Parnassus

Sticking to our plan of keeping our traveling from place to place under two hours we headed south from Kaikoura. Less than an hour later we arrived at a small settlement named Parnassus. It's on the east coast of the South Island, between Kaikoura and Christchurch. In 2008 the Parnassus school closed and is now used by the NZMCA as a park for members. There's oodles of space to park on the grass but after a long stretch of wet weather the grass was very wet. Like most campers, we stuck to the concrete area to avoid getting get stuck.

Parnassus seems an unusual name, so I did a little research and discovered ... Many years ago, a local sheep run owner, Edward Lee, noticed a likeness between a local hill and the sacred Mount Parnassus in central Greece. It was Edward Lee who named the area Parnassus.

As I mentioned it's a small area so there wasn't a lot to explore. 

The nearby paddocks were covered with round baleage. I'm guessing these bales will be wrapped, before being carted away to be stored. Eventually they'll be used as feed for stock.

Other paddocks looked ready to be mown. After being cut, the fields will be raked and then baled.

If we visited this area in a month or so, this wild apple tree, growing along the roadside, will be ready for picking. Yum, nothing like sweet, crispy, spray-free apples!

Noticing the forecasted storm approaching, we headed back to camp. That night we drifted off to sleep to the sound of thunder and rain. Bliss.

Balmoral - North Canterbury

After leaving Weedons (just south of Christchurch) the plan was to stay a couple of nights at Amberley Beach on our way to Hanmer Springs. We'd stayed at Amberley Beach four months ago and really enjoyed it. So we were surprised (and disappointed) when we pulled into the camping area to discover it had gone from being well maintained to run-down. The grass was no longer green, instead it was dry, dusty patch of ground. It was so uninviting we decided not to bother. Instead - we drove half an hour further north to the Balmoral Reserve.

We found a place to park up just to the left of the entrance. Being nice and private it suited us perfectly. With a relaxing outlook of trees we settled in for a peaceful evening.
Then as the sun began setting we witnessed another of nature's spectacular performances. It seemed as though the sky was presenting its very own show - starting with pastel lemon hues, which quickly transformed to a golden saffron-yellow before ending in a grand finale of blazing fiery orange. Heaven's impressive light show was further enhanced by the striking ever-changing cloud formations.

Lake Taylor

Lake Taylor is part of the Lake Sumner Forest Park in North Canterbury. It's about 50kms from State Highway 7.

The turn off to the Lake, depending which direction you are coming from is ...

If you are coming from Culverden and heading south, the turnoff is on the right hand side just past the historic Hurunui Hotel.

If you are driving from Christchurch and heading north, the turnoff is on your left at Waikari, then drive through to Hawarden and turnoff to 'Lake Sumner'.

The first part of the road is tarseal where you'll travel past diary farms. 

Further on, the road turns to gravel. It's a well maintained road and suitable for 2WDs as far as Lake Taylor - to continue on from Lake Taylor, you'll need a 4WD. 

We were surprised with the traffic we met. I stopped counting after we pulled over to let 20 or more vehicles past.

Some station horses grazing in a roadside paddock were enjoying the warm spring sunshine.

The road, which can be narrow in places, winds beside the Waitohi River and twists it's way up Jack's Saddle (500metres).

Near the summit, the view overlooking the Hurunui River was spectacular.

Driving down the vegetation changed to manuka, and some native bush.

After crossing a small, wooden bridge we stopped to have lunch and let the dogs have a run around (yes, dogs are allowed - we checked).

Paddy being forever hopeful that he could have a swim - but it was too swift.

Surveyors Stream flowing into the Hurunui River.

Around the bend of the river some kayakers and rafters paddled through. It's a grade 3 river with a nearby sign suggesting it takes 3 hours to kayak to the Balmoral Irrigation inlet or 8 hours to the Hurunui Bridge.

Further on there were places on the side of the road where cars were parked, perhaps their owners were fishing, on a day tramp or maybe staying overnight in one of the many DOC huts.

Merino are a breed of sheep known for having some of the finest and softest wool. They have crimped fleece and the males have curled horns. Even though Merinos look grey, their fleece is bright white just underneath.

Merinos are a resilient breed and can be farmed in the South Island's high country. The natural characteristics of their wool keep them cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

One paddock had over a dozen massive bulls grazing, I asked Bernie to stop so I could get a photo of them. They are such a majestic animal.

Hereford and Angus bulls - popular for beef and resilience in harsher environments.

After driving for an hour we arrived at Lake Taylor. A chilly nor-wester was blowing a gale. We stayed long enough to take a couple of photos and to let the dogs have a run. The wind was so strong it blew Paddy's ears out horizontally.

It would be a great place to spend a few days, as I'm sure this camper was doing. There was no sign of anyone - perhaps he/she was out fishing. Lake Taylor is known to be good for fishing.

On the drive home there was much less traffic. Just time to enjoy the stunning scenery. 

The riverbanks were lined with wild kowhai.

We stopped and watched some more kayakers on the way back. There were also several cars parked in various parking coves along the river. The Hurunui River has Chinook Salmon and brown trout - the season is all year round with a limit of 2 salmon and 2 trout.

The dogs loved checking out the scenery, the smells and animals.

The cows were as interested in us as we were in them. This one was feasting on the spring flowering rapeseed. Rapeseed is a bright yellow flowering member of the mustard or cabbage family grown here as a break crop for cows. It can also be used for vegetable oil and biodiesel.  

Hereford cattle are a beef cattle breed, widely used in many different climates, primarily for meat production. The Heredford's temperament is more docile than other cattle breeds making them easier to handle. 

I'm not surprised the wind was so chilly with the scatterings of snow on the mountains.

To get home we took a detour through Hawarden and Waikari. The dogs were pleased to be home and the rest of the evening was spent relaxing. 

The day finished with a gorgeous sunset - a nice end to our stay at Balmoral.