2009. Ellas Track, Port Hills

2009. Southwards view of Mount Ada & Ellas Track off Summit Road, Port Hills, Christchurch


2009. Northwards view of Ohinetahi Bush, Marleys Hill & Hoon Hay Hill seen from Ellas Track


2009. Blackberry Picking on Ellas Track with Mount Bradley backdrop

I parked my car off Summit Road by a silver, 4WD Subaru Legacy, near the top of Kennedys Bush Track, overlooking Mount Ada. I wanted to walk the figure 8 Ellas Track to Sign of the Bellbird and back. A lone women clad in black shorts and T shirt walked off Ellas Track towards Kennedys Bush Track, while swigging h2go from a sippertop plastic bottle.


2009. Ellas Track view over Governors Bay & Quail Island in Lyttelton Harbour. Algal bloom in the sea


2009. Ellas Track Boozers on skyline overlooking Lyttelton Harbour

I passed thistles, blackberries and bracken, and would find those weeds alongside the whole of Ellas Track, as well as gorse and broom patches. On a rocky spur on the skyline below Mount Ada three blokes were boozing beer from brown bottles, while admiring Lyttelton Harbour views. Bet they didn't return their empties to their Subaru.

As it had heavily rained the day before, Ellas Track was muddy and slippery. Storm clouds created a dappled effect on Lyttelton Harbour waters.


2009. Ellas Track / Totara Log Track junction with cloudy Mount Bradley backdrop


2009. Northwards view of Mount Ada from Ellas Track

Through native bush, I carefully walked down old stone steps. After native bush, Totara Log Track forked off Ellas Track. I hadn't seen any totara trees along the track - must've been completely logged out by old foresters. On the TOTARA LOG TRACK wooden sign a black and white skull and crossbones sign was stapled:

POISON LAID
IN THIS AREA
NO SHOOTING OR DOGS
ALLOWED

A useless sign, as it didn't state what poison was used. Was it poison to kill Aussie possums? Kill ferrets? Kill rabbits? Or what? At the Ellas Track figure 8 junction an orange painted wooden board stated:

SIGN OF THE BELLBIRD
SCENIC RESERVE


2009. Southwards view of Cass Peak & Coopers Knobs from Ellas Track

Two more wooden signs pointing in opposite directions stated ELLAS TRACK. I continued through native bush along Ellas Track below Crater Rim till I came across Sign of the Bellbird carpark by Summit Road.

A bridal party of five cars was busy taking photos with spectacular views of Mount Ada, Cass Peak, Lyttelton Harbour and Banks Peninsula. Across Summit Road a wooden sign stated:

KENNEDYS BUSH
SCENIC RESERVE
SIGN OF THE BELLBIRD & TOILETS
BUSHWALKS. PICKNICKING


2009. Kennedys Bush & Sign of the Bellbird Signs by Summit Road

Another skull and crossbones POISON LAID sign was stapled to the bottom of the wooden signboard. I explored Sign of the Bellbird area where Harry Ell had built his first resthouse for Edwardian walkers in 1906. On the ruined Sign of the Bellbird building a bottom stone had 1914 carved on it, like the 1914 carving on a Sign of the Kiwi stone further along Summit Road.


2009. Black Cloud over Kennedys Bush & Canterbury Plains seen from Sign of the Bellbird

Inside the Sign of the Bellbird building illicit fires had blackened the concrete floor, stone walls and ceiling. A "No Fires" sign was attached to one wall. A piss smell too. While a low, black cloud hung over Kennedys Bush and Canterbury Plains, I snapped Canterbury Plains, then read an information board beside a black, leather-clad motorbiker.


2009. Sign of the Bellbird Information Board


2009. Bride & Groom in the Mist below Cass Peak by Sign of the Bellbird


2009. Misty Mount Ada near Sign of the Bellbird


2009. Totara Tree on Ellas Track above Sign of the Bellbird below misty Cass Peak

Back on Summit Road, I snapped the bride in the mist below Cass Peak, and watched mist rise from Governors Bay up Mount Ada and Cass Peak. Ellas Track on Mount Ada eastern side was covered in mist, so I returned to my car via Crater Rim Walkway (Ellas Track) north-western route around Mount Ada, above Summit Road.

Along the way, I passed two lone totara trees, hebes and five-fingers, amongst gorse, broom and foxgloves in native bush and grassland. In parts I walked over red tuff. While I scoffed blackberries a male jogger passed me. Below me, I saw two men at the end of Kennedys Bush Track walking towards the head of Hoon Hay Valley and Marleys Hill.


2009. Marleys Hill, Sugarloaf & Hoon Hay Hill seen from Ellas Track

Back at my car the Subaru was still parked alongside, and the three boozing blokes were still on the skyline below Mount Ada, two hours after I'd begun dawdling Ellas Track.


2009. Late afternoon view of Lyttelton Harbour seen from Ellas Track, Port Hills

Three weeks later Leah and I walked Ellas Track. Someone had widened the track by hacking out gorse, bracken and blackberries. Leah enjoyed blackberry-picking remaining bushes.


2009. Ellas Track junction, middle of figure 8, Port Hills, Christchurch

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont

2009. Green Garbage, Kennedys Bush Track

Whenever I'd left my youngest son at his music lessons, Kennedys Bush Road, I drove to the end of Kennedys Bush Road to enjoy Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps views. Over the years, at the end of Kennedys Bush Road I watched Quarry Hill development, with several new roads and big houses obliterating views.

Again I drove up Kennedys Bush Road and parked at the end of Watlings Place, smothered by big houses. I walked across the only vacant plot below Watlings Place, walked below a new house, past more houses being built, and came to locked gate 1 and stile at the start of Kennedys Bush Track. By gate 1, the Crocodile Mountain Bike Track went left to Halswell Quarry. By a sheep grid, a sign with 15 lines of warnings to MTBs ended in red:

NO DOGS OR GUNS.


2009. Kennedys Bush Road housing development. Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps behind

On gate 1 a green and white sign stated:

KENNEDYS BUSH TRACK CROSSES AREAS OF
PRIVATE FARMLAND AND IS NOT A DOG EXERCISE AREA.
ALL DOGS MUST BE UNDER CONTROL AND ON A LEAD
AT ALL TIMES TO AVOID FRIGHTENING AND UNNECESSARY
STRESS ON FARM ANIMALS.

PLEASE CONSIDER AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE AND AVOID
DOG WALKING DURING LAMBING AND CALVING
(15 AUGUST - 30 SEPTEMBER).

PLEASE KEEP TO THE MARKED TRACKS.

YOUR COOPERATION IS APPRECIATED.


2009. Reservoir near start of Kennedys Bush Track. Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps behind

I crossed the stile and walked up the steep track past a concrete reservoir, disguised by native plantings. Early days when I'd walked that way, the reservoir was two black, plastic water tanks. I passed a hill plateau which Leah and I'd climbed before.

By gate 2 (open) I passed cow pats, 3 black cows and on my right a pine windbreak and a valley full of gorse. On gate 2 was an identical green warning sign as on gate 1. On the ridge, tussock grass was interspersed with wire netting bush Corokia cotoneaster, and wide Kennedys Bush Track forked left, while an MTB track forked right.


2009. Looking southeast towards Lake Ellesmere from Kennedys Bush Track


2009. Kennedys Bush Track: Looking northwest over housing & road development on the far side of Hoon Hay Valley. See broom infestation down-valley to the left of pine trees

I looked over Hoon Hay Valley at the road and building development where I'd walked before by Worsleys Road. The development wasn't there when I'd walked some of Kennedys Bush Track years before. A male jogger wearing glasses passed me going towards Quarry Hill.

While I looked at distant "Body Bag" on Worsleys Track going up Marleys Hill, two MTBs passed me going to locked gate 3 and stile by a pine forest on our left. MTBs had to lug their bikes over all stiles. On gate 3 an identical green warning sign hung, as on gates 1 and 2. A red and white sign on a fence before the pine forest stated:

DANGER
FORESTRY PREPARATION
IN PROGRESS
BEWARE
FALLING ROCKS
FOR PERSONAL SAFETY
PLEASE
KEEP OUT

Years ago on another walk, I'd slipped through the pine forest down Hoon Hay Valley, and came out by a farmhouse at the end of Hoon Hay Valley Road. Below pines, by the gate, a wooden sign stated:

SUMMIT ROAD / HALSWELL
FOOT ACCESS ONLY
ACROSS PRIVATE LAND
KEEP TO TRACK
NO DOGS


2009. Kennedys Bush Track: Hoon Hay Valley Arboretum Project

Further along the fence a green board stated:

"THE HOON HAY VALLEY
ARBORETUM PROJECT

This privately owned land is now in the process of a long-term project which will return the land to native bush.

The project will be achieved in Stages, taking over 100 years to reach the final restoration of a mature totara and matai forest to the Hoon Hay Valley.

To help this special project:
* Please keep off the land. Ecological restoration is a sensitive project easily disturbed by human intrusion.
* Please keep to ONLY these public areas:
(a) the Summit Road
(b) the Kennedys Bush Walking Track
(c) Worsleys Road
* No smoking - Fires will destroy the bush and forest."

The green sign contradicted the red and white "for personal safety" sign further along the fence. People were forbidden to be in, or smoke in, Hoon Hay Valley for 100 years. What tosh, especially the ecology dissembling! While foresters planted green garbage like Pinus radiata and wrecked Hoon Hay Valley, conservationists were appeased with totara and matai plantings. I'm sure totara and matai trees grew well without Pinus radiata for millions of years before forestry was invented.

In 100 years time I expect Hoon Hay Valley would be smothered by roads and housing, like the end of Kennedys Bush Road development. The only evidence I saw of gorse and broom eradication was earthmover scraping of "weeds" from Hoon Hay Valley rim by housing developers.

I wondered why the Arboretum Project hadn't invited people like conservationists, the public and students to admire their native plantings? I thought Kennedys Bush Track should be renamed Green Garbage Track.

Three men passed me walking towards Quarry Hill. A red 4x4 motorbike rode up to the fence with an unsmiling man shattering the peace with his forestry noise. He glared at me while I snapped his green garbage sign, turned and sped off down Hoon Hay Valley.

Along the ridge I came across two more concrete reservoirs, and by pylons and black and brown cows I encountered a Manning Intermediate school group.


2009. School on Kennedys Bush Track overlooking Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps. Gorse & Pines alongside

Manning Intermediate school kids were walking down Kennedys Bush Track from Summit Road, and I didn't find one discarded sweet wrapper or plastic junk on their trail. A boy gave me a low five as I puffed past, while his mates waited for stragglers, including two women, a Maori man and a fat girl.

I walked through pine forest on either side of Kennedys Bush Track with gorse alongside the track. A Danger sign hung on locked gate 4, the same as locked gate 3. Another green board stood by gate 4 stating the 6 Stages over 100 years of the Arboretum Project. I thought the Arboretum Project needed to clean up its act, as gorse and broom should've been cleaned out 10 years ago. Never mind pine tree green pollution.


2009. Kennedys Bush Track: Six Stages in the Hoon Hay Valley Arboretum Project



2009. Kennedys Bush Track Gorse & Pine Pollution


2009. Kennedys Bush Track Gorse & Pine Pollution overlooking Canterbury Plains

I passed two little dirty dams on my left, and in a pine clearing all I saw was masses of poroporo weed Solanum aviculare, no sign of totara nor matai trees.


2009. Kennedys Bush Track Gate & Stile & Gorse Pollution


2009. Kennedys Bush Track Gorse & Pine Pollution & Reservoir


2009. Kennedys Bush Track Gorse & Pine Pollution, Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps

After locked gate 5 and stile, I passed another concrete reservoir and left the pine forest behind. Ahead on three hillsides was more gorse. By that stage I was walking parallel to, but slightly lower than Worsleys Track by the top of Hoon Hay Valley on my left.

I walked over lilac rocks on Kennedys Bush Track, which was better maintained than deeply rutted Worsleys Track. Behind me Canterbury Plains had a thin haze below snowless Alps, with cloudless sky above Mount Hutt, Porters Pass, Torlesse Range, forever...


2009. Hoon Hay Valley Arboretum Project Board near top of Kennedys Bush Track


2009. Kennedys Bush Track Gate & Stile overlooking Hoon Hay Valley head, Marleys Hill & Sugarloaf. Gorse in foreground

Near the top of Kennedys Bush Track another green board boasted about 6 Stages of the Arboretum Project, but I'd passed masses of gorse, broom and thistles between locked gates 5 and 6. I wondered why fencers placed electrical fencing wire, to shock stock, ON TOP of each stile?

At Hoon Hay Valley head, above the pine forest, native bush had gorze on either side of the track. I saw some flax on top of a hill on my right. By Summit Road, I crossed mown grass and crossed another stile. My walk up Kennedys Bush Track had taken 2 hours with several puff and pic stops along the way.


2009. Fledgling Sparrow, Ellas Track below Mount Ada, Port Hills

Below Mount Ada (467m) I walked for five minutes along Ellas Track, and almost stomped on a fledgling sparrow, as it was well camouflaged. Must've been blown out of its nest. I thought it would die. Besides thick Ohinetahi Bush down Crater Rim, I walked past thistles, bracken and blackberries.

On a rock I late-lunched on a Big Ben Classic Steak pie, apple and CocaCola. Views over Quail Island towards Diamond Harbour and Banks Peninsula made my walk worthwhile. Returning to Summit Road, I saw several male MTBs pass, while I picked and scoffed blackberries by Ellas Track.


2009. Ellas Track view of Ohinetahi Bush, Governors Bay, Head of the Bay, Charteris Bay & Banks Peninsula

On my way down Kennedys Bush Track, two male MTBs passed. Above the pine forest, I kicked my shoes off and walked barefoot for a while. I took 1 hour 15 minutes to return to my car. As I'd forgotten my hat, the afternoon sun and reflection off white clay on Kennedys Bush Track had burnt my face.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

2009. Nameless Track, Hoon Hay Valley

2009. End of Hoon Hay Valley & Cashmere Road, Christchurch, with Canterbury Plains behind

One overcast Saturday afternoon, I drove to Westmorland and parked my car near the end of Penruddock Road. After several weeks of Christchurch summer heat, three days of rain had been a relief.

Over the last week, on TV we'd watched the horrors of Victoria burning near Melbourne. When I'd driven around Christchurch the previous Saturday, a beigy-orange glow had suffused the air, roads, cars, windows, walls, causing a spooky light. Dust from Aussie bush fires had blown 2000 kms across the Tasman Sea to NZ.


2009. City Care sign, Westmorland, Christchurch

Beyond a gate a sign stated:

CITY CARE
STOP

Warning lists stated:

HAZARDS
STEEP SLOPE
TRENCHES
ROLLING ROCKS
MOUNTAIN BIKERS / WALKERS
SLIPPERY GRASS / CLAY

SITE BEHAVIOUR
REPORT TO SITE
FOREMAN WHEN YOU
FIRST ARRIVE AT
SITE FOR INDUCTION!

THINK SAFETY AT ALL TIMES


2009. Drain Covers, City Care Site Office, above Hoon Hay Valley, Christchurch


2009. Excavators overlooking Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps, Westmorland, Christchurch

Beyond the sign, I walked up the steep slope hazard on a gravel track and examined two white CITY CARE earthmoving diggers: one parked near a pile of rolling rocks hazard, another parked by a site office near several cylindrical concrete drain covers. A big pile of sand covered in weeds stood behind the site office. Near a house, further up the steep slope hazard, to the left a rattling digger dumped dirt into a truck.

I returned to the gate and followed concrete drain covers along a clay track hazard at the edge of Hoon Hay Valley. I was the only walker hazard and had the site to myself. Near the CITY CARE diggers again, the track had been graded leaving mud drying and ribbed by earthmoving track machines.



2009. Drain Trench, Hoon Hay Valley top. Marleys Hill, Worsleys Track & Hoon Hay Hill backdrop

I passed a deep trench hazard where diggers had extracted rock hazards. The trench hazard was deeper and longer than several graves above Hoon Hay Valley.


2009. Drain Cover overlooking broom, Hoon Hay Valley & Canterbury Plains


2009. Excavator cat truck overlooking Hoon Hay Valley & Hoon Hay Hill, Port Hills

Near pylons, I came across another tracked earthmover parked in the mud, and looked down Hoon Hay Valley Road at cattle and sheep in separate paddocks. Beside Cashmere Road I saw red deer in more Hoon Hay Valley paddocks. To make way for drain pipes, a grader had scraped away broom down the valley slope.

Over the years, whenever I'd driven along Hoon Hay Valley Road, broom infestation had increased. I watched someone riding a horse in the valley, and two joggers went up the road too.


2009. Hoon Hay Valley & Hoon Hay Hill, Port Hills, Christchurch

2009. Drain Cover & Digger Buckets, northern hillside above Hoon Hay Valley



2009. Digger by Nameless Track, Hoon Hay Valley side. Marleys Hill backdrop

On my Nameless Track, below a grassy hill hazard, I walked along a muddy dip, and on a grassy rise I found several earthmoving buckets of different sizes. On Hoon Hay Valley rim, burnt grass, revealed rocks to be moved. Below the grassy hill, I passed another parked digger, and after passing 26 concrete drain covers, each about 100m apart, surrounded by mud, I came to the end of my Nameless Track, near new housing and a fence by Worsleys Road. I snapped Canterbury Plains one side and Sugarloaf and Marleys Hill the other side.


2009. Nameless Track, Hoon Hay Valley side. Sugarloaf & Marleys Hill backdrop


2009. By Worsleys Road. Sugarloaf & Marleys Hill, Port Hills backdrop


2009. End of Nameless Track excavation near Worsleys Road. Sugarloaf & Dyers Pass backdrop

From a house, two teenager boys flew a balsawood model plane, which circled past me and dropped into the mud. I retrieved it and placed it on a rock for the boys to find. Its engine had fallen off.

The previous Saturday, Leah and I'd watched Wigram Air Show from Riccarton Mall carpark - parachutists falling from the blue; two helicopters trailing smoke; two big planes, a 4 prop engine and a 2 prop engine, circling over Christchurch; and at the end, 5 planes formation-flying - looping and diving, making smoke trails in the sultry afternoon.

Ngai Tahu Maori tribe had bought Wigram Airport with Waitangi Treaty settlement money, and planned to close Wigram Airport, replacing it with housing development. We'd seen many housing developments in Christchurch.


2009. Nameless Track above Hoon Hay Valley with Canterbury Plains behind

Along my Nameless Track I dawdled back to my car. Like any road construction, the disturbed ground was full of weeds: yarrow; docks; thistles; cotula; fat hen; poroporo Solanum aviculare, and bumble bees pollinating. On reaching my car, I'd dawdled for two hours and clouds had blown away. In future I expect new houses would've been built, despite the credit crunch.

When I drove back to Burnside, cops were directing traffic at the Blenheim Road / Curletts Road intersection, enabling hazardous bikers to complete their two day Coast to Coast Marathon from Kumara Beach on the West Coast to Christchurch.

Content & pics Mark JS Esslemont

2009. Worsleys Track, Port Hills

2009. Farm Gate Sign, Cashmere Valley, near Worsleys Road, Christchurch

Worsleys Track: a great white gash up Christchurch Port Hills, with trackside gorse, broom, thistles, Pinus radiata, no native plantings. I drove up steep Worsleys Road, passed below a line of pylons, which took me halfway up the Port Hills, and parked my car at the end of Worsleys Road.


2009. Start of Worsleys Track, end of Worsleys Road, Port Hills, Christchurch

On the left roadside, pines behind a fence shaded my car. On a nearby metal letterbox a sticker warned about Security Systems. On the right roadside, flax and young poplars grew. A yellow, black sign on a wooden pole stated:

SECURITY
CAMERAS
OPERATING

Below the yellow sign, a white, black sign stated:

ACCESS TO
PRIVATE
PROPERTY
BEYOND
THIS POINT

I walked up gravel Worsleys Track past a gate, and the track soon became deeply rutted, like a mass grave. Sunday afternoon heat was 31 degrees C, and the southerly blasted white clay dust off Worsleys Track while I climbed. I passed a concrete reservoir on my right with a pine forest on my left.

Near their MTBs, two men lay on their backs in the shade. They looked dead after battling up Worsleys Road in the heat.

On a fence beside Worsleys Track a red, black, white sign warned:

PRIVATE PROPERTY
TRESPASSERS
WILL BE
PROSECUTED


2009. Worsleys Track, looking at Sugarloaf, Port Hills, Christchurch

Through a break in the pine forest, I snapped Sugarloaf in the distance. Worsleys Track became rocky and more rutted. Some ruts were more than a metre deep, caused by MTBs, 4x4s and erosion. For most of Worsleys Track I followed a rusty, old electric cable, partly buried in a side rut.

Behind me Canterbury Plains were hazy with dust, so I couldn's see the Southern Alps. Pushing their bikes, the resurrected MTBs followed me up steep Worsleys Track. They lagged further and further behind. I passed below a second line of pylons, and felt the sun's heat reflected off white clay dust into my face. Wind blew my white hat off, which became useless to wear as my sweat smeared dust.

In the distance on my right I saw snot-green Lake Ellesmere. Near Worsleys Track top, hidden by pines on my right I saw shacks with SUVs parked nearby - weekend slummers. Ruts lessened for the last few hundred metres, but Worsleys Track still steepened (aptly named "The Body Bag") till I reached a row of pines on top, after climbing for 50 minutes.

I didn't bother to walk down to Summit Road, as I'd driven that way many times while admiring Lyttelton Harbour views.


2009. Mountain Bikers in the Body Bag, Worsleys Track, Port Hills

I sat on a rock overlooking dusty Canterbury Plains, enjoying cool gusts, and swigging Sprite lemonade which washed clay dust from my teeth. I watched the two MTBs slogging upwards. They stopped often for rests in gusts of dust - from dust to dust in The Body Bag. I watched a fit male MTB pedal past them, upwards. They looked exhausted.

Also going down, three teenager MTBs passed me, biking carefully from rut-ridge to rut-ridge. A male jogger smiled while jogging upwards. He wore a backpack like me. A young couple passed, walking upwards. Their car was near mine. My dusty walk down Worsleys Track took me 35 minutes.


2009. Sign on Cashmere Road going to Halswell Quarry, Christchurch

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.