2009. Diamond Harbour to Mt Herbert Summit

2009. Diamond Harbour Signs, Corner Marine Drive & Waipapa Avenue, Banks Peninsula

Labour Weekend: As I wanted to walk the long, steep dip slope from Diamond Harbour to Mt Herbert summit (919m), highest point on Banks Peninsula, I parked my car in Waipapa Avenue near yellow road signs. As the weather forecast was sunny, I had sparkling Diamond Harbour views over Lyttelton Harbour to Lyttelton. I walked about 500m down Marine Drive to a DOC sign which stated:

MT HERBERT WALKWAY
MT HERBERT SHELTER -> 7 KM


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Sign, Marine Drive, Diamond Harbour


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Broom, Diamond Harbour


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Gorse, Diamond Harbour

I walked the muddy track beside a stream through native bush plantings, then gums, willows and lots of broom and gorse pollution. I crossed a wooden stile, one of 10 wooden stiles and 2 metal ladder stiles I'd cross. Wooden poles with yellow tops marked the way. Higher up some marker poles had orange tops, or white tops.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Footbridge over stream, Diamond Harbour

I crossed stile 2, then a wooden footbridge over the stream, then leaving the shady trees I crossed a dirt road into sunny farmland. A DOC sign stated:

MT HERBERT WALKWAY CLOSED
FOR LAMBING 1st AUG - 16 OCT


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Lambing Sign, Diamond Harbour

On previous walks, I'd seen similar signs in Kaituna Valley and Gebbies Pass.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Private Property & Warning Poison Cyanide Signs, Diamond Harbour


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Stiles, Diamond Harbour

I crossed the stream again on another wooden footbridge, and by stile 3 I passed PRIVATE PROPERTY and CYANIDE POISON signs. The track climbed the grassy dip slope, and for the next hour or so followed the stream up a gorse polluted valley. Looking back by stile 4, I saw Lyttelton Harbour backdropped by Mt Cavendish and further east Mt Pleasant and Evans Pass.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway, Diamond Harbour Dirt Road & Port Hills Mt Pleasant to Evans Pass


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway, Henderson House Sign, Diamond Harbour

The rest of my climb up Mt Herbert went through sheep and cattle paddocks in tussock land. The higher I walked up Mt Herbert dip slope, the more spectacular my views. A sign told me I was walking old Henderson settler land, where Henderson had planted bluegums I passed. I coolpixed mud walls of Henderson's ruined house.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway, Henderson House Ruin, Diamond Harbour


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Stile & Diamond Harbour Sheep


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway, Diamond Harbour: Cattle & Port Hills from Witch Hill to Mt Pleasant

Crossing stile 5 into another paddock I saw a strutting golden pheasant, many sheep and lambs. A man passed, wearing shorts, T shirt and day pack. I was overdressed in longs and long sleeved shirt, which I soon unbuttoned, my sleeves rolled up.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway cow's view of Evans Pass, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Lyttelton below Port Hills from Witch Hill left to Mt Pleasant right

Higher up I looked at cattle and sheep and enjoyed views over Lyttelton Harbour and eastwards towards Godley Head. I passed through an open gate into another paddock, and after crossing stile 6 the climb became less steep while following the stream up the gorse valley with a steep ridge on my left and Mt Herbert dip slope on my right.

I regularly stopped to look at Lyttelton and Port Hills views behind me. Ahead were glimpses of Mt Herbert summit through hills.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway gorse valley below Mt Herbert


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Lyttelton Harbour, Mt Cavendish, Mt Pleasant & Evans Pass, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of gorse valley, The Monument left, Mt Herbert right


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway gorse polluted view to Diamond Harbour & Mt Cavendish, Mt Pleasant, Evans Pass, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway & Gorse below Mt Herbert


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Kanuka below Mt Herbert


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Stream below Mt Herbert

I crossed stile 7 into another sheep paddock beside the gorse valley. By stile 8 I drank CocaCola in the shade of a small kanuka, my last tree for several hours, with a good view of Mt Herbert louring ahead.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway confusing tussock hill, poorly marked


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Dead Cow

By the gorse valley head, after crossing metal ladder stile 9, the path became rocky, gorsy and steeper. I walked beside the trickling stream to its spring source by rushes and a dry, dead cow. I passed a pond on the slope of a small tussock hill blocking Mt Herbert view. By stile 10 I had western glimpses of snowy Southern Alps over tops of Port Hills.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Stile below confusing tussock hill, poorly marked


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Pond view of Port Hills from Scott Scenic Reserve to The Tors



2009. Mt Herbert Walkway tussock hill view of Port Hills from Sugarloaf to The Tors above Lyttelton

Thereafter the hillside track became confusing, with two marker poles in two different directions round the tussock hill: The left pole showed a track going left round a lower bend in the hill, the right pole, easily missed, camouflaged by the tussock hill, marked a higher path going right to a farm track on the broad back of Mt Herbert dip slope.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway windy corner view of Lyttelton Harbour & Port Hills from Sugarloaf to The Tors. Rapaki & Cass Bay to the left of Lyttelton. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway windy corner view of Lyttelton below Port Hills. Rapaki & Cass Bay to the left of Lyttelton


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway windy corner view of Lyttelton below Port Hills from The Tors to Mt Pleasant


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway windy corner view of Lyttelton Harbour, Mt Pleasant & Evans Pass, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Purau to Port Levy Road, Purau Valley between Mt Evans & Mt Herbert


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Purau Saddle & The Monument, Banks Peninsula


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of The Monument ridge below Mt Herbert


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway going trackless by tussock hill below Mt Herbert


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway petering out on tussock hill below Mt Herbert


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway farm track below Mt Herbert

I took the lower left track to a windy corner with glorious views over The Monument (711m) and Banks Peninsula, and the winding road up Mt Evans (7o3m) from Purau to Port Levy, with Purau Valley below.

Round the tussock hill the track petered out, becoming stock tracks through tussock land with Mt Herbert summit looming ahead. I thought walkers could become horribly lost in the mist in that trackless zone. Mental note: Round the other side of the tussock hill on my return.


2009. Walkers going up Mt Herbert Walkway


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway, dip slope view of Lyttelton below Port Hills. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway, dip slope view of Governors Bay, Rapaki & Cass Bay below Port Hills. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway, dip slope view of Quail Island, Governors Bay & Rapaki, Port Hills. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway, dip slope view of Quail Island, Rapaki, Cass Bay & Lyttelton, Port Hills. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway, dip slope view of Lyttelton below Mt Cavendish & Mt Pleasant. Purau right

Rounding the tussock hill, I waded through tussock to a wide, green farm track where I coolpixed a couple slogging upwards, and three fit girls loping past, wearing tight black shorts, colourful vests, day packs and white hats.

The farm track sloped up to two beige plastic water tanks, after which the farm track became steep and strenuous for the next hour or so to Mt Herbert summit.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Dead Lamb


2009. Steep Mt Herbert Walkway view of Lyttelton, Port Hills & Southern Alps


2009. Strenuously Steep Mt Herbert Walkway view of Diamond Harbour, Lyttelton, Port Hills & Southern Alps


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Cattle view of The Monument, Banks Peninsula



2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Cattle view of Purau, Lyttelton Harbour & Godley Head


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of The Monument above Port Levy

By broken stile 11 I passed through a gate. I stopped to admire views of Quail Island far below and beyond to Port Hills, Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps. Closer were Banks Peninsula views over Purau, Mt Evans, The Monument and Port Levy.

I saw 5 more walkers way behind. I passed a dead lamb and 5 black cows with 2 brown calves standing by an empty, round water trough. Beside the track a black plastic pipe joined small, black plastic water tanks and lighter coloured water troughs for stock.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Port Hills from Mt Pleasant to Godley Head. Pegasus Bay backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Diamond Harbour, Lyttelton & Port Hills from The Tors to Evans Pass. Hazy Christchurch, Pegasus Bay & Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Port Hills from Scott Scenic Reserve to Mt Pleasant. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Port Hills from Cass Peak to Witch Hill. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Port Hills from Gebbies Pass to Hoon Hay Reserve above Governors Bay. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Mt Bradley & Gebbies Pass. Lake Ellesmere, Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Gorse Polluted Mt Bradley. Lake Ellesmere backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway dip slope going up to Mt Herbert Summit

Where the track flattened briefly, I stopped to coolpix Banks Peninsula, Port Hills and views of Canterbury Plains and hazy Alps, which floated in long white clouds. Mt Bradley (855m) southwards was pollluted with golden gorse.

The 5 walkers caught up, 3 blokes, 2 women, so I sat on a rock, drank my CocaCola, and watched them pass, a bloke pushing an MTB.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway dip slope view of Charteris Bay, Head of the Bays, Governors Bay, Port Hills & Southern Alps


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of The Monument & Port Levy

I plodded higher, Mt Herbert slopes infested with gorse. The 3 girls jogged past, going down.

By stile 12, a gate sign stated:

WALKERS WELCOME
NO DOGS! NO SHOOTERS!
MOUNTAIN BIKES!


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Summit stile view of Mt Bradley


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Walkers below Mt Herbert Summit

Way behind me two more walkers plodded. Just below Mt Herbert summit a sign stated:

<- SUMMIT 10 MINS
SHELTER & TOILET 15 MINS ->


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway Sign below Mt Herbert Summit


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway: Walker descending Mt Herbert Summit dip slope to Diamond Harbour. Lyttelton Harbour, Quail Island, Port Hills & Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit Sign & MTB


2009. Mt Herbert Summit Walkers coming & going by Summit Radio Masts


2009. Trig Beacon, Mt Herbert Summit. Port Hills & Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit Walkers, Radio Masts, Trig Beacon. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit & Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Mt Bradley summit. Pacific & Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Mt Bradley Summit, Lake Ellesmere, Kaitorete Spit & Pacific. Mt Herbert Shelter: green speck left


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of lower Kaituna Valley, Lake Ellesmere, Kaitorete Spit, Pacific


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of upper Kaituna Valley & Pacific


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Kaituna Valley Head & Banks Peninsula


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of ridge to Port Levy Saddle, Banks Peninsula


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of The Monument & Port Levy. Mt Evans left


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Purau below Mt Evans, Lyttelton Harbour & Port Hills from The Tors to Godley Head. Pegasus Bay backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Purau, Lyttelton Harbour & Port Hills from Dyers Pass to Evans Pass. Pegasus Bay & Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Port Hills from Cass Peak to The Tors. Southern Alps backdrop

I didn't bother to go down to the shelter, as I saw it from the summit plateau, which I reached in 3 hours 40 minutes. Twelve other walkers, coming and going, shared the windy summit with me - lots of space.

I coolpixed 360 degree views: Kaituna Valley, Banks Peninsula and Pacific eastwards; Mt Bradley, Lake Ellesmere, Kaitorete Spit, Canterbury Plains southwards; Mt Herbert dip slope, Diamond Harbour, Lyttelton Harbour, Quail Island, Port Hills, Canterbury Plains, Alps westwards; More Alps, Pegasus Bay, Port Hills, Lyttelton Harbour, Purau, Mt Evans, The Monument, Port Levy, Banks Peninsula northwards.


2009. Walker Summiting Mt Herbert. Dip Slope, Lyttelton Harbour, Lyttelton, Port Hills, Christchurch, Pegasus Bay & Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Walkers Summiting Mt Herbert. Port Levy backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Port Hills from The Tors to Godley Head. Pegasus Bay & Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Quail Island, Lyttelton Harbour & Port Hills from Mt Ada to Mt Cavendish. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Port Hills from Gebbies Pass to Marleys Hill. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Mt Bradley & Gebbies Pass, Port Hills. Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Mt Bradley with Lake Ellesmere, Southern Alps, Gebbies Pass, Port Hills backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Lake Ellesmere, Kaitorete Spit, Pacific & Mt Bradley

Mt Herbert summit was polluted with a long-legged, pyramid trig beacon; a stash of DOC marker poles; a DOC sign; 2 radio shacks; 3 radio masts with 11 solar panels. On a shack metal door, walkers had scratched their names, and someone had tried to scratch out a sign on the door:

THIS IS A RADIO
REPEATER STATION
USED FOR SEARCH
AND RESCUE
PLEASE DO NOT DAMAGE IT


2009. Mt Herbert Summit Trig Beacon & Radio Repeater Station


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Charteris Bay, Head of the Bay, Governors Bay, Port Hills, & Southern Alps


2009. Mt Herbert Summit dip slope view of Quail Island, Lyttelton Harbour, Port Hills, Pegasus Bay & Southern Alps


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of The Monument, Port Levy & Pacific


2009. Mt Herbert Summit view of Port Levy & Pacific


2009. Mt Herbert Summit dip slope view of Purau Valley below Mt Evans. Lyttelton Harbour, Port Hills & Pegasus Bay backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of tussock hill & Lyttelton below Mt Pleasant, Port Hills. Pegasus Bay backdrop

I sat by a rock sheltering me from the wind, and texted Leah. I lunched: CocaCola, 2 ham buns, 2 snack bars, apple. I watched walkers come and go, most doing the circuit Mt Herbert Walkway: Diamond Harbour - Mt Herbert summit - Shelter - Orton Bradley Park - or vice versa.

Trouble with the circuit walk was $3 to park your car at Orton Bradley Park, then a long stretch of road walking along Charteris Bay between Orton Bradley Park and Diamond Harbour, depending on where transport was parked. No buses.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway tussock hill above Purau Valley, backdropped by Port Hills & Pegasus Bay


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway tussock land view of Purau, Lyttelton, Port Hills & Pegasus Bay


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway dead sheep view of tussock land, Lyttelton, Port Hills & Pegasus Bay


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Lyttelton below The Tors, Mt Cavendish & Mt Pleasant, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of gorse valley overlooking Lyttelton Harbour, Evans Pass & Godley Head, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway dead sheep view of Mt Pleasant & Evans Pass, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway sheep view of Evans Pass, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway dead sheep view of Lyttelton Harbour, Mt Pleasant, Evans Pass, Godley Head, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway gorse valley view of Lyttelton Harbour, Mt Pleasant, Evans Pass, Godley Head, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway gorse valley view of Mt Cavendish, Mt Pleasant, Evans Pass, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Diamond Harbour, Lyttelton Harbour, Mt Pleasant & Evans Pass, Port Hills

By the time I'd finished my lunch I'd cooled off, with the wind on the back of my neck. I watched walkers depart until I had Mt Herbert summit to myself.

I returned to my car down the dip slope I'd climbed, except for the tussock hill which I rounded the opposite way. I coolpixed three dead sheep with spook views over hills and many live sheep. I passed after-lunch walkers plodding upwards. By the gorse valley another bloke pushed his MTB upwards.


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Lyttelton Harbour from Governors Bay below Coronation Hill to Rapaki below Mt Vernon & Cass Bay below Witch Hill, Port Hills


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Diamond Harbour & Lyttelton below The Tors & Mt Cavendish, Port Hills. Bridle Path seen snaking above Lyttelton


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway view of Diamond Harbour & Lyttelton Harbour with Mt Pleasant & Evans Pass, Port Hills backdrop


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway, Diamond Harbour view of Lyttelton Harbour & Godley Head


2009. Mt Herbert Walkway wooden fencing below Henderson's property, Diamond Harbour

I reached my car after 2 hours 35 minutes, down hill all the way. Driving back to Burnside, via Teddington, Gebbies Pass and Port Hills Summit Road, I stopped several times to coolpix Mt Herbert beyond Lyttelton Harbour. Mt Herbert glowed gold in late afternoon sun, another monument to golden gorse pollution.


2009. Mt Herbert & Mt Bradley, seen from Port Hills Coopers Knobs, Summit Road


2009. Dip Slope below Mt Herbert, seen from Port Hills Coopers Knobs, Summit Road


2009. Head of the Bay & Dip Slope going up Mt Herbert, with Mt Evans backdrop, seen from Port Hills Coopers Knobs, Summit Road


2009. Mt Herbert & Mt Bradley seen from Port Hills Cass Peak, Summit Road


2009. Dip Slope going up Mt Herbert, seen from Port Hills Cass Peak, Summit Road


2009. Bit of Governors Bay, Head of the Bay, Charteris Bay, Diamond Harbour below Dip Slope of Mt Herbert. Mt Evans Backdrop. Seen from Port Hills Cass Peak, Summit Road


2009. Mt Herbert & Mt Bradley, seen from Port Hills Mt Ada, Summit Road


2009. Mt Herbert & Mt Bradley, seen from Port Hills Marleys Hill farm, Summit Road


2009. Dip Slope & The Monument going up Mt Herbert, seen from Port Hills Marleys Hill farm, Summit Road


2009. Dyers Pass, Quail Island, Diamond Harbour, The Monument, Mt Herbert, seen from Port Hills Coronation Hill, Summit Road


2009. Sign of the Kiwi, top of Dyers Pass, Port Hills view of The Monument & Mt Herbert, Banks Peninsula

Coda: Within less than a year, the idyllic scenes I'd seen from the top of Mt Herbert would convulse in a series of earthquakes, causing huge damage to Canterbury, Lyttelton, Christchurch & nearby towns. The main quakes were on 04.09.10; 26.12.10; 22.02.11 (185 deaths) 13.06.11; 23.12.11 Xmas swarm & many 1000s of aftershocks continuing till the end of 2013. The epicentre of the lethal 22.02.11 quake was 5 km below Heathcote Valley, the other side of the  Port Hills from Lyttelton.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.