Sharlands Creek - Organiser: Carl Horn
It was the usual early start at the Cathedral steps, on a mild Sunday morning. A short drive part way up the Maitai Valley took us to the start of our tramp (you really don't have to drive far to tramp - Nelson is so fortunate to have mountains on our doorstep). We set off up a logging road towards the Kaka Hill summit (OK, it's only 300m but it is the top of the hill). An optimistic turn on to the Kaka Left Branch Road led us to a 300m expanse of gorse. We scrambled up a rockface hoping to find a track around the gorse but all we could see was more gorse. We retreated with various degrees of wounds. We returned to the fork in the road and took the other tine, which led us faithfully and steadily up an unrelenting grade towards the trig. However, on reaching Kaka ridge with its fabulous views over Tasman Bay and Nelson city, we decided not to go to the trig (and Grahame assured us there was nothing much there anyway) but headed for the enticing seats at the lookout point which we could see in the near distance.
It was only 11.30am but it was a good time for lunch and to sit admiring the view. After lunch, Grahame headed directly down to this home in Atawhai whilst the rest of us turned east and descended via the Maitai, Rimu, and Supplejack tracks to the valley floor. This was a delightful amble through native bush and we took pleasure listening to the birds instead of the sound of trailbikes. A number of fantails accompanied us along the way. 2kms of logging road and we were back at our cars at 1.30pm, with the rest of a beautiful clear Sunday to enjoy.
Many thanks to my fellow trampers for a most pleasant day: Sharan Foga, John Lammin, Grahame Harris, Lindsay Twiname, and visitors Val Latimer and John Liell.