Sunday's Planting Orton Bradley

T and me top-tubed the boys in to town before 8am to watch the ZB building implode.  All fun and games, with a good crowd turnout.  Being on the bikes was great for a smooth exit through the milling throng, and we were home by 8.15.  I then grabbed the Switchback and spun round to Pete's wherefore to travel speedily in his car to Lyttelton arriving in plenty of time for the 8.50 sailing, meeting Wazza, Wahayno and Stevo on the jetty.

Off the boat, we ground up the hill to the main road then climbed and descended lots to Charteris Bay and up into Orton Bradley Park.  Found a few plants next to holes a ways in and got them in the ground before heading back down to meet the starters for ten, grabbing spades and getting into it.  Andy showed, and J9 and Grace.  We planted a bunch of plants and were done in no time.

Morning tea ensued and then we hit the road back to Diamond Harbour, up, up and down.  Passed by the turn-off to what was Godley House, and headed round to the fun wee Cliff edge.  Excellent wee trail that, always a thoroughly enjoyable wee section.  Short, but longer than expected, and interesting.  One close shave for me, descended a little too vigorously with a brief rear wheel lock up sending a pulse of adrenalin upon seeing where it could have tipped me, waaay down a pineneedled cliff top.  Final fun rooty descent followed by juddery steps and we were back at the wharf with 15mins to spare for the ferry back to the cars.

Short, but worthy wee ride...

Sunday Planting on the Other Side.

rushed to Pete's for a lift to Lyttelton where we found Andy, Wayne, Steve and Tony. Caught the 8.50am ferry to Diamond Harbour and cruised up the hill and around the road to Orton Bradley, relishing the fine weather and calm harbour views. Arrived early for the planting so treadled to the end of the picnic areas scoping out our planting sites, then a couple of us went back and got spades and we knuckled in. With three on spades and three putting trees in the ground we knocked off maybe 100 plants around several embankments in an hour and then i found another huge area of probably 100 plants that we got started on. Well into that and the sky got gloomier and then the southerly hit with avengance. Spectacular it was, lifting clouds of pollen from the pines and making the trees roar like 747 jets. a bit of rain fell just as we were joined by the rest of the planting folks to put in the last 3 plants of our patch, and we mosied to the old school room for a brief get-ready, then cruised back round the road, nice strong tail wind for all those wee climbs.

Once back into Diamond Harbour, we explored round a bit and found the Cliff Edge Track... the first section we took was marginal in places, interspersed with nice wee sections, but the second half, which was what i'd had in mind, was pure singletrack bliss. dry clay base, pine needles, roots, hairy drop to the right below to rocks and pulsing harbour and surging kelp beds. awesome! a nice finish to a good planting and a scenic road ride.