Coleridge Loop

[XF650]

On the Canterbury KB ride yesterday TWR mentioned he had driven a 4WD around the head of Lake Coleridge some time ago, connecting the Harper Rd to the Algidus Rd. So five of us had a crack at finding the loop from the Rakaia side but the only track we could find crosses the Wilberforce River into Mt Algidus Station - OK for 4WD's but looked a bit deep, swift & wet (cold) for a bunch of soft adventure bikes.

So..... has anyone done the loop lately & where is the track? I couldn't find it on Google maps last night but there does seem to be plenty of accessable riverbed, without actually having to cross the main Wilberforce River channel.
Otherwise an expidition on the DT230 could be in order......

[cooneyr]

Had a look on GE too and it seems that the Wilberforce is right hard up against Mt Oakden and it looks like there is a series of slips with the toe cut off and also some bluffs. It looks like these make crossing the Wilberforce inevitable. If we were to go up to the head of the Wilberforce canal it would mean we might be able to get away from one major crossing. This would put us above the confluence of the Harper and Wilberforce Rivers so we would only have to deal with the Wilberforce. We would still have to cross the Wilberforce (with the Harper water) down near the Algidus Road though.

I'm keen to go and have a look at some stage but I'm not hopeful that this can be done unless the water levels are really low. We've got to go and log the Harper Road and Wilberforce Canal routes for the web site at some stage anyway.

Cheers R

[PLUG]

Otherwise an expidition on the DT230 could be in order......

I'm keen to go and have a look at some stage but I'm not hopeful that this can be done unless the water levels are really low. We've got to go and log the Harper Road and Wilberforce Canal routes for the web site at some stage anyway.

Cheers R

water levels will be there lowest during winter ... I'm keen for a bit of a look see then ...

[cooneyr]

water levels will be there lowest during winter ... I'm keen for a bit of a look see then ...

Yes but and more Still, you know I'm keen

Cheers R

[nigelp]

I did volunteer the services of my freewind however the others werent keen to come help pull me out when I fell so we turned back! A shame really....

I would be keen to join you on the DT however I think that your freewind would make it through there fine!

[PLUG]

Yes but and more Still, you know I'm keen

Cheers R

a tin of tuffin-up will do the trick ... or is that a bottle of anit-freeze of the OP sort ...

[T.W.R]

On the Canterbury KB ride yesterday TWR mentioned he had driven a 4WD around the head of Lake Coleridge some time ago, connecting the Harper Rd to the Algidus Rd. So five of us had a crack at finding the loop from the Rakaia side but the only track we could find crosses the Wilberforce River into Mt Algidus Station - OK for 4WD's but looked a bit deep, swift & wet (cold) for a bunch of soft adventure bikes.

So..... has anyone done the loop lately & where is the track? I couldn't find it on Google maps last night but there does seem to be plenty of accessable riverbed, without actually having to cross the main Wilberforce River channel.
Otherwise an expidition on the DT230 could be in order......

Yeah the Algidus Rd basically comes to an end at the edge of the riverbed then after that it's pick your way around, though when I did it a few years ago there was a visible track to follow and water crossings weren't an issue

The one thing you have to take into consideration up there or on any of those alpine tracks particularly through riverbed flats etc is that the track may exist for a number of years and then once a decent flood comes through it's start from scratch again (seeing the recent sizable floods that have been through the Rakaia & considering that the headwaters of the Wilberforce actually recieve the heaviest rainfalls in the alps) Which may well have been the case.

Though if you'd been keen enough you can head across to Algidus Station up onto Goat Hill Flat and then cut across to Glenthorne Station and back across the Harper bridge and out onto the Harper Rd back down to Lyndon Rd.

Also you can Contact Bob Brown (Glenthorne Station) get the key to the gate that heads up the Harper & follow the 4WD tracks around to the Avoca Valley (Two easily accessible huts for overnighters) or link upto the track on the west side of Mt Olympus (but you need the key for the access gate to Olympus (Lake Evelyn)).

Or if you're really keen follow the 4WD track that heads up to the Harper river headwaters (Boundary Stream Hut) and follow the Harper right through and come out at Coro Lyn Rd a couple of Kms east of Bealey (It's pretty rugged but manageable though I'd say suited to lighter bikes)

[XF650]

Thanks for the info Bill.

[T.W.R]

P.S don't bother googling or trying to find maps for places like that you're wasting your time. Things change continually in the Alps even Topo maps are just a guideline to where tracks may be

[helenoftroy]

So five of us had a crack at finding the loop from the Rakaia side but the only track we could find crosses the Wilberforce River into Mt Algidus Station - OK for 4WD's but looked a bit deep, swift & wet (cold) for a bunch of soft adventure bikes.

Yeah well some of us have followed you thru rivers before....but no,the Wilberforce was not looking that passable for us soft lot

The river was'nt hard up against Mt Lyndon,just pretty rough,bouldery and matagouri covered....

It was a beautiful warm sunny day,and the scenery up there is stunning.Nigelp & I got to ride thru snow on the Lake Lyndon road on the way home-that was awesome

[cruza]

Also you can Contact Bob Brown (Glenthorne Station) get the key to the gate that heads up the Harper & follow the 4WD tracks around to the Avoca Valley (Two easily accessible huts for overnighters) or link upto the track on the west side of Mt Olympus (but you need the key for the access gate to Olympus (Lake Evelyn)).

Or if you're really keen follow the 4WD track that heads up to the Harper river headwaters (Boundary Stream Hut) and follow the Harper right through and come out at Coro Lyn Rd a couple of Kms east of Bealey (It's pretty rugged but manageable though I'd say suited to lighter bikes)

You can get a dirtbike to the hamilton hut(harper/hamilton creek cnr) or 4wd 10mins from it ,but a bike right up the harper and over to corolyn?? taken you've been in there hunting/tramping, think your biting a big chunk off there? sure doc would love to catch you there as well . River has to be very low on both harper and avoca for bikes, also its very boulderly. I'd be treading very lightly with the wilberforce, fair bit of water in that.

[cruza]

Yeah well some of us have followed you thru rivers before....but no,the Wilberforce was not looking that passable for us soft lot

The river was'nt hard up against Mt Lyndon,just pretty rough,bouldery and matagouri covered....

It was a beautiful warm sunny day,and the scenery up there is stunning.Nigelp & I got to ride thru snow on the Lake Lyndon road on the way home-that was awesome

This time of year some of the club skifield roads around craigieburn are open in the weekends doing maintence preseason and are a great ride. Broken river skifield is tops, awesome public day lodge at the top ,and amazing view. good dozer track .