2009. Round Beckenham Bend

In Christchurch suburbia, as I wanted to walk five terraces round Beckenham bend, I parked my car on Heathcote River bank near South Christchurch Library. Along Hunter Tce, I stopped at a concrete footbridge over Heathcote River and looked at a yellow sign across the river:

BECKENHAM
BOWLING
CLUB

I watched two grey seagulls scoffing KFC litter-scraps, then crossed Hunter Tce to look at a black-painted, prone rifleman on a white wall, which advertised in black:

CASHMERE
SB RIFLE CLUB


2009. Malcolm Avenue Bridge over Heathcote River, Beckenham, Christchurch

I passed CASHMERE CLUB garden then followed a dirt path downriver on a grassy bank. I crossed busy Malcolm Ave bridge, and found a friendly black and white cat seated on a wooden bench beside the bridge.

The cat schmoozed while I read Jenny the donkey info board beside Heathcote River. Jenny, ex circus donkey, had grazed Heathcote River bank and entertained Thorrington School kids before dying in 1970. Info board:

"Jenny didn't like horse floats so at Christmas time when our family went to South Brighton for 6 weeks holiday, I had to walk her there..."


2009. Jenny the Donkey Info Board, Heathcote River below Malcolm Ave Bridge, Beckenham, Christchurch


2009. Boat Ramp, Heathcote River below Thorrington School, Beckenham, Christchurch

Below Thorrington School I walked the tarsealed donkey track and stopped to look at a small boat-ramp by Heathcote River, decorated with luridly painted poles. Beside Heathcote River I watched ducks swimming and passed a lichen covered concrete sign:

DANGER 11 000 VOLT M.E.D. CABLE


2009. Heathcote river between Waimea Tce & Sloan Tce, Beckenham, Christchurch


2009. Heathcote River between Waimea Tce & Centaurus Rd, Beckenham, Christchurch

I passed another concrete footbridge by Sloan Tce, and through willows, alders and birches I glimpsed Bowenvale Valley, Port Hills. I walked round the bend on Centaurus Rd and followed steep Heathcote River bank, planted thickly with birches, dodoneas, pittosporums, cabbage trees, flax and toe-toe grass, to stop wayward motorists having a dip.


2009. Heathcote River & Iron Bridge between Waimea Tce & Centaurus Rd, Beckenham, Christchurch


2009. Iron Bridge over Heathcote River, opposite Bowenvale Ave, Beckenham, Christchurch

Opposite Bowenvale Ave I crossed an iron road bridge, and saw two lovers lying smooching on Heathcote River grassy bank. Centaurus Rd footpath followed Heathcote River, so I was glad to fork left along a dirt path avoiding traffic noise.


2009. Heathcote River beside Centaurus Rd, Farnlea Reserve & Eastern Tce, Beckenham, Christchurch

In Farnlea Reserve, behind Centaurus Rd shopping centre I walked a gravel path and found a patio with steps coming down from the shops. Beside the steps, on two wooden posts, two bronze plaques sang praises to Christchurch soroptimists:

"FARNLEA RESERVE

Developed by Soroptimists of Christchurch
in cooperation with the
Christchurch City Council and the Community

To celebrate 50 years of
Soroptimist International in Christchurch

1949-1999...

Received International recognition for
Exceptional Service in Area of Environment...

Creation of a nature reserve with permanent
art works, community project, coordinated
by CHRISTCHURCH Soroptimists"


2009. Soroptimists' Eel Patio beside Heathcote River, opposite Eastern Tce, Beckenham, Christchurch

Rocks were embedded in the patio with bronze eels swimming towards rocks.

On Farnlea Reserve gravel track, I greeted an elderly couple pruning shrubs beside Heathcote River at the bottom of their garden. I walked along Palatine Tce beside Heathcote River. On the opposite lower bank I saw Eastern Tce.

I passed a third concrete footbridge opposite a kids' playground, where four adult cyclists stood chatting by their bikes. I turned and coolpixed Sugarloaf in the Port Hills, while the cyclists, including two on a tandem, rode off.

I saw BECKENHAM PARK on the opposite Heathcote River bank, and passed a metal footbridge by Buxton Tce while two neighbours chatted in a driveway. As it was late afternoon and chilly, Pacific winds blew. I crossed busy Tennyson St road bridge.

I returned upriver to my car via Eastern Tce and Waimea Tce. Along the way I coolpixed ducks and autumn trees in Beckenham Park. At the public toilet by Beckenham School, a denim-clad bloke stuffed plastic bags full of clothes into a car boot - swiped from a charity clothing-bin outside Beckenham School.

Easter Sunday, 5.15 pm, the bloke and his driver weren't searching for Easter eggs. Beckenham obviously didn't have cops walking a beat.


2009. Centaurus Rd pipes spewing Bowenvale Valley soil erosion into Heathcote River, Beckenham, Christchurch

On Eastern Tce I passed ash trees and big tree stumps. Below Centaurus Rd, I saw two huge concrete pipes, one spewing turbid, clayey muck into Heathcote River, soil erosion from Bowenvale Valley, Port Hills.

A learner-driver passed me along Waimea Tce. I'd seen him lurching along several times during my two hour walk round Beckenham bend.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

2009. Omahu Bush Tracks and Trees

2009. Gibraltar Rock Carpark, Summit Road. Coopers Knobs backdrop, Port Hills Christchurch

One Thursday afternoon, I drove along Summit Road and parked my car at Gibraltar Rock carpark beside Summit Road. I wanted to walk a big circuit down Prendergasts Track and return through Omahu Bush via Kirks Track.


2009. Start of Prendergasts Track, Summit Road. Gibraltar Rock & south Canterbury Plains backdrop

I found a GIBRALTAR ROCK AND PRENDERGASTS TRACK wooden sign, with no dogs, no smoking, no bikes pics below. At the top of Prendergasts Track I walked through a ferny bit of Omahu Bush, passed through a gate, and admired the orangey, flaky bark of tree fuchsias, Fuchsia excorticata.

I emerged into grassland by the east side of Gibraltar Rock, and saw masses of gorse, Ulex europaeus on Omahu Bush trackside.


2009. Prendergasts Track view of Gibraltar Rock north face, Port Hills, Christchurch

I passed a junction with a sign pointing to Gibraltar Rock, as I'd already climbed pyramid-shaped Gibraltar Rock. It had rained the night before, and although it was mid afternoon, autumn sunshine hadn't dried mown grass on wide Prendergasts Track, which was slippery on steep sections.

Once I slipped on my bum, so hard I heard a click in my head and wondered what vertebra I'd ricked? Thereafter I walked carefully past masses of trackside gorse smothering the hillside.


2009. Prendergasts Track gorse & cabbage trees. Lake Ellesmere backdrop


2009. Prendergasts Track gorse. Lake Ellesmere backdrop

As I'd seen far too much gorse polluting the Port Hills, I wondered why Lincoln University and University of Canterbury biology students and lecturers were sitting on their brains and not providing effective biological control of gorse?

It was a cop-out that farmers and ecologists said gorse was a nursery plant for native plants, that gorse yellow flowers provided pollen for honey bees, and already introduced insect bio- controllers needed time to do their gorse chomping. The only bee hives I'd see on the Port Hills were near the top of Worsleys Track.

Over the last six months, evidence before my eyes was that Port Hills gorse infestation bested bio-control or spraying. Someone had sprayed Prendergasts Track gorse - ineffective, as green gorse still flourished behind unsightly dead gorse, stopping me seeing Omahu Bush properly.


2009. Prendergast Track view of Gibraltar Rock south face


2009. Prendergasts Track view of gorse infestation both sides of Omahu Bush

I dawdled downwards past the cool eastside of Gibraltar Rock, and looked back at the southern face of Gibraltar Rock and the highest Coopers Knob (573m) which I'd climbed before. I passed a wooden bench, and when gorse diminished I entered kanuka bush.

Near the end of Prendergasts Track, I walked under cool kanuka arches, and at track's end I came across a gate with a Cholecalciferal warning sign on the gatepost - to kill Aussie possums. Like gorse fencers, nitwits who'd originally brought possums to NZ had much to answer for.


2009. Prendergasts Track Kanuka, Kunzea ericoides, Omahu Bush

I turned left down less slippery Kirks Track through more kanuka bush. I walked over leaf-litter, mossy rocks and damp clay track, while passing ferns, whiteywoods, pittosporums and mostly kanuka, Kunzea ericoides.

I passed another wooden bench on my left, and off-track I saw a green plastic bucket with a net inside containing leaf-litter. Further on, off-track I saw a bigger white net, strung up like a hammock, to catch more leaf-litter?


2009. Kirks Track Kanuka, Kunzea ericoides, Omahu Bush

I came across a kahikatea white pine trunk entwined with a matai black pine trunk, beside a bent tree fern. Below the trunks green and white signs stated:

KAHIKATEA WHITE PINE
Dacrycarpus dacrydiodes

MATAI BLACK PINE
Prumnopitys taxifolia


2009. Kirks Track entwined Kahikatea white pine & Matai black pine, Omahu Bush

The kahikatea white pine was not as big as kahikateas I'd seen at Deans Bush, Riccarton, but its roots twisted over matai black pine roots. White pine and black pine were misnomers, as the white pine had dark-grey, flaky bark, and the black pine had grey and reddish-brown flaky bark.


2009. Kirks Track Silver Fern, Cyathea dealbata, Omahu Bush

Further along Kirks Track, I saw another green and white sign below a tall tree: KOWHAI, Sophora microphilla - a deciduous legume tree, with masses of yellow flowers, NZ's national flower. Along Kirks Track I saw bits of broken fern leaf and guessed it was a silver fern when I came across a junction sign:

<- KIRKS TRACK ->
TO RHODES TRACK ->

I didn't walk down Rhodes Track as it went from cool Omahu Bush into hot afternoon sunshine across the valley. Beyond the junction, two more tree signs stated:

WHITEYWOOD
MAHOE
Melicytus ramiflorus

SILVER FERN
PONGA
Cyathea dealbata


2009. Kirks Track Silver Ferns, Cyathea dealbata, Omahu Bush


2009. Kirks Track Silver Fern, Cyathea dealbata, Omahu Bush

Someone had named native trees along Kirks Track, the first time I'd seen such signs in the Port Hills. Climbing upwards, I left kanuka bush for a while, and followed a trickling stream on my right. Omahu Bush changed to mixed bush. Another tree sign:

WINEBERRY
MAKOMAKO
Aristotelea serrata

2009. Kirks Track northwards view of Coopers Knobs, Port Hills

On my right, I passed an old, fenceless style and zigzagged upwards with glimpses of Coopers Knobs through breaks in the canopy. I passed kanuka and gorse again and passed another sign:

KAIKOMAKO
Pennantia corymbosa


2009. Kirks Track Kaikomako, Pennantia corymbosa, Omahu Bush

Kaikomako had purple to blackish berries. So many NZ bush plants had purple berries.

Zigzagging up Kirks Track, I passed unnamed and named trees: CABBAGE TREE, Cordyline australis; TREE FUCHSIA, KOTUKUTUKU, Fuchsia excorticata; KANUKA, Kunzea ericoides; whiteywoods; pittosporums; SOFT TREE FERN, Cyathea smithii (darker green leaves, similar shape to silver ferns, but without silvery ventral leaf surfaces).


2009. Kirks Track Wooden Bridge, Omahu Bush

I crossed a wooden bridge over the stream, and further up while sitting on another wooden bench, I quaffed CocaCola and enjoyed views through a break in Omahu Bush of Lake Ellesmere and the Pacific. I saw that Kirks Track dropped down the ridge below Gibraltar Rock, contoured around another ridge through Omahu Bush and went beside the stream up to Summit Road.


2009. Kirks Track southwards view through Omahu Bush gap


2009. Kirks Track Lancewoods, Omahu Bush

I passed lancewoods and FIVE-FINGER shrubs, Pseudopanax arboreus. I coolpixed a native wood pigeon staring at me from a branch. On other Port Hills walks, I'd seen small flocks of pigeons flying in the abyss, searching for berries.

All along Kirks Track, I'd passed PEPPER TREES, HOROPITO, Pseudowintera colorata, with their pale green dorsal leaf surfaces, pale grey ventral leaf surfaces, tinged with wine-red edges.


2009. Kirks Track Native Wood Pigeon, Omahu Bush

Slogging uphill, I passed a huge BROADLEAF, Grisilinea littoralis, then passed tree fuchsias before reaching another gate by Summit Road.


2009. Omahu Bush Info Board, Summit Road, Port Hills, Christchurch

I coolpixed Omahu Bush info board and walked up Summit Road to my car. My circuit walk took 2 hours 20 minutes, including stops for pics and rests. I'd had Omahu Bush tracks and trees to myself, and was impressed by Gama Foundation and Summit Road Society track maintenance and signs.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

See NZ Bio-Control of Gorse Ulex europaeus

2009. Gibraltar Rock and Coopers Knobs

One Sunday afternoon I drove my car up Dyers Pass in the Port Hills, turned right into Summit Road at Sign of the Kiwi, passed several Crater Rim peaks, passed Sign of the Bellbird, and parked my car near the southern end of Summit Road overlooking Gibraltar Rock, which I wanted to climb.


2009. Summit Road southern view of Gibraltar Rock, Port Hills, Christchurch. Lake Ellesmere & Canterbury Plains backdrop

An MTB greeted me when he pedalled past. I walked through a gate, where I saw a lamb skeleton, and through a sloping paddock which overlooked Lake Ellesmere to the east, Canterbury Plains to the west and pyramid-shaped Gibraltar Rock in the middle.

On the lower north-facing slope I climbed beside an old stone wall, then scrambled up Gibraltar Rock. At one stage I took off my jandals to get a grip on the rock with my bare feet.


2009. Gibraltar Rock south-east view: Omahu Bush, Lake Ellesmere & Pacific Ocean


2009. Gibraltar Rock south-west view: Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps

On top of Gibraltar Rock I quaffed Schweppes Sparkling Raspberry, while watching cars on Summit Road drive past my car. I admired 360 degree views: South-eastwards I saw snot-green Lake Ellesmere, Kaitorete Spit and blue Pacific. South and westwards across Canterbury Plains I saw the smoke of several fires forming haze on Canterbury Plains, and Southern Alps stretching from Kaikouras in the north to Aoraki Mt Cook in the south.

By Crater Rim I saw Coopers Knobs, Cass Peak, Sugarloaf, The Tors, Lyttelton and the Pacific again. Eastwards below Gibraltar Rock was Omahu Bush, and beyond Crater Rim I saw Mt Herbert on Banks Peninsula. I felt like "The Eagle" in Tennyson's poem:

"Ringed with the azure world, he stands..."


2009. Gibraltar Rock westwards view: Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps


2009. Gibraltar Rock northern view: Crater Rim, Port Hills, Christchurch

On top of Gibraltar Rock a concrete slab had "1993" incised on it, with an erect wooden beam bolted to it with with two loose bits of iron. On the concrete a bronze plaque stated:

THIS CROSS ERECTED
16 APRIL 1993

GIBRALTAR FARM ROYAL FAMILY

B.H. KIM C.W. LEE
R.J. POSKITT

Looked like someone had trashed the "cross" with a chainsaw.


2009. Gibraltar Rock 1993 Memorial. South-west Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Gibraltar Rock north-eastwards view: Omahu Bush, Summit Road, Coopers Knobs, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley

Despite irritating flies on top of Gibraltar Rock, fresh breezes cooled me. On the sunny western slope, I scrambled down broken rock, through bracken, flax, matagouri and bush-lawyer, which scratched my calves. Halfway down, I came across a sheep path which went round to the stone wall on the northern slope again.


2009. Northern Stone Wall below Gibraltar Rock. Omahu Bush, Summit Road, Coopers Knobs, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley backdrop


2009. Gibraltar Rock seen from below Summit Road, Port Hills, Christchurch

Back at my car, I'd completed Gibraltar Rock climb in an hour. I also wanted to climb the highest Coopers Knob (573m) across Summit Road.


2009. Five-Finger Pseudopanax arboreus, Crater Rim Track, Coopers Knobs, Port Hills, Christchurch

2009. Crater Rim Track south of Coopers Knobs, Port Hills, Christchurch

From Summit Road, I climbed wooden steps and a mown track through open bush, where I passed purple-fruiting five-fingers, Pseudopanax arboreus, bracken, hebes, flax, NZ broom, gorse and a dead rabbit, with flies sucking its eye. Someone had sprayed poison leaving trackside bracken brown and dead - futile as masses of bracken covered hills above Summit Road.


2009. Dead rabbit, Crater Rim Track, Coopers Knobs, Port Hills, Christchurch


2009. Gibraltar Rock seen from Crater Rim Track below Coopers Knobs, Port Hills, Christchurch

I turned right along Crater Rim Walkway, then soon turned left along a grassy path beside a fence towards Coopers Knobs. The path took me along Crater Rim where I passed a windy gap above a precipice between craggy Coopers Knobs, then went around the crag base to the highest Coopers Knob overlooking another gap and precipice.

The well worn path went up an easy rock-hop to the top, making the highest Coopers Knob easier to climb than my Gibraltar Rock climb, which had no paths. The rock was sprinkled with tussock and gorse. The poisoner would've been better informed had he sprayed the gorse.


2009. Crater Rim view over Lyttelton Harbour & Port Hills


2009. Highest Coopers Knob (573m) highest point on Port Hills, Christchurch


2009. Lower Coopers Knob view of Lyttelton Harbour & Banks Peninsula

Coopers Knob had a survey beacon standing in concrete amongst top rocks, with a metal tag:

GEODETIC
SURVEY MARK...

WARNING: PLEASE KEEP OFF...

IT IS AN OFFENCE TO INTERFERE
WITH THIS STATION


2009. Highest Coopers Knob view of Coopers Knobs & northern Crater Rim, Port Hills, Christchurch


2009. Highest Coopers Knob northern view of Lyttelton Harbour

I sat on top of Coopers Knob enjoying cool breezes and better 360 degree views than those I'd had on Gibraltar Rock below. Dehydrated by the warm afternoon, I finished the rest of my 1,5 litre raspberry drink. On Summit Road near my car, I saw a biker in black leathers looking up at me while I looked at him. Again I felt like Tennyson's Eagle:

"The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls, ..."

I took north, south, east, west coolpix & texted Leah from the top.


2009. Highest Coopers Knob north-eastwards view of Mt Bradley, Banks Peninsula


2009. Highest Coopers Knob south-eastwards view of lower Coopers Knob, Summit Road, Lake Ellesmere & Pacific Ocean


2009. Highest Coopers Knob southern view of Omahu Bush & Gibraltar Rock, Port Hills, Christchurch


2009. Red Admiral Butterfly, Vanessa gonerilla, Coopers Knob, Port Hills, Christchurch

On my way down, I snapped a Red Admiral butterfly, Vanessa gonerilla, on a Coopers Knob rock.

By Crater Rim Walkway again, I stepped into a dark grove of native bush, an excellent windbreak. I watched two blokes prep their hang-glider and step into the void. "And like a thunderbolt he falls." Tennyson again.

I watched an Asian couple pass towards Summit Road.


2009. Hang-glider on Crater Rim by Coopers Knobs, Port Hills, Christchurch


2009. Coopers Knobs seen from Summit Road in the crater near Gebbies Pass

Back at my car, I'd taken an hour to climb Coopers Knob. In the crater, on Summit Road just before Gebbies Pass, I stopped to look at a macrocarpa and pine plantation, and the spectacular skyline view of Coopers Knob I'd climbed. On my drive back to Burnside, I stopped at Taitapu to view Gibraltar Rock and Coopers Knobs from Canterbury Plains.


2009. Taitapu Port Hills view including Gibraltar Rock & Coopers Knobs

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.