I thought I’d start this blog with a trip I just did with a bunch of people I work with at Lake Ohau Lodge. Ohau is situated in North Otago just 30 minutes outside of a little town called Twizel. Think mountains and lakes! Currently it is the tail end of autumn and the beautiful gold and red leaves are mostly lying on the ground having been stripped from their perches by ferocious mountain winds. Cloud often conceals the peaks but clear skies reveal distant glaciers. Mount Cook is visible from our chalet where we have a fire pit and wood fire oven in the front yard.
The climate varies between pleasant to unbearable depending on what the weather is doing and on this weekend we were lucky to have low cloud and little wind. It made for nice walking conditions up the North Temple Valley where the thirteen of us carried enough food, drink and speakers to have a good shindig into the early hours. Rhona, my partner, carried the camera equipment while I took the role of sherpa and carried our camping gear and food etc.
A scenic two and a half hour walk through mossy bush and rock hopping upstream saw us to a gorgeous riverbed clearing near the top of the valley where we made camp and got the fire going. Soon the drinks were flowing and music easing us into a good hearty night of getting cosy with nature. I took the time to get a couple of twilight shots but the light soon disappeared so I stowed my camera and joined in the fun.
During the night the weather came in and it pissed down with rain, which made any sunrise photos pointless. That gave me an excuse to nurse my hangover for a couple more hours before rising. In the dried up riverbed was now a creek and on the steep cliffs of the valley were running half a dozen waterfalls that were not there the day before. Most of the troop departed early in morning while a few of us stayed and decided to go further up the valley to check out the new falls. You could not see the peaks from the base of the cliffs and it looked as though the water was pouring out of the sky itself. We spent another hour exploring and taking photos before the weather really started to pack in. I would have kept shooting but had forgotten to bring my rain cover for the camera so we headed back, this time down the riverbed along the centre of the valley.
After the climb up the valley, we returned to camp where I used my amazing chef skills to combine Mee Gorang noodles and Magi soup for one last feed before stowing our soaking camping gear and empty bottles into packs. We took our time heading back through the dripping forests and slippery rock beds to the cars and the short drive back to the lodge to curl up in the warmth of our chalet. I am so stoked to have gotten to do this hike as it was the last opportunity before the snow started falling and the winter weather began its crusade. A few more weeks and I'll be up the ski field chasing snowy landscapes.
