Leader and report: William
Photos: Annette
Total distance: 12.4km
This week’s walk was to a new area for the Port Hill Walkers to the McLeans Island Recreation Reserve managed by ECan at the Mountain Bike Park where there is also a developed walking trail through the pine plantations.
So an excited group of 19 walkers assembled at the car park in very cool conditions but a clear sky and sun shining to warm us up when not in the plantation. The track initially is routed close to the adjoining equestrian centre where you can see all the equipment that they have. Morning tea was on the main north/south flood bank in a sunny spot but with long grass not comfortable to sit on.
After morning tea we travelled westwards into a plantation that has been sign posted for harvesting and replanting. The trees did not look mature enough. This continued into a loop back eastwards with a diversion to the Waimakariri River for a lunch break. What a place to sit on the gravel bank in the sun looking at the snow clad foothills and also Mt Oxford and with the noise of the river flowing.
After lunch we rejoined the track heading eastwards through the trees and enjoyed the sun breaking through the trees. We modified our walk off the marked track to walk beside the McLeans Island Golf Club at the eastern end of the reserve and back through the trees to the park car park with a very early finish. This area may not be suitable for walking once full scale harvesting of the trees gets underway in areas where the track exists.
This walk is very flat and an easy walk which actually brought back some walkers that have or are recovering from injuries and from the comments from the walkers was enjoyed by all.
The walking track on the information board (right) is in red. We walked in an anti-clockwise direction, deviating from that red route on the return part of the loop by joining the shared use trail and the Gordon Reid Track.
Click here for a video of our route, best viewed in large.
Port Hills Walkers 