Sumner Summit Track

First grass trimof the season.

Track markers have been installed to make it easier to share the route with your friends.

Wouldn’t it be great to find tuna in our valley?!

Predator monitoring in the valley. These are not traps - but tunnels that will have non-toxic lure and ink pads installed every 6 months to ‘fingerprint’ the predator population.
This will be interesting!

Final draft, edited with help from track consultant Hamish Seaton (OGR, Paparoa Trail, Alps to Ocean). We’ll present this to council staff for comment, then start on the lengthy planning permission process. Orange =existing. Track length = 1.56km. Average gradient, 4.5°, 8%. Trade grade, 3. Climbing. Note. This will sit alongside, not replace, existing valley floor walking track.

80mm of rain over the last 24hr.

A very exciting find.

And a literal interpretationof this whakataukiī - Kō ngā tahu ā ō tapuwai inanahi, hei tauira mō āpōpō - the footsteps laid down by our ancestors create the paving stones upon which we stand today.

From Kā Huru Manu, Kai Tahu mapping project.
‘From Otautahi the Maoris had several tracks leading over from the plains to Whangaraupo (Lyttelton Harbour). Principal paths were the track crossing from "Sandridge" at Sydenham via the line of White's Rapaki Road to Rapaki and the other to Ohinetahi, Governors Bay, by way of the present Dyers Pass Road. Another led via Richmond Hill, Sumner and Mount Pleasant (Tauhinu Korokio) to Lyttelton (Ohinehou).’ Taylor, W.A. (1952) Lore and history of the South Island Māori. Christchurch, N.Z.: Bascands, p.50.

A great morning in the valley. Thanks to all those who helped remove the flax cages. They are getting picked up by the CCC this week. Weedbusters continue on Wednesday mornings, still plenty of blackberry to cut out.

Wednesday Weedbusters working on blackberry and vines just below the waterfall.

Calling those looking for socially distanced activities. How about exploring Sumner’s own hidden valley, whilst doing your bit for the environment? The council parks team need our help to remove plant protection from around Harakeke plantings. It’s a great place to explore: check out the waterfall and climbing crag; or harvest some watercress for homemade pesto!
It would really help if you could bundle mesh into x5 or x10, tie with flax leaf, and leave in place or at road ends.
Best access is from the first hairpin corner on Richmond Hill Road, and walking up the valley is probably easiest.
A pair of gardening gloves and a pocket knife would be useful.
Ngā mihi.

Thanks Fleur and Luke for taking time to scope a line for a wheelchair accessible track to the Winsor Castle rock outcrop and viewing point.