4 March 2007

Lake Rere Circuit

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Can't see the lake yet, but the valley is narrowing considerably up ahead. We head on. It's getting close to lunchtime, and we'd rather hoped to have lunch beside the lake.

We move on through a mix of light forest and scrubby pasture

and here we are.

There's actually not much recreation available except walking through it, and identifying the various kinds of scrub.

We find a quiet spot just along from here and drop our packs. Lunch is again quite handsome, this being only our second day out from delicatessens.

On we go along the edge of the lake

The lake actually drains towards the Greenstone, and we take a last look

before heading up a long slow incline track with bellbirds with us all the way.

I can't even start to describe this. The light through the trees is amazing. like walking through my fantasy of some stately English park, and the birdsong unbelievably rich.

At some stage, someone has put the stonework in place for a bridge but now only a few rotten bearers are left. The track passes by to the left.

We leave the reserve behind and head down the vehicle track towards Elfin Bay.

Miranda prepares to fill her hat with cold water before wringing it out and replacing it on her head. Me too.

And here's Wakatipu. The idea of doing the circuit this way is that you get a good half hour or more looking up Wakatipu towards Mt Earnslaw. It's a bit misty for this to be a major feature. In fact after the birdsong it doesn't rate. Coming in as we are doing, we also get the low afternoon sun in our faces.