Climb Every Mountain!

Thursday 16 October

Spring sunshine was peeping through the clouds as the birdsong woke us up and continued to break through as the morning progressed. We walked up to the DOC I-site to get information about local walks and decided on a few that fit our profile (oldish, unfit, one dodgy back and two dodgy knees!)

We went back to Banjo, packed a picnic and assorted layers and set off to the carpark halfway up Mt Robert where we picked up Paddy’s Track which apparently mainly followed a few contours around the mountain to a lookout just above the treeline and was deemed by the DOC Ranger as suitable for us…

Turned out to be quite the mission - the track varied from leaf strewn forest paths, to stony staircases, rough tree root trip hazards, and then in two instances we had to scramble across scree rock falls and at one point cross a rocky tumbling stream! We climbed up and up till we were above the treeline and the most stunning vistas of Lake Rotoiti & the Rainbow Mountains lay before us.

We stopped for photos at the Pride Rock first look out, climbed a few minutes higher until we were 1km above sea level and found a spot to rest and picnic. Wow! What a view! The clouds were broken above is so we were occasionally bathed in sunshine - and the light on the lake below us was beautiful, dappling it deep green to turquoise and aqua. The Rainbow Mountains opposite us were stunning, etched sharply against the skies behind - from green bush at the lakeside, up through beech forests until the bare rock and scrub above the treeline, occasionally scarred by rivers of scree.

Above the treeline and around the side of Mt Roberts, we were no longer sheltered from the wind and it was pretty chilly - up on the summit behind us there was even a tiny patch of snow (though I missed it with my pointy selfie!) . My pointing improved when I put the finger on where Banjo was parked in Kerr Bay DOC Camp!

Coming down was pretty tricky for both of us - my knees got grumpy as did Louis’ and his back was struggling a wee bit. It was alternately too hot in the sun, a tad chilly in the shade of the trees and freezing in the wind so we were quick changing in and out of our layers like Cher in concert!!!

We were surprised at how quiet the forests were around us, but we did spot three tom tits along the path. These birds are part of the Australasian robin family and are known as miromiro or ngirungiru in Te Reo. This cheeky little fellow below was kind enough to pose in a tree for me to capture on my long Canon lens.

Back down the mountain we paused at West Bay to see the view over the Lake from a different angle, and watched a wet cormorant drying out on the end of the jetty.

Back to Banjo for a siesta and recovery time after our exertions, then a wee stroll round the Bell Bird Loop near our camp, a wander to the Lake, some tui chasing with my long lens, BBQ lamb burgers for dinner, sunset over the lake, washing up in the dark and “Slow Horses”… sooo good!