Old Dunstan Road – Part Two

Following on from my Old Dunstan Road – Part One blog, we set off from basecamp at Ranfurly, to continue along on the old wagon and bullock trails of our pioneering forefathers.  

This time we were covering a greater distance, but by all accounts, it should take us less time.  We had already covered the more challenging section of the Old Dunstan Road.

Our Route

We departed Ranfurly and headed to Clarks Junction, some 90km away.

 Clarks Junction

Clarks Junction is deemed to be the ‘modern’ start of the Old Dunstan Road as it turns north-east into the Lammermoors.  But in the 1860s there was a steady stream travelling from Dunedin via Outram.

Travellers would stop at one of the Accommodation Houses or Grog Shanty’s which had sprung up at Clarks Junction to rest and refresh for the night.  Some miners preferred to carry on straight to Rocklands Station homestead, Deep Creek.  Here, food and shelter were available, before facing the first big climb.  The mountain range is known as the Lammermoors.

Today, the road from Clarks Junction to Deep Creek is sealed but narrow.  Keep a lookout for stock trucks who regularly make the trek from the Rocklands Station.

A bridge now spans Deep Creek, right beside the ford that served the wagons for many years.

Onto the Gravel

As we passed by Deep Creek, we could see some ruins of an old stone house.  This was the Oasis Accommodation House and stands just inside the entrance to a private residence close to the ford.  Records show that there were, in fact, a number of accommodation houses at Deep Creek, and strangely enough, a Police Station.

We crossed over the first of many cattle stops and onto the gravel.  Instantly, we understood why the early travellers would require to be rested before tackling the first of 4 mountain crosses.

We were driven by a different sort of horsepower and traversed the steep and long climb within a few minutes.  For those drays and bullock teams, it must have seemed like that first hill would never end.

It was always a steep and demanding climb and a long, hard haul for coaches and heavily laden wagons, often made worse by early snow.

Sutton Stream

We carried along the narrow metalled track which in places was barely wide enough for two cars to pass.  We reached the zigzag crossing of Sutton Stream which again was a slow and difficult section for the wagons to negotiate.

Old folklore talks about the gold coach hold-ups that used to happen along this narrow pass.  We could understand what easy targets the laden and heavy coaches must have been.  The track was flanked by high hills and cliffs.  They would have already been going slow to negotiate the tight switchbacks and creek crossing at the bottom.

Today, the crossing is on a concrete ford above the normal flow level and poses no problem to cross.  And we didn’t encounter any ambushes or armed hold-ups!

Continuing on we could clearly see the next mountain range that the early travellers needed to climb – the Rock and Pillar Range.

Great Moss Swamp (Loganburn Reservoir)

Before traversing the Rock and Pillar Range, the early drivers needed to negotiate the Great Moss Swamp.  The first miners who travelled the Old Dunstan Road soon nicknamed the area The Dismal Swamp.  This was a good indication of what it must have been like for them.

Now dammed and no longer a swamp but a stunning lake.  It is now known as Loganburn Reservoir and is still classified as a significant wetland.  The dam feeds into the Taieri River further along the Old Dunstan Road at Paerau (Styx).

The Loganburn Reservoir is a relatively recent development and was finished in 1983. 

It was raised by a further 80cm in 2014 by an additional spillway along the top of the dam.  Although 80cm doesn’t sound much, it actually increased the storage of water by a massive 11.5 million cubic metres!

The reservoir provides irrigation for approximately 60 farmers and generates power when the water is released for irrigation.

After walking the dam, we decided it was a good idea to find a sheltered spot for a ‘tailgate’ lunch.  It was certainly an isolated and serene location to break open the thermoses and sandwiches.

The Rock and Pillars

Leaving the Loganburn Reservoir, the Old Dunstan Road continues to climb to the summit of the Rock and Pillars Range.

When the early travellers finally reached the summit, they would rest up at the infamous McPhee’s Accommodation house.  Nothing remains of the buildings today so it is a bit ‘hit and miss’ to work out exactly where it was.  We could identify McPhees Rock (1310m) and McPhees Creek (ford) so had a fair idea of the general location.

The tired travellers must have been relieved to have reached this summit as it was considered to be the halfway mark between The Oasis at Deep Creek and the Styx Hotel.  Hence McPhee’s would be referred to as Halfway House or Mother McPhee’s.

Crossing the ford, the Old Dunstan Road crests the summit at 1041m above sea level.

All Downhill

It’s a steep descent as we travelled down the other side of the mountain range.  No problem for us in the Ranger, however, it must have been a different story for those wagon and coach drivers.

The drivers would have to chain the brake of the wagons to steady the rate of descent.  Not to mention the harsh weather conditions during the winter months.  It was not uncommon for icicles to hang from the horses’ bellies, while they steamed like a furnace from their sweating bodies.

I’m sure they didn’t pause to take in the expansive views over the valley.  The serpentine-like Taieri River twisting and turning through the flatlands, ending up at the Paerau Reservoir – built in the 1950s.

Paerau (Styx) 

Styx was once a hub for the first runholders, and later a busy stopover for wagons, coaches and armed gold escorts, this small settlement holds many memories.

With the endless stream of miners trudging through the area, Accommodation Houses quickly sprung up, followed by a hotel, police station and jail. It is thought that the jail was more for securely housing the gold strongboxes during the mounted escort overnight stops, rather than prisoners.

There was also a ferry operating to transport passengers and goods across the Taieri River.  A second hotel was located across the other side of the river.

All the buildings are located on private property and the signs saying so certainly deters anyone who thinks it is okay to wander the fascinating historic buildings.  We had to be satisfied with viewing from afar.  There is, however, a track located close to the bridge which you can take to get to the jail.  It is tricky to find, but something that we will suss out on our next visit.

From the old ford, both the hotel and remaining Old Dunstan Road lie buried beneath the waters of the Paerau Reservoir.

End of The Road

A Little more than a kilometre from the road bridge over the Taieri, a closed gate on the right marks the point at which the Old Dunstan Road crossed from the two hotels to continue on to Blackball through what is now private property.

That is where we picked up the Old Dunstan Road on our Part One journey the day before.

What To Expect

It was certainly the easier section of the Old Dunstan Road to traverse compared to our travels the day before.  The road is usually a reasonable metalled surface although the long, high section on the summit below McPhee’s Rock can be wet and muddy even in summer.

There are several fords which were easy to navigate, however, they should never be taken for granted.  As usual, always be prepared as the weather can change dramatically very quickly.

Because the road crosses two mountain ranges with hills higher than 1,000m, it is frequently shrouded in fog so pick your day to travel.  The stark beauty of its treeless paddocks and tussock country, dotted with dramatic rock formations is something you won’t want to miss out on.

If you haven’t done so already, click on the link HERE to read Part One of our journey of the Old Dunstan Road.