Aylmer Valley-Misty Peaks Reserve-Purple Peak Track

Sunday 20 March 2022

We drove all the way up Aylmer Valley Road, then placed a car at Woodills Road in the expectation of coming down Currys Track. We started above the 200m contour which helped but the new track was quite steep and rough in places. Our one minute detour soon after the start, to Newtons Fall was appreciated by all. Below Brasensose we got on to the wide, mown, old track that runs below a pine plantation. At the northern end of the pines we stopped for lunch on this pleasant, sunny Sunday.

At the Misty Peaks Saddle we got briefly onto the commercial Peninsula Track with views down to Stony Bay, before getting back to the Akaroa side and descending below Stony Bay Peak to reach the Purple Peak Track. We chose to go down that way, rather than crossing past the Worsley House site, Curries Reserve, Heritage Park and Woodills Track which would have been slower. The walk down Purple Peak Road and Rue Balguerie has lots to see, especially the Giant’s Castle. While seven of us waited near the Four Square store, Dan and Neil went to retrieve the cars. This is a great circuit with splendid harbour views. In its raw state the new Aylmer Valley track deserves a moderate rating on our club’s scale.

We were: Dan Pryce, Henk Boer, Sha SG, Ian Beale, Eileen Mackie, Carolyn Blackford, Neil & Kathy Ramsay and Kerry Moore [KM]