Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Distance: 4.7 km
Start: Barnett Park car park 200A Main Road Redcliffs
Finish: Same place (it's a loop)
Date: Friday 22 September 2023
After the Christchurch earthquakes in 2011, the Barnett Park loop was closed due to rockfall danger. But in the intervening 12 years, people (including me and my hoa rangatira) have still walked the track regularly and the pathway got overgrown but never really disappeared. You could even shimmy up the broken staircase to the cave. Finally though, this year, due to the efforts of a local community group, the staircase has been recently repaired and the track is now officially (I think) open again.
Southerly rain was forecast to hit Christchurch at precisely 11 am. Carolien and Sharyn arrived at my place bright and early and we drove in a timely fashion to meet Linda and Nicole at the (easily missed) Barnett Park entrance car park on Main Road.
We set off across the field, having a good natter about the pros and cons of laser treatment on ruddy cheeks. Once through the gate, we did not take the Eastenders Track but continued straight ahead on an unmarked trail up the hill to a tricky turnstile. Despite the impending southerly, it was weirdly humid and we were soon shedding puffer jackets and sweating profusely.
The well defined track continued up the hill and under rocky outcrops. Some little fucker has graffitied "Skum" on every second rock. I mean, who graffities rocks on a walking track??? I was cursing him silently as we walked - but eventually I got off my high horse because I suddenly recalled a distant time in my youth when I once graffitied a wall.
We crossed a dry stream via an old bridge, and branched off on another unmarked track to check out the waterfall. The trail ran alongside an impressively high rock wall and you probably wouldn't want to be there in an earthquake. The waterfall was picturesque: droplets trickling down mossy green rocks. We climbed up passed it to a small alcove with a decent view.
We sidled back and were soon at the steps and the cave. We checked out the acoustics and admired the vista. The rocky outcrops on the opposite side looked like comic book characters lined up.
We followed the track back down the other side of the valley. We decided to try out The Lil Brew Espresso Bar on Main Road. We completely missed the inside seating and the shop (will have to check that out next time) - however we sat outside in the sun with the traffic whizzing past and watched the dark clouds accumulate. Way past 11 am and the sun still shining. Nice.
