In May 1985 a local newspaper clipping read:
“Take a weekly walk on the bright side with Bishopdale Hikers. These enthusiastic hikers are looking for new members to make up a group to walk the various walkways in and around Christchurch.
The group will meet at the Bishopdale Community Centre 1.30pm Monday 30 May to discuss future hikes, days and times. Although initially the group will hike midweek, a weekend group may develop.
If interested in either group please attend the meeting. For more information ring the Bishopdale Community Centre.”
Here, then is how it all started. The fourteen people who turned up were quite enthusiastic. This came at a time when some of the gloss attached to jogging was waning.
As a result of the first meeting pamphlets on walking tracks were purchased from the Lands and Survey Department. A list was made of suitable tracks, a car pool and start times organised. People just turned up and it was then decided who went in which cars, what charges would be on the day and who were to be leaders and tailenders. A diary was started, photos and a cancellation service with 3ZB was organised.
The new club continued on this pattern until 12 July 1987. This is when a bus instead of a car was used to travel to a launching spot for special walks. By 1990 it was a bus every week.
By this time the task of running the club was beyond one person so in June 1990 a meeting was held to form a committee. Using the bus each week meant that the range of available walks was greater, bringing with it the need for more planning. Some members dreaded the thought of facing “restrictive rules” but at a meeting held on the 26th June 1990 sense prevailed and the first committee was elected.
The first committee did not find it easy. The club was growing at a fast rate and there was much planning required to run the club successfully. The quantity of tramps was increasing and this meant obtaining permission from land owners. Many factors such as snow, lambing, location, starting time and cost all had to be considered when planning a tramp. However, the club had a simple structure and the committee only needed to meet several times a year. A Constitution was written in 1997 and this put the club on a more formal basis to handle the increased workload and membership. A further step was taken in 2006 when the club became an Incorporated Society thereby giving a legal status to the club’s affairs.
The format established back in those early days is still in operation today. The same simple structure has been carried forward and has proved very successful. With a membership of close to 100, we still have a booking system for tramps with no subscriptions and the only income from the weekly transport cost.
The club has played on active role in the restoration of native trees to the Port Hills. For many years now the club has had a tree planting day under the guidance of Port Hills Ranger Di Carter. Many hundreds of native trees have been planted in several areas such as Thompson’s Reserve, Scott’s Reserve and the latest area west of the Bellbird Reserve. The club has achieved a high strike rate with its planting and the results can be seen in these areas. It is a positive way that the club can put something back into the community for all the enjoyable times spent walking on the Port Hills.
A great asset has been the members, many who have been with the club for many years. There is such a variety of people in the club it’s a pleasure to meet every week and have so much to talk about. The bus rides are always a highlight, time to discuss a whole range of topics and of course during our walks you will never be without someone to talk with.
Leader, Mentor, Understudy and Tailender Responsibilities