Trip 032 - OTMC Picnic - Long Beach

 

DATE: February 12, 2023
LEADER: Informal
MEET: Long Beach carpark, from 10.30am 

An annual club picnic was a feature on the club trip programme for many years, with the first listed being to Karitane in 1927. Pipikaretu Beach on the Otago Peninsula became a favourite with around 20 picnics held there up to 1993 (access has since been restricted). Other locations have included Trotters Gorge (first one in 1954), Long Beach (1955), Bucklands Crossing (1966), Bethunes Gully (1987) and Ben Rudd’s (2004).

This year we are holding the ‘annual’ picnic at the northern end of Long Beach, most likely near the caves. Aside from picnics, Long Beach has featured as a tramping location since 1931 with trips such as ‘Kaikai – Murdering – Long Beaches’ and ‘Spit – Long Beach – Purakanui’. Rock climbing trips were also a regular trip to Long Beach in the 1980’s and 1990’s, with Wednesday evening and the odd weekend climbing sessions.

The picnic is an informal trip, meeting at the Long Beach carpark from around 10.30am for a midday picnic on the beach (follow the access track to the beach, and then head north to the far end, past the rock climbing outcrop).