Bethune's Gully is notable geological feature of northern

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

, in the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It is located close to the suburb of Normanby towards the northern end of

North East Valley North East Valley (sometimes spelt Northeast Valley, and often abbreviated to NEV) is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. Geography North East Valley sits in the valley of the Lindsay Creek, a tributary of the Water of Leith and on t ...

. It preserves a number of acres of very

old-growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

and a large stand of exotic

Douglas fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...

, and is an ecosystem directly below the

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud c ...

on the upper slopes of

Mount Cargill Mount Cargill, known in Māori as Kapukataumahaka,Place names'' on Kāti Huirapa Runaka ki Puketeraki website, viewed 2012-01-04 is a volcanic outcrop which dominates the skyline of northern Dunedin, New Zealand. The peak is named for Captain ...

. The gully was formed by the upper reaches of

Lindsay Creek The Lindsay Creek is a tributary of the Water of Leith which runs through the northern suburbs of Dunedin, New Zealand. The Māori name ''Puke-haukea'' has been attributed to the creek; however, as ''puke'' means a hill, not a watercourse, this ...

, a tributary of the

Water of Leith The Water of Leith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Uisge Lìte'') is the main river flowing near central Edinburgh, Scotland, and flows into the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth. Name The name ''Leith'' may be of Britto ...

which flows along North East Valley. The gully is surrounded by an reserve and recreational area at the start of walking and trail-biking tracks which lead up the slopes of Mount Cargill, to the north. The most notable of these is a 2-hour round trip walk which leads to the Cargill's summit, a rise of , which was opened in 1981.Hamel, A. (2007) ''Dunedin tracks and trails.'' Dunedin: Silver Peaks Press. . pp 5.14-15 In 1996 Bethune's Gully was the venue for the New Zealand national mountain-biking championships. Biking tracks were extended after the championships and were opened to the public in 2003. Nearby Forrester Park, on Norwood Street, is home to the city's main BMX circuit. The reserve was named for David Bethune, who took over the property in 1878, setting up a sawmill and brick kiln. The property fell into disuse after it was sold by Bethune, only to be redeveloped by J. B. Thompson immediately after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and leased to the Dunedin City Council. It became city property after Thompson's death in 1955.Herd, J. and Griffiths, G.J. (1980) ''Discovering Dunedin.'' Dunedin: John McIndoe. . p. 31 The Gully is reached by Cluny Street, a short paved road off Normanby's Norwood Street, beyond which Norwood Street passes through a narrow

cutting Cutting is the separation or opening of a physical object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. Implements commonly used for wikt:cut, cutting are the knife and saw, or in medicine and science the scal ...

before emerging in open countryside.

References

External links

Mountain bike trailsMount Cargill at www.peakbagging.co.nzBethunes Gully
track description and map at the Dunedin City Council website {{coord, -45.832948, 170.551646, region:NZ-OTA_type:landmark, display=title Geography of Dunedin Forests of New Zealand Mountain biking in New Zealand Valleys of Otago Protected areas of Otago Tourist attractions in Dunedin Parks in Dunedin