| Leader | Mentor | Tail Ender | |
| Alan | Jan B | Veronica |
Statistics: distance 16km/ 12km, elevation gain n/a, time 4hrs
With the tramp being cancelled last week due to bad weather, 41 keen trampers were ready and waiting at Bishopdale car park when the bus and new driver David arrived. After standing around in a coolish wind, it didn’t take long for everyone to get settled in the warm bus.
President Graham welcomed back a member who had returned to tramping after surgery, and she generously shouted chocolates. Mention was also made of the colourful tutu that Shirley was wearing. This would be a new addition to the tramps, awarded to anyone who was unfortunate enough to make a faux pas. At this stage it was just being modelled. We also heard an update on another member’s recuperation after her surgery.
After a short trip the bus arrived at the McLeans Forest car park. It was a pleasant surprise getting off the bus to find there was very little wind at all, and it stayed that way for most of the tramp. Walking in one group, the trampers set off on the marked walkway heading west towards the pickup point at the Willows recreational area. From then on it was a case of follow the leader, on marked tracks, unmarked tracks, grass tracks, stop banks, stony roads, dirt roads, shingle roads and a track through pine forest. There were also a couple of fences to clamber through. The comment “I have no idea where we are” could occasionally be overheard. At one stage the sounds of gunfire and small planes buzzing overhead indicated there was a rifle range and airfield close by.
Reaching the Weedons Ross Road carpark area, four trampers elected to walk the shorter distance back up the road to the Old West Coast Road where they would be picked by the bus on the way back to Bishopdale. The rest carried on to the lunch spot in a clearing, which was an ideal spot to get some bearings, with the mountains visible in the distance, and a short walk through the gorse to the banks of the Waimakariri River.
Trusting the leader, the group then carried on after lunch on various tracks to the Willows, an area which has been specifically developed for non-motorised recreational activities, and the welcome sight of the bus. Although a flat course, at nearly 17km it was no walk in the park, and in spite of there not being a lot of scenery, the twists and turns made it interesting. The Strava map shows we were generally going in the right direction, and not around in circles like it seemed.
With the shorter travel time, the bus arrived back at Bishopdale earlier than normal, beating the rush hour traffic.
Text by Sally
