Leader and report: Ann
Photos: Sheila and William
Eight walkers set off in cars from a cold, drizzly Christchurch but not long after turning onto the Old West Coast Road the drizzle stopped and when the mountains came into sight we were rewarded with a glorious view of snow topped peaks under a clear sky.
We started our walk to Ryde Falls from the Coopers Creek car park just before 10am. The walk starts in the open with views of the surrounding area, including Mount Oxford. After climbing a while we had morning tea with a view across the valley. Then it was into the beech forest where frequently we came across fungi of various sorts. We had to navigate many muddy patches along the track but fortunately nobody came to grief!
A panel en route tells of the tramway which used to operate in the area during the sawmilling era. There were eleven sawmills in the Oxford area in the 1870s. However after two major fires in 1898 the industry began to decline, with the last mill closing in 1912.
There were a few stream crossings before we reached the impressive falls, which are five tiers though only three visible from the side we were on. We had our lunch break nearby in a clearing.
We returned to the cars the same way (and the mud was still there!) reaching the car park around 3.30pm after walking about 14 kms.
Sheila’s photos
William’s photos
Port Hills Walkers 