Sunday 6 December 2020
We set off from Te Aute Road with Lex, as our driver and 11 other trampers. We collected another passenger at Otane and drove to the end of Glenny Road where the farmer had kindly allowed us access for the tramp.
After crossing farm and gaining the ridge line there was an excellent view of the Makaroro River. (Gold Creek flows into the Makaroro River.) At the ridge line we split into 2 groups – Glenda and I made up the rear.
The track along the Gold Creek ridge is on the true right of the creek and follows a long gentle ridge through beech forest. There had been recent rain; the bush and mossy ground cover were verdant.
Eleven of our party made it down to Gold Creek Hut. The reports are that it is a difficult 200 metre climb down; being steep, slippery and many tree roots to negotiate. As Jo was tramping in her work boots; she didn’t want wet boots the next day so took them off to cross the creek.
The hut was visited and lunch was had on the banks of the creek after which there was a further split. – Des, Kim and Simon were to return down Gold Creek while the rest climbed back up to the ridge line (which was considered much easier than the trip down to the hut) to return down Gold Creek ridge.
We were not the only trampers on the track; 7 members of the Palmerston North Tramping and Mountaineering Club were about ½ an hour behind us. When their group of 7 met up with our group at the hut, it was established that Daniel had taught with one of the party and Lex had driven 2 of them.
The creek party reported that the tramp down the creek was straight forward with some deep holes. There were numerous log jams; many of them were easy to negotiate yet others required a diversion out of the creek with straight forward exits. In the past several shingle screes have come down presenting a bit of a challenge to negotiate but with care they were a doable sidle.
It was a picturesque journey down the swiftly flowing creek with a number of small waterfalls, bush to the water’s edge, sizeable boulders, shingle screes and after about 2 ½ hours, and a couple of false exits, they reached the Makaroro River. It was another 15 minutes down the swiftly flowing Makaroro River to the start of the farm track and then 40 minutes over farm land to get back to the truck.
The tramp was enjoyed by all the participants and thanks to Lex for driving us on yet another pleasurable trip in the club truck.
Party: Lex S, Jude H, Daniel H, Deby M, Robyn P, Kim M, Simon W, Janice L, Glenda H, Jo P, Barbara H, Des S, Anne D