Time To Move On

After three and a half weeks staying beside Lake Pukaki we decided it was time to move on. Not that we really wanted to ... staying beside the lake has been relaxing and sooo scenic,  plus the dogs loved it (maybe a little too much!).
We packed all of the outside up the night before so we only had to sort the inside the next morning. 

Going ... going ... gone!

Over the last couple of weeks we'd noticed the dump station at Twizel getting busier and busier so our plan was to get there before 9am to dump. It turned out everyone else had the same idea, so when we arrived there was already a queue.
After dumping and filling with fresh water we drove through the Waitaki Valley towards Kurow. We'd decided to stay at a CAP (Cost Applied Parking) just south of Kurow on a farm.

Waitaki Valley obviously hasn't had much rain for awhile - it's barren and dry, so when Lake Benmore popped into view it was a refreshing sight.

And not far after seeing Lake Benmore, just off the main road was Sailors Cutting. This very popular area has a campground, small harbour and boat ramp. There were tents and caravans everywhere, set up amongst mature trees. The boat ramp had a long line of cars and boats patiently waiting for their turn to launch.

I was surprised at how many cars and empty boat trailers there were already parked up, their owners out enjoying the water.

I waited for Bernie at Kurow - we parked the rig on the side of the road and both drove to check out the place we had planned to stay. It's always easier taking the ute a short distance to check whether we will fit in rather than arriving in the rig and having to get out of a tight spot. We weren't expecting it to be quite so far out, so decided to give it a miss and head to Awamoto Domain an NZMCA park.

The Awamoto Domain has an easy access, is dog friendly, and has lots of space. We set up in record time and had a cuppa and some lunch. It's nice looking out the window at some greenery for a change, and there's the bonus of having a few plum trees smothered in fruit along the fence line ... yum!

Lupins - Mackenzie Basin

I've lost count how many times I've been told to back up my photos. And, I'm embarrassed at how often I've remembered to back them up and then decided I'll do it tomorrow instead. Well, you're probably going to guess where this post is going?

I lost them! Yip, thousands of photos ... just like that!

It happened while I was installing an update and my computer froze. It's never, ever done that before. I used my iPad to google how to fix it, but it was hopeless. Nothing I did made a difference.

So, the next day we drove to Timaru and took it to an IT techie. It turned out the hard drive had been wiped and sadly I hadn't backed it up for 9 months. Crazy!

Recently I'd written an article for RV Travel Lifestyle magazine on the Mackenzie Lupins and I had photos to support the article. Well, I did have photos - until the computer crashed. So I was keen to get out and take some more. The good thing was, the lupins were still flowering (just) so I had time to go and photograph them again. Phew!

And in among all the lupins were the tourists!

Not far from here is 'Irishman Creek'. My mum lived there for a year when she was a child. Now, there's not much to mark the spot other than a dinky little building.

Last time I'd driven along this stretch of road I'd noticed a stream with lupins growing along the riverbank, beside the 'Tekapo Military Training Camp', so I headed for that. I clambered down the side of the bridge and down a gravel bank but stopped when I read these signs! 'Danger Keep Out' 

'Live Firing Range' 

'Explosions and Live Firing may Occur at Anytime'.

I was keen to get some photos of lupins - but not that keen!!!

I knew there were still some lupins flowering on the east side of Lake Tekapo, so that's where I headed next. But not before taking a detour to see the temporary fencing going up around The Church of the Good Shepherd. Due to the amount of tourists stopping and trampling over the grounds, littering and entering the church when services are in progress (despite being asked not to), a fence had to be erected. 

It's a shame it had to come to this - here's hoping people will now respect the area.

One positive thing about the fence is that it's easy to take a photo of the church without the shot being photo bombed by tourists!

About ten minutes out of Lake Tekapo is a bridge named 'Edwards Bridge', I'd noticed lupins on the side of the stream below as we'd crossed the bridge coming home from Timaru. So I parked the car and walked along the river to get some photos.

I love wandering along knowing I have all the time in the world to enjoy the scenery and take it all in. Being beside a stream with beautiful coloured flowers everywhere was so special. 

Every few metres a little rabbit would dart out from a clump of lupins and race off to find a safe spot to hide.

As you can imagine the smell was heavenly. The wind was started to get quite strong so getting a shot of a lupin standing upright was almost impossible.

I headed home feeling pleased I had my lupin photos again. As I was getting nearer to Lake Pukaki I noticed the wind was becoming gusty and by the time I arrived at the rig it was blowing a gale. For the next three hours we were shaken and rattled. It felt like the van was going to be blown over. And the noise! 

But to compensate for the din, nature displayed another special sunset. 

Once the sun sunk behind the mountains, the wind eased, and it was silent again. And, all was forgiven.

Picturesque Lake Pukaki

Whenever I see Lake Pukaki I'm in awe of its beauty. Huge snowy peaked mountains provide a stunning backdrop, while the turquoise blue water is truly breath-taking. 

On a day without wind the reflections are amazing.

Lake Pukaki was created by a receding glacier, huge glacial rock blocked the valleys. As it's glacial fed it has a distinctive blue colour, created by glacial flour (finley ground rock particles from the glaciers).

The lake's fed by the braided Tasman River which runs from the Tasman and Hooker Glaciers near Mount Cook. 

When we were staying at Lake Tekapo NZMCA park, Ian McGregor and his wife Vicky called in to meet us. Ian had messaged me in Methven to tell me about Awa Awa Reserve with lots of colourful rhododendrons growing amongst native bush. It was nice meeting up with them. When they heard we were hoping to find a place to stay at Lake Pukaki they suggested driving along Hayman Road,  there're lots of freedom camping spots all along the lakeside.

We found a great spot overlooking the lake - with gorgeous views from every window. If you're reading this Ian & Vicky, thanks for another great recommendation. It's perfect.

Not only do we love it here, the dogs do too. Paddy loves being near the water, although we're careful with how much he's in the water now since he became unwell. The two little dogs absolutely adore being in rabbit country. We've had to put the dog fencing up or we'd lose them down a rabbit hole.

The weather has been incredibly hot and although Lake Pukaki is a glacier fed lake, it hasn't stopped us from having swims to cool off. And we've been kayaking most days, it's pretty special paddling on clear, icy blue water and seeing Mount Cook at the head of the lake.

Other than us being in and on the lake the only other boat we've seen on it is the H2Explore Hovercraft. It seats 10 people plus a pilot. The hovercraft was constructed in Saint Petersburg by a Russian company. 

Using a hovercraft means the riverbed and shoreline won't need any structures as no launching platform is needed. It's the only vessel to travel between water and land without disturbing the natural riverbed.

The day we watched it, it was obvious they were experiencing some mechanical problems. It was making a tremendous noise and although capable of traveling at speeds of up to 70kms, on this particular day it was barely making headway.

Further along Hayman Road (about 500metres) is the Tekapo B Power Station. Huge penstocks come down from the hillside and enter the power station. Lake Pukaki is part of the Waitaki hydroelectric scheme. A canal running from Lake Tekapo feeds water into the power station on Lake Pukaki's eastern shore.

The penstocks carry the water from the canal into the power station. 

Just before the power station there's another road on the right, which leads to the salmon farms. Bernie caught a few salmon and was surprised at the size of some he saw swimming in the canal. I couldn't get a photo because he'd cut them into steaks before he came home. 

Bernie's daughter, Renee, came to stay for a few days. They had a special father/daughter time - kayaking, swimming, bike-riding and catching up. 

The sunrises and sunsets make the beginning and end of days extra special.

Sunset

Sunrise

The golden hour made the burnt, dried off grass around the rig a rich, golden colour.

I love the moods that the lake and weather bring. From dark, stormy skies to sunshine and people literally dancing for joy!

While we're staying in the area I'll try night photography. This area boasts one of the world's cleanest, driest and darkest skies. Perfect conditions for lots of practise. This photo was taken by resting my camera on a rock (at that stage I couldn't find my tripod, I knew I'd packed it but couldn't remember where!). Not ideal conditions because it was cloudy, so no shots of any stars.