Time: 2 hours and 24 minutes
Considering the forecast a few days earlier had been for rain, it was the most gorgeous morning and the views down to Lyttelton Harbour were fabulous. We joined the Cass Ridge Track and looked into the steep gully at the viewpoint before joining up with O'Farrell's Track which sidles around the hills in and out of native bush.
Distance: 7.16 km
Start: Sign of the Bellbird car park, Summit Road.
Finish: Same place (it's a loop)
Date: Friday 15th May 2020
Day 2 of Covid19 Level 2 Pandemic Response. Being no longer in lock down, we could finally step out from our bubbles. It felt good.
Nine people gave their thumbs up for today's walk. Never before have we had so many walking at one time. Like birds being let out of a cage - we were almost going to be over the threshold for social gatherings. But then three cancelled at the last minute, so we met at the Sign of the Bellbird car park and set off down the hill on Ella's Track. (There is also an Ella's track going off to the left -looking out to sea - but don't take that one).
After 5 minutes my phone was ringing. At first I thought it was a fog horn down in the harbour, but "horrors!" we had forgotten one of our tribe. It seems I have only been thinking of myself these last 6 weeks and my mental arithmetic is appalling (9 - 3 = ?). I broke into a sweat and ran back up to the car park feeling the same way I did the other night when I dreamt that big waves were pummeling the dunes and I was trying to get somewhere where I couldn't fast enough. It wasn't long before I saw someone at the top smiling and waving. Bless. I got my hill fix and we soon caught up to the others.
Ohinetahi means the 'one daughter' of the pre-European maori chief Te Rangi Whakaputa of Ngai Tahu. Much later, O'Farrell was a bankrupted American entrepreneur who once planned an extensive residential settlement in the area. These days the Ohinetahi Bush Reserve is owned and managed by the Summit Road Society who meet every Tuesday for reserve maintenance and pest control (Thank you!!). It must have been devastating for them to see the Port Hills fire ripping through the reserve in 2017 - the dead tree skeletons can still be seen, but the forest is regenerating around them at a furious pace.
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As we wandered along O'Farrell's Track, a startled pheasant catapulted itself skyward, with such proximity that several of us emitted a chorus of startled squawks in reply. After half an hour we turned onto Bush Track which winds its way steeply up the hill, amongst rocky outcrops. I had to get the Ohinetahi Tracks map out a couple of times as the track intersects with others and it feels like a bit of a maze.
More stunning views greeted us at the top. Nattering continuously, we were soon back on the Crater Rim Walkway then Ella's track and back at the car park. I have not had so much conversation for weeks. My ears were fairly ringing. Via a convoy of cars (albeit slightly unorganised due to the misleading statement: "meet and re-group") we rendezvoused at The Cup cafe.
It seems a bit weird to sign in to a cafe with name, address and phone number. But they do make great coffee there. The nattering continued over flat whites and muffins. We swapped earthquake stories and discussed how lucky we are to able to do what we do: walking in the hills and visiting cafes with friends. After six weeks of lock down, our appreciation is renewed. Very nice.
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| We walked in an anti-clockwise direction |
