The most picture perfect day yet

Amazingly the day was cloudless.  The sky a brilliant blue with high decorative clouds.  The NZ Alps were sharp & clear as we approached.  As we neared the strong brown foothills wiith snow capped, avalanche carved mountains behind them, we realized that we had forgotten the camera! 

Just a dawdling 1.75 hour drive away we were in serious altitude where spring was about 2-3 weeks behind what we are experiencing on the coastal plains.  We could tell because the lambs were smaller and the gorse bushes were just beginning to flower.  The scenery was magnificent!  Mountains upon mountains!  Clear blue sky/stunning brown & white peaks.  We passed several ski areas.  Some are closed because it is spring.  The really high ski areas still have about a week or two before the skiing becomes impossible.

Castle Hill & Flock Hill were a fantastic climb about places.  There limestone formations randomly sprout out of the grassy soil.  The glaciers, wind & rain have sculpted them into fantastic formations that Henry Moore or an ancient (gigantic) sculptor could have made.  They are also a protected area for in ancient times traveling Maori rested in the shelter of these rocks on their journey to either coast.  If you want to scramble around on the rocks, no problem!  If you want to do technical climbing you need a permit.

We also walked to an underground river cave...but the river was too fierce & running high from the spring rains....oh that rain!  This too is a sacred spot for the cave was an ancient burial area.

We saw lots of great wildlife: a small lizard, a rabbit, a pair of yellowhammers (birds), two rock wrens, a really amazing tiny bird (that I can’t identify) and several raptors.  The raptors were soaring in pairs...riding the breezes and wheeling through the mountain clefts.  And then there were a few raptors feasting upon road kill.  I think I might have seen a rare Black Kite.

Clear, sunny, crisp weather is definitely a treasure.