Start: Lake Janet Picnic Area, Cramptons Bush Road, Amberley
Finish: Same place - it's a loop
Date: Friday 16th May 2025
Warnings: This track is partly through a private commercial forestry area. The Department of Conservation/Te Papa Atawhai (on their website Mt Grey/Maukatere Conservation Area) recommend phoning Rayonier NZ Ltd, 03 310 7612 to check whether the road is open. Also watch out for potholes and logging trucks on the road.
It's soooo wonderful to be walking with the Friday Walkies gals once again. And today is my first Canterbury foothill ascent in a while. Mount Grey was originally named after Sir George Grey, (Governor of New Zealand 1845 - 1879) and amended to "Mount Grey/Maukatere" as part of the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. I could not find a translation of Maukatere on the Ngāi Tahu Ka Huru Manu mapping project website.
Good old Google expertly guided us, via Woodend and the backroads, across the Canterbury Plains to the Lake Janet Picnic area. The last stretch on Cramptons Bush Road is shingle and a fairly rough ride, exacerbated by some hefty potholes that I managed to hit fair and square. There were a few understandable mutterings from the back seat and I did a quick check of the tyres once we had parked. Luckily still intact.
The pines around the Lake Janet car park have been logged since we were last here in 2017. Also, just past the long-drop, there is now signage which mentions the "Bypass Track". This is an interesting development because the Bypass Track (part of today's loop), was formerly an elusive trail - unmarked and unmaintained. I had failed to mention this to the others - but inwardly breathed a sigh of relief - we would not be needing the PLB I had popped into my bag this morning.
We gathered our bits and bobs from the car boot and got straight into it. Up the hill, under the pines, huffing and puffing. A mere 50 minutes later, we were at the Old Fire Lookout, stopping for paramanawa and panorama.
The wind was whistling and so we took snaps but didn't linger. We were now on the Grey Track, aiming for the bush line where it was a bit more sheltered and we could hang out for a while, munching on apples and chocolate. From there, we were back into the beech forest, dappled with sunlight. After about 30 minutes, the ridge flatted and we came to the aforementioned Bypass Track. This used to be well hidden but is now handily marked with a flourescent pink spot painted onto a rock. You simply cannot miss it. No signage though.
The Bypass Track is in good condition these days. At first, it goes back up the hill, almost in the direction you have just come - which is a bit counterintuitive and fairly unsettling. It eventually levels out again though, crossing a couple of creeks and eventually (after about 40 minutes) linking back up with the original track.
