we left our mark in the grass. The majority of the party tramped up to the lookout on Spooners Hill (where the view was nowhere near as spectacular as that from Bell Rock) and through to Toi flat Road.
Party: Peter B, Christine L, Glenda H, Connie F, Christine B, Judith M, Paula K, Donna W, Selina C, Donna G, Peter Mc, Colin J, Anne D