
Trotters Gorge campsite is only an hour’s drive from Dunedin but one day during the primetime Christmas break there was a sole campervan. It stood out like some ex-partner parked at night outside their former home with the excuse of using the Wi-Fi.

There’s a shallow, splashable river surrounded by bush, hours of fun, no further walking required. And the intriguing density of the bush entices us in to a walkable geological Disneyland.

Trotters Gorge Track includes a looped section and takes about two hours to walk. Initially, it’s a doddle and the track is more of a footpath.

Self-schadenfreuding surely isn’t appealing for people already living the horrors of war. Perhaps finding a thrill in one’s own horror is a niche luxury available mainly to those who have lived a life without much actual horror.

With the increase in altitude the trees become shorter. Keep your eyes high to glimpse tell-tale sky previewing the upcoming plateau. Once there, a couple of off-track viewpoints oversee the steep-sided gorge below.
Scrubby vegetation is a help to hold on to from this point as the track is briefly steep. By now it’s easy to be blase but further rock boulders backdrop the downhill, helping ramp up the drama of this mini adventure.