There wasn’t a whole lot of sunshine in Alexandra last Saturday so around 40 members jumped on the bus in the hope the sun would be shining at Northburn , just north of Cromwell. So it was a bit disappointing to be under cloud all the way ,sunshine hinting in the distance.

Well about 40 members turned up for a local outing from the Alex Bowling club at Molyneux Park on Saturday.  It has been  a grey old cloudy winter so far this year , so some weak sunshine breaking through the clouds helped to brighten the day.

Yet another Harrier Club email not written by Gary Hesson

Tiger Hill Trek (alias Olrig to Ophir or return)

Jun 9

Greetings yet again walkers and runners.

Queen's Birthday weekend was not the sunniest of weekends, with cloudy skies and cold temperatures. Just as well we were not at Fruitlands this week as there were hoar frost conditions down there.

Greetings walkers and runners.

Last Saturday was another popular harrier outing from Sheepshead through to Mitchells Cottage at Fruitlands. Just over 50 members made the journey there.

For those of you who listened to Ewan last week and turned up to Fruitlands, you would have been quite lonely down there on your own. That’s because a turnout in the mid-40s went to Waikerikeri Valley for a wander around there. 

Last Saturday was one of the original club outing venues, Little Valley. It remains as popular as ever with nearly 60 walkers and runners present.

Last Saturday was a bit cloudy as the harriers ventured up to McArthur Ridge for a romp around the vines. Despite the steady headwind when heading out, it soon became a tailwind, blowing many members back to afternoon tea a bit earlier than planned.

Well it seems I need a new job that doesn’t interfere with my harrier days, as I was unable to make it again on Saturday. But I was not alone in not making it to harriers, but then it was a cold drizzly old day all over Central.

Oh where, oh where can the Fraser Weir be?

Last Saturday the harriers headed out to the Fraser Weir area for a walk and run. 

Well, we turned on a stunning autumnal day, blue skies and sunshine at Oturehua on Saturday after a frosty start to the morning. We had just one seat spare on the bus out, an older bus that struggled up over the Ophir hill, bringing back memories of old Billy the Bus.

Saturday 14 October 2017 was a typical spring day, warm one minute, cool the next, couple of spots of rain, that then disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. It must have been the final Harrier outing for 2017 season then.

Well, it is still spring, and spring always likes to be a little changeable, so we did not have a hot, blue-sky day at Bendigo on Saturday. 

Spring had definitely sprung with a warm, blue-sky day on Saturday as about 3 dozen walkers and runners ventured down to Pinders Pond, downstream from Roxburgh.

Last Saturday was a big day out for 20 club members (17 walkers and 3 runners) who travelled by foot from Matakanui over Thomsons Gorge to Bendigo.

Well, we may be in Spring but winter wanted one last brush, with fresh snow on the mountains and a lazy southerly breeze for our outing last Saturday. This did not deter around 40 members turning up at the Alexandra Bowling Club for a local wander.

Greetings all. Spring has sprung so hopefully things will start to warm up from now. Last Saturday we had a local outing departing from the old swimming pool area.

Well, it seems our local weather god is on a roll. Despite wet weather forecast earlier in the week, it turned out to be a cracker spring day, 18 degrees. Just about warm enough for a cool off in Conroys Dam after a walk or run in the area.

Well, I guess someone must have actually prayed to the local weather God, as despite the forecast being for showers and cold southerlies, Harrierday turned out to be a pleasant spring day.

Last weekend saw the 49th annual Clyde Alexandra road race completed successfully.

Hi all - Saturday dawned under blue skies, so it was no surprise we had a full bus load of harriers keen for a meander around the Matakanui area.

Last Saturday was a typical harrier day, blue skies, sunshine but still a little brisk in the shade. 30 something harriers turned up for a local outing this Saturday again.

Well, I didn’t make to harriers on Saturday, along  with a number of other members. SO what went on? Read on McDuff.

Well last week’s email I just made up, guessing one group was late back. And surprise, surprise if I didn’t get it right, one of the walking groups was late back. At times harriers can be quite predictable.

Saturday and the harriers returned to Sunbury Park for a wander up the Fraser weir area. Although I did not make it, the skies were partly cloudy, there were occasional bursts of sunshine.

Well, it seems many of you did not do enough praying to the local weather god last Saturday. Either that or you are a practical lot and a jacket or brolly does the job for you.

Saturday morning was cloudy and cool, but by Harrier time ,just after 1:00pm the skies cleared and the sun made an appearance for a walk or run in the Waikerikeri Valley. Not that it was super tropical, but the sun did create the illusion of warmth.

Saturday, blue skies, sun shining. Must be a harrier day. Add in a bit of mystery and you have a good turnout of members looking for a walk or run somewhere new, about 3 score or 60 turning up. 

Greetings all and one. The Ophir Olrig outing always seems popular, despite some years of hoar frost, rain or snow or lazy southerly winds

Although I did not see too many local names in the paper Monday morning, I am assuming that many of you were away collecting your Queen’s Birthday Honours on Saturday.

Greetings all, well we are already nearly into the 6th Month of the year, how time flies.

Around 30 members turned up at Centennial Park for a local outing on Saturday under cloudy skies, but still pleasant enough for a walk or run around the neighbourhood.

Saturday was down as a mystery outing and so it proved. It had been brought forward from June as the landowner was concerned it could be icy underfoot then. So it was ironic being brought forward to May and a rogue snowstorm blows through on Friday night. 

A frolic through Sheepshead Station to Fruitlands is usually a popular outing on the harrier calendar. And so it proved again this year with a full bus load making the trip to Mitchells Cottage.

Saturday was another typical harrier day, blue skies and sunshine. 40 something members turned up for a walk or run to Little Valley, out the back and beyond the clock on the hill.

Well, it appears you cannot believe the weather forecasters. A week ago according to them it would be raining in Arrowtown on Saturday. Just as well we have our own local weather god.

Greetings yet again harrier walkers.

 Well there could certainly be no complaints about the weather on Saturday, as a last touch of summer brushed Central Otago for a warm sunny day in the fresh air.

Well Easter weekend has been and gone. It obviously offered a last chance to get stuck into the garden, get away for a long weekend, go hunting for Easter eggs or bunnies.

Greetings walkers and runners. Well, I did my bit, organising a typical harrier day – blue skies and sunshine.

Greetings all, well it seems our local harrier weather god delivered the goods once again.

2 Runners and a number of walkers went for an outing down the river track tailings area.

Just 3 members headed up earlier in the day  for the long walk on the Kanuka track , but they did manage to get back on time for afternoon tea.

No official Harriers outing today - though several members managed to walk around the various beer stalls in the Blossom festival enclosure.

There were about 40 members on board the bus , with about a dozen W3s getting off at Cambrians , for a walk to the flower farm and then on to the St Bathans domain..

After battling metre deep snow drifts they eventually battled their way to Alexandra for a welcome cuppa. (well ok , there were no metre deep snow drifts but there were patches of snow around ). Most decided it was much easier going Roxburgh to Alex direction.

Most groups headed up the side of the lake, the W3s continuing on up towards Pisa Moorings. The W1s headed up Lowburn valley and up onto the Sugarloaf. The W2s and runners headed on up the 45th parallel walkway onto the Sugarloaf.

4 carloads of 15 or 16 members headed out at 11am, heading up to one tree hut for lunch, before heading on up to Castle Rock, before dropping back down to the Earnscleugh cave and return. The following would suggest John had his GPS turned on.

About a dozen walkers headed out in the morning, giving themselves plenty of time to walk the  loop track up to the top of the ridge overlooking the Manitoto before heading back down to the woolshed.

For the rest of the membership, it was all hands to the deck, setting up race registration, traffic control, drinks stations,finish area and afternoon teas by most members, so no time for walking / running..

Travelling first to Gore and walking from there in the afternoon, the group went on to their accommodation at Pukerau to freshen up before they headed for the Gore RSA dining room for evening dinner.

From just 24 the previous week at Bendigo, this Saturday saw about 60 members turn up at Como Villa for lunch. Probably about 30 members turned up at 11am for a walk over the tailings or a run up the river track.

 Just one car load made the trip to Bendigo at 10am to walk the Kanuka Track

What more could we ask for ? Maybe a bit less of a head wind. Yes it was breezy and there seemed  to be less talking than usual going on. Perhaps some were worried if they opened their mouths too far, their pants would blow off.

Since it was Blossom Festival weekend.

But most seemed to enjoy the myriad of forest tracks - that bore little resemblance to the maps obtained at Alexandra i-site.

The W1s & W2s went a wandering thru the old gold sluicings.

Jane & Brendan Pauley hosted our afternoon tea site - with 40 Harriers enjoying the walk and their visit to the Pauleys'.

Most groups wandered up the creek track, going past the chinaman’s hut , (one of the sites of the film Illustrious Energy early 1980s ), before crossing the creek and heading for the local hotel.

It was a warmer day than predicted and there was much taking off of extra layers. Diane said she saw an old goat, but it might have been Alan dancing around on the rocks.

Most groups wound their way up and around the mountain bike tracks to the top of Gilligan’s Gully. Then it was cross country to Hillview Road.

The W3 walkers car pooled out to Mitchells Cottage for a walk from there, whilst the other walkers and runners got dropped off at Butcher Dam on the Conroys road corner.

The W1 & W2 walkers got off on the corner of Wallington & Devonshire roads, walking up Devonshire before heading across a paper road to Matakanui township.

All groups headed north towards the stone sheep yards, with the W3s chasing them along, with Lloyd the huntaway barking away at the rear of the field.

Most groups headed cross country from the Heaney’s Farmhouse  to the viaduct over the river. Then it was along the rail trail and through the tunnels

he runners took in the terrace area  towards Clyde whilst the faster runners explored some sheep tracks further up the ridge, deciding that if they were the same height as  sheep, the run would have been much easier.

40 plus members turned up to make trails over the tailings off Marshall Road, with most groups taking in the tailings and parts of the river track.

Nearly 40 members car pooled out to the Lower Manorburn  near the rail trail river crossing.

They wandered around the Lakefront towards Dingleburn and had a good walk finally making it to the campground about 5pm, for pre-dinner drinks (or hi-jinks ??).

The W3s walked down to Roxburgh, or so Jill told us and I am sure she would not mislead us with that.

And although it was an outing listed from Luggate to Albertown,  it seems the bus went to Albertown and folk ended up on Mount Iron.

Keeping up a fine tradition, there was a very cool breeze at Olrig for afternoon tea and one group was late getting in.

Somewhere UNDER the rainbow!

It was another typical Central Otago autumn day, calm conditions and great views of the autumn colours.

Well  it would seem the local weather god has been too good lately, another wonderful autumn day on Saturday for a wander through the colourful trees around Arrowtown .