28-29 September 2024

Leader: Peter and Maryann

Twelve of us stayed at Sixtus Lodge on Saturday night. We explored a short walk around the lodge in the afternoon and a glowworm cave at night. On Sunday, we split into two groups. One group did the Deerford – Knights – Shorts Track, and the other group did the Deerford Loop.

Saturday - Sixtus Lodge and Glowworm Cave: We travelled in 4 cars and planned to meet up at the café. Most of us met at Ginger Birds Café in Colyton and 1 car stopped at Kimbolton.

JP was sick, so Nisa travelled in Sai's electric car (Sai is Nisa's Thai friend). While the rest of the group took the direct route through Apiti to the lodge after morning tea, Nisa and Sai trusted their GPSs (both car's and phones' GPSs) that led to an "inland route". Two Thai ladies were having a great time until they realized that they may not have enough battery to get to the lodge. At a junction, the GPS said to turn right and only 8 kms to get to the lodge. But there was a big sign on the roadside that said to go left to the lodge 35 kms away!

At that point, we had enough battery for 40 km and we decided to turn right. The rest of the way to the lodge was very stressful for the fantastic two but finally we arrived with 3% battery left! Thankfully trip leader Peter had a charging cable so the car was good to go again the next day.

Meanwhile everyone else had settled in at the lodge, had a cuppa and played some table tennis and “bush croquet”.

With the lost Thais' arrival, the group went for a quick around the lodge bush walk and then had a shared dinner which was super yummy. We had smoked fish pie, massaman chicken curry, sticky rice with spicy pork larb, some salads, meatballs, veges with satay sauce dim sims, pork buns and more!

After dinner we went to the glow worm caves, about 1 km down the road. We all enjoyed the stunning display in the caves for a while and walked back in the drizzling rain to the lodge. We finished the night with desserts and ice-cream with some music in the background. Unusual for us to not play card games.

Sunday Walk (Group A) - Deerford – Knights – Shorts led by Peter Davis: We got up and had breakfast (leftover from the previous night), then, after a short drive from Sixtus Lodge to the road end, we started walking just after 8.30am.

The track started across farmland, and down to a creek where most of us got wet feet. Then we followed the Deerford track, a steep climb up to a sign post directing us to Knight’s Track. We followed the track for another 30 minutes or so until we joined the Deerford Loop track junction. We carried on on Knight's Track with a few drink stops, and it seemed soon we were above the bush line. We were hoping to have lunch at Toka Peak, but it was cold and windy. We stopped at the top for photos, then started walking down and looking for a sheltered spot for lunch.

Not too long down from Toka Peak the mist cleared and we found a sheltered spot from the cold westerly wind where we sat amongst the tussock grass in the warming sunshine, eating yet more leftovers from Saturday night's feast.

We had good views across the plains below, both east and westward as we tramped southwards to a 1380m peak. We peeled off the tops, dropping down Short’s track into the sub-alpine vegetation and walked through some fine specimens of pahautea trees (mountain cedar), with some steep descents before reaching the more gentle descent through the beech forest. Finally we reached the car park, tired but all pleased with a great day out in the hills.

Those on the trip: Peter, June, Paula, Graeme, Paul, Glen, Wayne.

Sunday Walk (Group B) - Deerford Loop led by Maryanne Bugg: We were woken by bell birds early (it was daylight saving too). After breakfast we packed up and cleaned the lodge and them drove to Limestone roadend to begin our walk. The two groups walked together for about an hour and then separated at the turn off.

The easier group went along the Shorts Track as far as we wanted (almost to the second peak) and walked back to do the rest of the loop. The walk was beautiful, lush mosses and ferns were everywhere. Some of us slipped here and there but nothing serious. We all enjoyed our 5-6 hours walk and chatted away.

We then drove to Fielding to charge the car up. Peter's group caught up with us and dropped Robyn's walking pole back to her (that she had left at the roadend carpark). Then we all drove safely back home.

Those on the trip: Maryann, Nisa, Sai, Robyn, Desiree.

Thanks trip leaders Maryann and Peter plus everyone that came to make this trip very enjoyable.

Those on the trip were:

Glen Cattermole, Graeme Richardson, Maryann Bugg, Nisa Promchot, Paul Michl, Paula Richardson, Peter Davis, Robyn Wilson, Wayne James, Yingjun Shelton, Desiree, Sai

Currently there is no photo album for this trip.