Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
Distance: 6.2 km
Start: Orton-Bradley Park car park
Finish: Same place - it's a loop
Date: Friday 14th Feb 2020
We paid our Orton-Bradley Park $10 entrance fee at the old telephone box and drove on to the upper car-park where the Valley Track starts (you can download a track map here). After about five minutes of walking there is a Narnia-ish door right in the middle of the track. We had to go through it of course (nothing weird happened) and take some piccies. It had rained in the night and soon there were more photo opportunities - this time artsy water droplets on grass - including soft focus experimentation.
The track follows the river through beautiful native bush before heading up the hill on the Waterfall Gully Track to the waterfall itself (and more photos). We crossed the river to the Magnificent Loop Track (a.k.a Faulkener Memorial Track) and made our way to the top of the waterfall before sidling along grasslands and descending to the aptly named Big Rock. You can clamber to the top quite easily for the views of Lyttleton harbour and beyond.
The mist was clearing and our wandering conversation (menopause?) went on Instagram live for a few minutes.
Happy valentines day everyone!!!
Distance: 6.2 km
Start: Orton-Bradley Park car park
Finish: Same place - it's a loop
Date: Friday 14th Feb 2020
We paid our Orton-Bradley Park $10 entrance fee at the old telephone box and drove on to the upper car-park where the Valley Track starts (you can download a track map here). After about five minutes of walking there is a Narnia-ish door right in the middle of the track. We had to go through it of course (nothing weird happened) and take some piccies. It had rained in the night and soon there were more photo opportunities - this time artsy water droplets on grass - including soft focus experimentation.
The track follows the river through beautiful native bush before heading up the hill on the Waterfall Gully Track to the waterfall itself (and more photos). We crossed the river to the Magnificent Loop Track (a.k.a Faulkener Memorial Track) and made our way to the top of the waterfall before sidling along grasslands and descending to the aptly named Big Rock. You can clamber to the top quite easily for the views of Lyttleton harbour and beyond.The mist was clearing and our wandering conversation (menopause?) went on Instagram live for a few minutes.
It wasn't long before we were back at the Orton Bradley Park cafe. The tea was great (white chilly and truffle), the coffee mediocre (but a slight improvement on last time) and the food so-so. But we sat in the lovely outside garden and nattered away happily.
Happy valentines day everyone!!!
