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Trail Boss: Chris Bayne

Phone: 03 489 4921 (evenings)

Email: chrisbayne@xtra.co.nz

Duration: 7 days Meet on: Saturday 20th February Limit: 75

Saturday: We meet at Dunstan Peak approx 15kms from Omarama. There will be a horse check from 3pm onwards. Dinner will be at 7pm followed by a welcome talk. (A light lunch for small change will be available)

Sunday: Be prepared for a big day as we will climb up to 1500meters. The views on the top are amazing looking down at Lake Ohau, Lake Pukaki and hopefully see Mt Cook. We also get great views of the Ewe Range and St Bathans Mountains. We then wander down following Camp Creek, through the tussocks and down to Hawkdun Station. Approx 45kms.

Monday: With the Hawkdun and Dunstan Mountains high above us we will travel down to the historic town of St Bathans and it’s Blue Lake. We will take time to look around this little town steeped in history and maybe see the ghosts that haunt the Vulcan Hotel. We then travel through Cambrian where one of our famous landscape painters Grahame Sydney lives then onto our night stop.

Tuesday: A nice easy day wandering along the foothills of the Dunstan Mountains looking out onto the Maniototo Plains and on to the Glassford’s property at Matakanui which is steeped in history and I know that the owners will be able to talk to us about the goldmines.

Wednesday: Today we head over the Thomson Saddle through the Dunstan Mountains. It is a good climb to the top looking down at the grapes at Bendigo (the home of Shrek), the Clutha River, the Pisa Mountain Range and looking down on historic goldmining sites.

Thursday: A nice easy day, a ride and drive, a picnic lunch, swim and even a game of cricket in the sunshine! What else could we want as we stay in the same place for 2 nights.

Friday: On our last day we head past many high country stations north over the Clutha River to Luggate and stop for refreshments at the Luggate Hotel. We then climb up the hill through Lake McKay Station and onto the Larches in the Cardrona Valley.

Saturday: We head to Wanaka and on to the Rodeo Grounds where we will stay the night. We then go through the town, along the front of Lake Wanaka looking towards the Mountains, taking in the breath taking scenery, then go back to the rodeo grounds.

Enjoy your week and don’t forget to sample the fruit and wine of Central Otago which is all home grown.

Chris Bayne

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