Balmoral Forest Reserve...

 This was my next stop... Balmoral Forest Reserve

by the side of the Hurunui River...

The Balmoral Recreation Reserve Camping Ground is 

administered by the Balmoral Recreation Area Charitable 

Trust and is located along Culverden Road (turn left after 

Hurunui bridge).  It is a huge area; grassy, open and 

sunny with loads of mature pine trees. 

There is a range of facilities here including power and 

non powered sites, toilets, water taps and BBQ’s. 

There are no rubbish bins - you must carry 

out what you bring in. There are fire ban rules.

 Willow trees bursting out in their new spring dresses...

The Balmoral Forest is one of Canterbury’s largest exotic forests, 

planted on poor land on the north bank of the Hurunui River. 

It has twice been victim to disaster, the first in 1957 when 

the second largest plantation fire in New Zealand swept through 

and destroyed 2,991 hectares and again in 1975 when wind did 

further damage. In 1955 the Balmoral Forest was the largest in 

Canterbury covering an area of 7,446 hectares comprising 

Radiata, Corsican and Ponderosa pine.

 

 It was after the second weather event and the last windblown 

logs had been railed out that the Waiau branch line was closed. 

That 1978 closure was the last of the Canterbury lines.

Now there is just the picnic and camping ground left for 

the use of the public, administered by a Charitable Trust

 and run by volunteers. There is water and basic toilet 

facilities for a fee of $5 per camping party.

When I left Christchurch, destination Pohara, I decided

that as I had travelled this route for the last 30 years,

well before my motor home and house bus days,

I was going to set myself the challenge of not

staying or parking anywhere I had stayed before.

I had stayed at Waikuku but not in the camping

ground and never before at Balmoral Forest.

I have passed it so many times I can't believe

I haven't been to this beautiful place before.

I will definitely be back... And to explore the trout fishing.

Waikuku Beach... The Other End...

Some of my Waikuku memories are still the same...

As I drove into the Waikuku settlement... there

is the shop and hall... Mostly the same...

The shop has different owners... Of course! and there is now

a cafe... Still the usual supplies and postal services.

The entrance has been changed to the far left side and

now has a little courtyard with tables...

The hall looks the same although over the years I'm

sure it has had a facelift, it's looking very smart.

There is this map on the wall which gives a good over view

of 'You Are Here' where the shop is, the area to the left where 

the camping ground is and and the wetlands area and river

mouth... And the area to the right where the little roads

are and most of the houses. I walked round and round

here looking for where we used to drive, probably at the end 

of Broadway, to a dirt track at the end then round through

the pine trees to a big flat clearing that had five old trams

parked in it... Four were made into batches and one

was an ablution tram with a big old bath and a copper that

we used to fill then light the fire then ladle the water

out into the bath. As kids we spent hours having so much fun.

It's hard to believe none of that is there now.

This is the road that goes between the shop and hall and

drives to the play ground and camping ground.

There is now a bus stop... Every two hours a bus goes to Kaiapoi.

From there a bus into Christchurch city. I don't remember

that being there but my brothers might remember!

Past the tennis courts, they were there and the play ground

but I don't remember the skate board ramp... I don't think

skate boards existed then!

Over the bridge...

And the lagoon... I remember the white house...

The big Macracapa hedges for shelter...

And the myriad of little streets and house... Now some still

old original batches and some replaced with new, built

to the sun homes and smart holiday places.

Broadway... Although nothing much is recognisable I think

this must have been the road. There is another street, Kiwi Street

and reserve further on but I don't remember those...

The end of the street...

And the last house. When the batches, which belonged to the

Christchurch Transport Board Social Club, were removed...

Life and bureaucracy must have been getting too sophisticated

and they were required to be moved, the Social Club built a house

like this that was two motels... We stayed there...

There is only this one access that could possibly have

been the old track...

I walked round here, very curious about what I would find...

And this was what I found, felled trees,  probably because of 

the strong winds... Some level places but nothing big enough

for the five trams that I remember... Tracks through the

sandhills, but none the one I remember that we used to run

through to the beach and hide and sunbake in the sand

and build pine needle huts...Childhood memories... Oh well...

It was 65 years ago and nothing stays the same.

Off On My Travels Again... Waikuku Beach...

 I used to come with my family to Waikuku Beach for holidays...

65 years ago! I have some old photos, I was about 13... Mum

and Dad and my two younger brothers and I often had a friend

along too. We had known each other since we were five

and are still friends today... And talk about the holidays we had.

I have never stayed in the camping ground before...

We used to stay right at the other end of Waikuku in some

old trams that were shifted there and made into batches when they

were taken of the road in the 1950's. We had such fun.

I went back to re-live some memories...

 It's a big sprawling basic camping ground tucked into the

sand hills and sheltered from the strong easterly winds by

stands of huge old pine trees.

 Lots of on-site caravans live here, the owners come at

weekends over the winter then in the summer take

them away and go somewhere else.

 Just along from where I was parked... One of the several

tracks through what used to be a solid thick stand of trees...

Lots of them uprooted and blown down in the huge winds

two years ago... Over the sand hills to what used to be...

 My  favourite beach. We stayed here for weeks on end...

Sunbathed and swam with no thoughts in particular for safety

or sunburn. There was no surf club in those days, on some

days the waves can be huge... It was part of what I loved.

If we didn't get knocked over by the big waves it 

wasn't 'real' swimming!

 Looking south along the long hard stretch of sand...

We used to play and hide and make pine needle huts

in the trees for hours and days on end... Lots of

trees are gone and somehow the sand hills don't look

quite as vast as they used to!

 And along the other way to the north... Where is the river

mouth... The Ashley River mouth used to run out here...

 It used to be where this little trickle of water is... But now I

couldn't even see it... It has moved 2km north... It was

a long walk before I could begin to see where it might be.

 Way, way down the beach I began to see cars...

Oh yes, I thought, I know what they're all doing...

 And sure enough... The Whitebait season has just started...

 And the many white baiters are all out in their spots

with their big set nets trying to catch the most little whitebait.

I talked to two of them but they will never say how much 

they have caught... "Enough for a feed" is the standard answer.

 I walked back round the river looking for the place we

used to go fishing as kids...

 The tide was way out... When it's full in it comes right up to

the tide mark you can see, the river mouth spreads out and

covers up all the area where the white baiters are...

 And all this estuary area is covered with water.

I don't remember it ever being like this... 65  years ago!

 I found this map as I walked back showing the Ashey River

mouth and the huge estuary and wetlands area that has evolved.

 I walked up past the huge old trees...

 And gnarled spreading roots... I did remember them and

the old dusty reserve area.

 
 And the 'Oval'...There's a road now and a raised up walkway...


  But looking out to where we used to fish...

We used to run down there early in the morning with our hooks

on a piece of string... The fish were easy to catch... Small

of course but we always ate them for breakfast!

The edge of the river is no more... Instead a big wetlands

area... Which is of great interest to conservationists

as the endangered Pied Stilt has come to make it's home...

Only one has been seen so more are going to be released

 in the hope that they will breed.

I didn't find many old memories...

And Now There Are Two...

 

Anzac Day 2014 there were four... Four WWII veterans

in Christchurch from the 19th Armoured Regiment.

Anzac Day 2015 there were three... Now there are two...

My Dad on the right and his mate, Jock McPhail...

It's a sad time saying goodbye to these old cobbers.

The funerals are haunting as people get up and talk,

the "Last Post' is played and the 'Reverie'.

Poppies are put on the coffin...

It's a time to reflect how these once young men

changed the course of history... And they are the

lucky ones who returned home...