Tweet
Heading north from the thermal spa town of Hanmer Springs in New Zealand's South Island there are two roads that diverge as they head further north. Both are seasonal, only open a few months of the year and both follow the major power carrying pylon grid that takes hydro produced power from the South Island to the North Island.
We started by following the Rainbow Road that follows the Clarence River through some spectacular high country. A brief stop at Lake Tennyson provided an interesting and more technical track around to the lake's western side with some nice muddy ruts and stretches of lake shore driving.
Our first night's camp was at Coldwater stream, nestled in a high and shady valley (bit cold that night). Day two saw us continuing north to stop and check out a very narrow single person rope swing bridge. Then it was back onto the blacktop and across through Marlborough which is one of New Zealand's major wine growing regions -you'd be in heaven Mike
The Molesworth Station is one of the country's largest and provides a north to south trip of over 100 miles of fairly well maintained gravel road driving and more vistas of open river valleys flanked by mountains. The lack of recent rain would explain the very low population of sheep and cattle.
The second night was a camp at the historic Acheron homestead with slightly warmer temperatures than the first night. With rain predicted for noon the following day we packed up early and headed back home via a cloudy Jollies Pass back into Hanmer.
All in all a good easy two night trip that covered a lot of ground.
More photos:
http://s999.photobucket.com/albums/a...%2010/?start=0
We started by following the Rainbow Road that follows the Clarence River through some spectacular high country. A brief stop at Lake Tennyson provided an interesting and more technical track around to the lake's western side with some nice muddy ruts and stretches of lake shore driving.
Our first night's camp was at Coldwater stream, nestled in a high and shady valley (bit cold that night). Day two saw us continuing north to stop and check out a very narrow single person rope swing bridge. Then it was back onto the blacktop and across through Marlborough which is one of New Zealand's major wine growing regions -you'd be in heaven Mike
The Molesworth Station is one of the country's largest and provides a north to south trip of over 100 miles of fairly well maintained gravel road driving and more vistas of open river valleys flanked by mountains. The lack of recent rain would explain the very low population of sheep and cattle.
The second night was a camp at the historic Acheron homestead with slightly warmer temperatures than the first night. With rain predicted for noon the following day we packed up early and headed back home via a cloudy Jollies Pass back into Hanmer.
All in all a good easy two night trip that covered a lot of ground.
More photos:
http://s999.photobucket.com/albums/a...%2010/?start=0
Comment