Distance: 10.32km   Time Walking: 3h 37min

Elevation: Max Alt 443m Min Alt 295m   Vert Ascent: 414m

With drizzle predicted, it was a good call by the weather team to signal the go ahead with the tramp as by the time we reached the Rakaia Gorge only low cloud remained to obscure the tops.  At least it the skies were not raining on us.  President Peter had welcomed visitors: Glenys, Ailsa, Jan, Soo, Tessa, Sun, Deirdre and Christine who were very glad that there was space on the bus to allow them to join us.  Driver Alec and his partner had come prepared to join the 50 trampers as extras.

Traffic at the bridge was moderate and caution was necessary when getting to the starting point of the walkway track.  Once safely across the road, our two groups snaked along the historic Ferryman’s Track, which follows the curves of the ancient glacial and river-carved terraces and skirting private farmland until the morning tea stop at the lookout.  Occasional views of the azure river could be glimpsed through the bush; downstream to the twin bridges of the gorge and across to the cloud-obscured lower flanks of Mt Hutt.  The Rakaia at 145kms long, is the longest river in Canterbury.  It is sourced from its main tributaries the Wilberforce and Mathias rivers which stem from the Lyell and Ramsey glaciers of the Main Divide.

River views – cloudy but pleasant

After morning tea, the track continued to follow the contours of the river terrace alternately climbing to high points offering vertiginous views down and across the glacial-carved gorge and then descending into open forested gullies.  Occasionally our quiet progress through these bush areas was punctuated by the belling of resident korimako.  At one point the peace was interrupted by the disquieting buzz of strimmer-wielding DOC workers clearing vegetation on the sides of the track.   At the bottom of one of these gullies on a side track nearer the river, are the remnants of early machinery and adits of what was the Snowdon coal mines.  Here the group paused while some trampers made the short detour to have a look.  From this point the track climbs out of the creek to a sign-posted junction where the Standards veered right to follow a longer loop across tussock-covered terraces and down through bush dotted with bright yellow-flowering kowhais (a sure sign of spring) to reach the river at “the boat landing” for lunch.

I found a Maori legend about the kowhai flowering:  It is said that the Kowhai sprung from the shreds of the cloak of tohunga Ngatoro-I-rangi of the Te Arawa waka on its arrival to Aotearoa. The legend says that a young tohunga asks a girl to marry him while they sit under the bare branches of a Kowhai tree in the month of August. She replies that she will only marry him if he can perform some brilliant act. “I will show you what I can do. I will cause this tree to spring instantly into flower before your eyes.” He uses all his powers and the tree bursts into bloom, his final touch causing a ring of yellow blossoms to appear around the dark hair of the girl. Ever since, say Te Arawa, the Kowhai has flowered on bare and leafless branches.”  Source: http://www.bushmansfriend.co.nz/sophora-kowhai-xidc17785.html

At the “Boat Landing” for our lunch stop

Once a spirited stone-skimming competition was over (about 10 skims was the highest) and lunch done, we headed out for the return journey; the Alternatives starting first.  We opted for the lower loop track which would traverse the bluff to join the Ferryman’s Trail once more.   Retracing our morning route, it did not take too long to reach the Early Family Reserve, up through the pines and down the stone steps to the road and back to the bus.

With plenty of time, the refreshment stop at Hororata was welcomed before the journey back to Christchurch.