Mini adventure on the doorstep

One of the benefits of spending summer in Dunedin’s climate is having the place to yourself.

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.

On closer inspection, though, it had a beaming big holiday-happy smile on its face.

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.

An ancient river transported river gravels from Central Otago. The area was undersea at one stage, too. These days we can walk past huge hunks of rock with great smooth, hole-shaped wounds left behind by what is now known benignly as Trotters Creek. It innocently trickles trackside.

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.

Early on are scary caves, looming dark and threatening, inviting exploratory recreational self-schadenfreuding. But why the pleasure in frightening oneself? What’s that about? Why do people watch horror movies? Maybe it’s practice for the real thing, a flexing of coping muscles softened by our manicured modern existence. It’s hard to imagine the freshly traumatised taking solace in intentionally activating their nervous systems further.

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.

After the caves, don’t be worried about a sign suggesting a one-way route — if you originally entered the bush using the cave route you’re on the right track. The loop begins, curving up and around a spur. This is where things get more dodgy. Slippery when wet.

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.