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Mt Barrosa Summit Track (or Barossa), Hakatere Conservation Park
Met this guy back at the car.
Rat Hill via Redcliffe Stream
The upper reaches of Redcliffe Stream
Little Mt Peel Circuit, Peel Forest Scenic Reserve
I tried to capture the various interesting ridge colours and shapes in this shot. Not bad, although my equipment struggled a bit with the contrasting light of the dark foreground and glary background.
Castle Hill Rocks / Kura Tawhiti Access Track
Not sure if this tarn is there in all seasons.
Mt Oxford Loop, Oxford Forest Conservation Area
A cloud inversion clearing in the Lees Valley.
Dry Acheron Track, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Near the end of the track.
Woolshed Creek Hut Circuit, Mt Somers area
The tracked crosses an unnamed creek that had carved out a very narrow and shear sided gorge. This is visited on a very short side track to a waterfall (out of frame to the right).
Red Hill via Porter River, Korowait/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
We met this guy along the way. I missed out on a good shot of it flying away.
Coal Hill Track, Mt Peel Conservation Area
My only portrait oriented shot of the day.
Peak Hill ascent, Canterbury NZ
Here's a portrait version of a shot I also took in landscape.
Mt Taylor ascent, Canterbury
Very rugged around one of the forks of the Swin River South Branch.
Black Hill Circuit, Hakatere Conservation Park
New Zealand Falcon / Kārearea at Turtons Saddle.
Mt Oakden ascent, Canterbury
A steep climb up though scree towards the twin summits.
Woolshed Creek Hut Circuit, Mt Somers area
An unnamed waterfall on one of the tributaries of Woolshed Creek. We crossed this higher up.
Mt Taylor ascent, Canterbury
Looking down the Swin River South Branch.
Dry Acheron Track, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Trig M via Coach Stream Track, Korowai-Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Looking over towards the Canterbury Plains.
Mt Somers & Pinnacles Circuit, Canterbury
A waterfall on the Mt Somers Track.
Big Ben via Dry Acheron Stream, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
This section of the Dry Acheron Stream (near the start) was dry when we came here just a few weeks ago.
Mt Grey / Maukatere Circuit, North Canterbury
Something I'd never seen before - a fungi covered tree.
Mt Bruce Circuit, Craigieburn Forest Park
Almost at the summit. Packard Peak (2066m) in the Grey Range at the back.
Woolshed Creek Hut Circuit, Mt Somers area
Looking back up Morgan Stream.
Castle Hill Rocks / Kura Tawhiti Access Track
Sophia warming herself on one of the rocks.
Woolshed Creek Hut Circuit, Mt Somers area
A very narrow section of the gorge through which Woolshed Creek passes.
Mt Cheeseman from Texas Flat, Craigieburn Range
Lots of wildflowers blooming in early summer.
Mt Potts Circuit, Canterbury
Looking up towards point 2140m at the end of the valley.
Castle Hill Peak via Foggy Peak (in spring)
Sophia descending from Foggy peak with Lake Lyndon in the background. It was around here that we passed one of my Instagram followers, only neither of us knew it then. She realised the next day after I posted a picture from the walk. Small world.
Steepface Hill ascent, Hakatere Conservation Park, Canterbury NZ
I liked these sharp cuttings in the banks of Terrible Gully.
Mt Oxford Loop, Oxford Forest Conservation Area
Very attractive beech forest.
Big Ben via Dry Acheron Stream, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Having not walked in winter much I was fascinated by the way ice formed on the flimsiest of blades of grass.
Mt Bruce Circuit, Craigieburn Forest Park
Nice beech forest early on in the walk.
Scotts Saddle Track, Mount Hutt Range
The roots of trees were making nice patterns.
Godley Peak & Moorhouse Peak via Homestead Hill, Palmer Range
Looking up to point 2010m, which was the last bit of climbing before the flattish summit area.
Mt Harper & Cairn Hill Circuit, Hakatere Conservation Park NZ
I very much liked this alpine plant.
Rakaia Gorge Walkway
The upper gorge from the lookout.
Ben More Tops Circuit, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands ParkBen More Tops Circuit, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Sophia on a shingle slope climbing to point 1660m.
Mt Oxford Loop, Oxford Forest Conservation Area
The beech forest on the upper sections of our descent was amongst the most beautiful I've seen.
Mt Oxford Loop, Oxford Forest Conservation Area
Mt Harper Circuit, Hakatere Conservation Park
Ascending the lower slops with Lake Camp and Lake Clearwater behind.
Mt Guy Circuit, Hakatere Conservation Park
Castle Hill Peak via Foggy Peak (in spring)
Returning from the summit. I took a lot of pictures trying to represent the steepness of this section. This is probably the best. It actually felt a lot less steep this second time, possibly due to familiarity, much less wind (ie, less scary), or else in snow rather than bare scree.
Mt Peel via Middle & Little Mt Peel, Canterbury NZ
The clouds were moving up and covering many ridges as I returned in early evening.
Mt Peel via Middle & Little Mt Peel, Canterbury NZ
A bit of cloud porn in this shot.
Red Hill via Porter River, Korowait/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
The Canterbury Plains were under cloud.
Peak Hill ascent, Canterbury NZ
You know the views are good when Sophia bothers to get her phone out and take her own pictures.
Big Ben via Dry Acheron Stream, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
A strikingly orange rock.
Ben More Tops Circuit, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Vegetable sheep I think. There were lots in this spot. Very cool.
Mt Grey / Maukatere Circuit, North Canterbury
A close up of that fungi covered tree.
Castle Hill Peak and Foggy Peak, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
The final climb to Castle Hill Peak. This last bit looked a bit intimidating given the high winds, but it was mostly fine. A bit steep and loose in a couple of places.
Red Hill via Porter River, Korowait/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Mt Peel via Middle & Little Mt Peel, Canterbury NZ
My artistic shot for the day.
Mt Somers & Pinnacles Circuit, Canterbury
The final push to the summit.
Mt Bruce Circuit, Craigieburn Forest Park
Ben More Tops Circuit, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Sophia backed by the head of the valley between the two ridges of this walk.
Castle Hill Peak and Foggy Peak, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Lake Lyndon
Red Hill via Porter River, Korowait/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
I took a few too many shots of this view. I really like the topography here though, with various mountains pooping out of the otherwise flat ground.
Castle Hill Peak and Foggy Peak, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Pink hues at the saddle below Foggy Peak. You can just see Sophia at the bottom, making her way up.
Mt Oxford Loop, Oxford Forest Conservation Area
The three tiers of Ryde Falls. I had to use my phone to take this, and it only just fit it all in. A bit cramped. Snow melt from beech trees further up the mountain had dripped onto my mirrorless camera and temporarily damaged it. I didn't dare turn it on again until the next day, but was happy to see that it had recovered.
Black Mountain, Te Kahui Kaupeka Conservation Park
There were alpine mushrooms! This one at about 1600m.
Mt Alford Track, Canterbury NZ
Sophia enjoying the views after the weather cleared.
Little Mt Peel Circuit, Peel Forest Scenic Reserve
I took quite a few pictures of these wrinkly mountains to the south-west.
Mt Oakden ascent, Canterbury
A fabulous cluster of Spaniards here. Best admired from afar.
Mt Harper & Cairn Hill Circuit, Hakatere Conservation Park NZ
I was surprised to see conglomerate rock on my way down Cairn Hill. My first time to see this in NZ.
Red Hill via Porter River, Korowait/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Various pointy mountain to the east of Lake Coleridge
Mt Somers from Sharplin Falls Reserve
Mt D'Archiac from Mt Somers. The Clent Hills in the foreground. We climbed those to the Mt Barrosa summit just two days before.
Mt Bruce Circuit, Craigieburn Forest Park
Castle Hill Peak and Foggy Peak, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Heading back towards Foggy Peak.
Mt Oakden ascent, Canterbury
Looking up the Harper Valley.
Mt Alford Track, Canterbury NZ
Interesting fungus.
Mt Oakden ascent, Canterbury
Descending steep scree slopes, with views of the Wilberforce Valley the whole way.
Little Mt Peel Circuit, Peel Forest Scenic Reserve
Nice vegetation as we descended on the South Ridge Track.
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Cliffs on the frosty southern side of Mt Somers.
Mt Cloudsley via Long Spur, Craigieburn Forest Park
The last bit to the summit of Mt Cloudsley.
Castle Hill Rocks / Kura Tawhiti Access Track
Bit of scale in this shot.
Steepface Hill ascent, Hakatere Conservation Park, Canterbury NZ
Blue Hill
Mt Oxford Loop, Oxford Forest Conservation Area
Frozen plants on the tops.
Woolshed Creek Hut Circuit, Mt Somers area
Looking back at the rocky scenery we walked above in the morning.
Big Ben via Dry Acheron Stream, Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park
Ice on the south side of the plants. I guess it was colder, and also sheltered from the prevailing (and often wild) north-west winds.
