Rabbit Hill

Sunday 5 May 2024

Six of us left Christchurch on a cloudy morning with expectations of the cloud clearing later in the day, so were pleasantly surprised when the sun burst through near West Melton. We parked near Porters Pass and started the walk up the wide track winding up the first hill. I had grabbed my old gardening boots instead of tramping boots on the way out the door and they soon started to lose a sole. A repair with masking tape helped a little and the sole flapped but stayed on for the rest of the journey.

While we stopped for morning tea, a guy passed us carrying his mountain bike on his shoulders. I did not envy the ride down he faced on the steep, rocky bits. Around noon, after ups and downs along the ridge, we reached the summit. The wind dropped, so we basked in the sun over lunch. The track was busy and we met several fellow day-trippers with their mutts at the top. We were back at the cars by 3:15, hoping to get to Springfield before the cafe closed but had to settle for coffees at the Challenge store. We’d had a great day out and an introduction to a prospective member. We were: Kathryn Marshall, Toyomi Furuta, Joy Schroeder, Dorota Giejsztowt, Berny and Graeme Nicholas.   GN