South Wairarapa Tramping Club  –  Farm Walk in the Gladstone hills

After meeting in Greytown, we set off in 3 cars to a farm up Admirals Hill Road, Gladstone. The skies were very overcast, and once at our destination, the cold southerly wind made us put on all our layers, plus woolly hats and gloves.

We followed a track to the top point on the farm, at 568m, with transmitter aerials. The 360 degree views out to Lake Wairarapa and the South Island would have been magnificent had they not been hidden by clouds! We ate morning tea sheltering in the lea of a concrete shed.

Armed with an aerial farm map, we walked downwards and around  through the farm, amongst occasional groves of kahikitea, huge limestone outcrops, and dams. Pink ribbons on some of the gates confirmed we were following our intended route, down to a sheltered spot for lunch.

A kilometre of road walking took us to a horse trekking place, where we walked back up beside the river, followed by friendly horses for a while, to a native forest covenanted area.  The map was consulted frequently, as we knew there was a track back up to the road somewhere. We headed up a spur, not in exactly the right place, and with a tricky spot above a slip where one of us needed reassurance and assistance to dispel her vertigo and get her over on to the safe side of the fence!

After about 3 kms along the road we were back at our cars – a great 5 hour farm walk of about 13 kms, with extensive views over to the Admiral Station hills on the opposite side of the valley making up for the earlier  lack of views to the west.

SWTC welcomes new members! Phone or email Ed and Juliet Cooke , 06 304 9497, efjac@xtra.co.nz. See our Facebook page and website.