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Double Happiness at Round Hill
This September, they planned a track - left to right, Lloyd Blakie, chairman of Te Araroa Southland Trust (TAST), Brian Keown of City Care, Kevin Hawkes (TAST) and Brian Murphy (DoC Southland)...
A track into the past. The 1890s Chinese set up a town here at Round Hill, near Colac Bay, to mine the alluvial gold at the foot of the Longwood range. European companies moved in later. That history was almost forgotten, and only relics remain - here, a 24in pipe.
European companies contracted the Chinese to dig 20 km of water-race along the side of the Longwoods to bring sluicing water to Round Hill. Te Araroa follows this water race - it's the dark ditch running parallel to the maintenance path.
Te Araroa's Southland Trust planned a high-standard track that short walkers could use to walk from Round Hill Road to the old sluicing dams and other relics. Te Araroa's long walkers could use it to reach the maintenance track, then keep trekking north. Geoff Chapple arrived in September to join the recce - nothing in here but bush...
But come November, a City Care team arrived at Dusty Duston's pub...
Established one metal dump by chopper...
Power barrowed that metal into the bush...
Brought in a digger...
Set the bridges in place...
Geo-gridded them...
Took a break...
And put in steps.
Here's the whole City Care team cruising at job's end alongside Colac Bay's iconic surfer. Good work gang. The track has now only to be signposted, and it'll be ready for opening - let's say February 2006.
Funders for the track were the Lottery Grants Board ($15,000), the Mayors Taskforce's Employment Catalyst Fund ($15,000), the Stout Foundation ($17,000), and the Community Trust of Southland ($20,000). Many thanks to all four, and to City Care.
Page last updated: Jul 28, 2020, 5:08 PM
