Leader: David Blunt

Situated just ten minutes from Nelson, high above Marybank, is the 500-acre Harris family farm, with 50 acres of mature native bush, abundant bird life, goats, sheep, cattle and panoramic views of Nelson, also with three lovely homestay cottages available for rent.

What a wonderful turnout: 17 walkers thereafter referred to as ‘the mob,’ set off from Millers Acre on a wonderful, crisp autumn morning. Later in the day the temperature would rise to 17 degrees.

After a steep beginning, we walked at a leisurely pace past the farm houses, greeted by the farm dogs as we passed by, and on through a number of gates to a morning tea stop with an outlook over the bay.

Not long after, Ray made a detour to the summit of Wells Hill, catching up with the mob some time later, not on foot, but on a farm bike with which he had hitched a ride! About this time our path joined with several mountain bike tracks which come up from the Maitai Valley.

Our lunch stop was at high point BIYN, 514m altitude, with a 360-degree view. With so much to see, we spent about an hour just taking it all in.

The walk is on well-graded farm tracks with a bit of uphill. It was nice to be able to walk without rocks and tree roots for a change, through manuka and kanuka. One comment I heard was that ‘there were no pine trees.’

Nearly back, we realised that two members of our party were missing, last seen heading for a toilet stop – they had taken a wrong turn.
Our missing walkers appeared after about half an hour. Meanwhile, Tony and Gretchen continued along the ridge towards Kaka Hill to reach their home in the Maitai Valley.

A great day, great conversation, great views, great photos. Thank you, David.

Walkers were: Dan McGuire, Maureen Cotton, Pat Holland, Tony Haddon, Gretchen Holland, Don Morrisey, Nicola Harwood, Ian Morris, Marie Lenting (scribe), Ray Salisbury, David Cook, Lou Kolff, Chrissie Millington, Val Latimer, David Blunt & visitors Helen Sullivan & Asy Leuthold.