Time: 2.5 hours
Distance: 5.5 km
Start: Orton Bradley Park car park
Finish: Same place - it's a loop
Date: Friday 30th October 2020
An early morning downpour; fog on the Port Hills and a high of 25 degrees forecast. Such is the fickle weather of a Christchurch spring.
We payed our $10 per car fee at the old telephone booth at the entrance to Orton-Bradley Park, admired the rhododendrons and parked at the end of the gravel road.
Our first destination was Big Rock. An unimaginative but accurate name for a (probably) basalt outcrop which is about 30 minutes walk along the Valley Track, through native bush and past the Narnia door. Halfway up the hill, the sun was out and 25 degrees seemed not unreasonable. We shed a few layers, thereby exposing winter legs as white as snow. It's a bit of a scramble to the top of Big Rock but worth it for the views.
We continued up the hill through more beautiful native bush. Many of the shrubs were bursting with spring flowers. The humidity was palpable and I think we were all having a communal hot flush. Discussions turned to menopause (again). Eventually we exited the bush and sidled along farmland to the lookout with its fabulous views of the harbour below. Behind us the hills were bright yellow with gorse flowers.
