Spring walk - Glenorchy

Today is glorious.

The drive up Lake Wakatipu is magnificent. Snow-capped mountains, deep turquoise Lake Wakatipu and blue skies.
The Glenorchy Cafe is our first stop. Here we are in the wilderness enjoying a wonderful lunch.
There is time for me to introduce Dick to the walk I enjoyed with Margaret and Graham and Tao in January.

Come walk with us, at Glenorchy.

Promise of new growth on the willows. The Rees River enters Lake Wakatipu.

Skeletal trees border our path.

Snow-capped mountains encircle us.

Catkins...

Glenorchy wharf.

Te Araroa Trail - a virtual walk today.

Tonight we watched Freebird's  Te Araroa Trail DVD.
Wonderful photographs of an epic walk from Cape Reinga in the north to Bluff in the south. Around 3000km.

All I need to do is connect some of the places that I have walked on the Te Araroa trail this year....!!

 Queen Charlotte Track

 Lake Rotoiti

 Glenorchy

 Mt Eden

 One Tree Hill

In the meantime...

Come walk with me on Rangitoto Island this Thursday 28 February.
We are leaving on Fullers ferry at Pier 2 at 9.15am.   We will return at 12.45pm.
If you want to join us please send me an email pearlsonwheels@gmail.com or just turn up at the ferry terminal.
Strong shoes, sunhat, sunscreen and water are necessary.

Bob's Cove Walk

This afternoon I walked  Bob's Cove bridle track which is a section of the route pioneers and their horses travelled between Queenstown and Glenorchy.  Old schist walls and telephone lines seem out of place among the red beech forest.  

It was an easy couple of hours with many stops along the way. 

it was overcast when I set off. The sun came out and 'glory shone around'. I was accompanied by birdsong, and was surprised by splashes of southern rata blossom. The track took me across small beaches  and through lots of regenerating forest among the red beech.

 The track is covered in beech leaves and leads me...

to the turquoise lake.

 with juvenile lancewood...

 to a typical NZ forest trail. Stones,...

 ferns,

and the beginning of a small stream.

 Southern rata, a blaze of red at the lake's edge.

Glenorchy Walkway

The light was amazing as I drove to meet Margaret and Graham, at Glenorchy. At times the sky seemed  pale lilac color.

We set off on the Glenorchy Walkway. The path takes us alongside Lake Wakatipu and around wetlands.  

Extensive board walks keep our feet dry as we walk through the wetlands.

Tao came along for the walk. He has well-honed retrieving skills.