AlpinePossum
31st May 2010, 18:49
Just back from a fantastic day trip in the Craigieburn range.
Do you know how when you head from Christchurch up and over Porter's Pass there are all those tantalizing ski field roads...
You know the ones....
The ones marked "PRIVATE ROAD", "SKIFIELD CLOSED" and "THIS GATE MAY BE LOCKED AT ANY TIME....(leaving you to freeze and starve while we mock you)"
So go past the false lure of Porter's Pass skifield road.
Then you come to a sign.
"Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS".
This is the first of many.
Go past the next "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS".
And the next "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS".
And the next "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS." Yeah, yeah, I know. I suppose all the other farms aren't working then?"
And the next "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS, hoi polloi and unmoneyed scum not welcome" sign.
At the next "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS" sign pause, and with a pair of high powered binoculars admired the washing line made so famous by the fedup-arated farmers ad.
Carry on past the "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS, just give National one more term, and we'll make this a toll road with extra charges for admiring the mountains " sign.
Just after the last "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS" and just before the Broken River and the Cave stream scenic reserve is another Skifield road.
Yup, Mt Cheeseman ski field access road LOOKS like an ordinary PRIVATE, CLOSED, NO ENTRY OR THE YETI WILL EAT YOU type ski field road.
Aha! GOTCHA! Neatly out of sight from the main road is a New Zealand Secret Service sign.
You know the ones.
The ones that hide ten twenty meters off the main road down a farm track. (Think I'm joking? They've pulled the same silly stunt at Benmore station / 13 mile bush)
A "Department of Conservation" sign.
And a lovely track that goes way way up through the forest and out nearly at the skifield.
Caution! Expect ice and snow.
Dress extremely warmly. Pack snow chains if you going by car, go carefully carefully being prepare to give up and turn around if things get too hairy for the bike.
The view is utterly magnificent.
Do you know how when you head from Christchurch up and over Porter's Pass there are all those tantalizing ski field roads...
You know the ones....
The ones marked "PRIVATE ROAD", "SKIFIELD CLOSED" and "THIS GATE MAY BE LOCKED AT ANY TIME....(leaving you to freeze and starve while we mock you)"
So go past the false lure of Porter's Pass skifield road.
Then you come to a sign.
"Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS".
This is the first of many.
Go past the next "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS".
And the next "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS".
And the next "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS." Yeah, yeah, I know. I suppose all the other farms aren't working then?"
And the next "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS, hoi polloi and unmoneyed scum not welcome" sign.
At the next "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS" sign pause, and with a pair of high powered binoculars admired the washing line made so famous by the fedup-arated farmers ad.
Carry on past the "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS, just give National one more term, and we'll make this a toll road with extra charges for admiring the mountains " sign.
Just after the last "Castle Hill Station is a working farm. NO ACCESS" and just before the Broken River and the Cave stream scenic reserve is another Skifield road.
Yup, Mt Cheeseman ski field access road LOOKS like an ordinary PRIVATE, CLOSED, NO ENTRY OR THE YETI WILL EAT YOU type ski field road.
Aha! GOTCHA! Neatly out of sight from the main road is a New Zealand Secret Service sign.
You know the ones.
The ones that hide ten twenty meters off the main road down a farm track. (Think I'm joking? They've pulled the same silly stunt at Benmore station / 13 mile bush)
A "Department of Conservation" sign.
And a lovely track that goes way way up through the forest and out nearly at the skifield.
Caution! Expect ice and snow.
Dress extremely warmly. Pack snow chains if you going by car, go carefully carefully being prepare to give up and turn around if things get too hairy for the bike.
The view is utterly magnificent.