| Leader | Mentor | Understudy | Tail Ender | |
| Standards | Warren | Peter M | Jen C | Kate |
| Alternates | Linley | Norma | Ali | Joanne |
Distance 13.1km; elevation gain 780m; duration 5hrs
On a brisk morning, with all aboard the bus driven by Alan, Min handed out some treats in celebration of her 26 years with the club and 35 years in New Zealand. 43 members and visitors Ming Ming, Lisa W and Peter D had signed up for what is a favourite tramp for many – Dracophyllum Flat in Canterbury’s high country.
The Standards group of 24 trampers embraced a challenging route that wound through beech forests and alpine pastures (including lots of Dracophyllum), following the trail nearly to Texas Flat. From there the group crossed the babbling Broken River three times, before reaching Highway 73.
Simultaneously, the Alternates opted for a slightly different adventure. After following the trail to Texas Flat and briefly meeting the Standards for lunch along the way, the group then traversed the Cheeseman Ski Club access road which led them to the Broken River Bridge on Highway 73. The Alternates walked 12 km, gained 510m in elevation and their start to finish time was 4 hours 30 minutes. The day presented few challenges with mild spring temperatures and little wind. Check out here for a list of the flora of Dracophyllum Flat.
By way of history, after the construction of the Hogs Back and Sidle 73 tracks by the Castle Hill community, the Dracophyllum Flat mountain track was developed to complete the mountain biking link between Castle Hill Village and the Broken River skifield road in the Craigieburn Forest Park. That said, the track is currently closed to bikes due to mud/frost-heave.
The trampers regrouped at the end of their respective journeys exchanging stories. The quiet return on the bus probably reflected that many had had a physical day out and were taking the opportunity for a well-earned rest.
Text by Brent (with the aid of AI – and that’s not Artificial Insemination!)
