Early Bird catches the Reflection

Thursday 30 January

Early morning alarm 5.45am… bit of a shock! But the forecast was for a sunny day so we set off to Lake Matheson so that we could watch the sun rise over the lake & see the perfect reflections.

Although the official time of sunrise was around 6.30am, it would take another hour or so for the sun to scale the Southern Alps.

We dashed round the lake to claim a spot on the deck at Reflection Island, then wondered if the View of Views might be a better option, but on arrival there we realised that there were slight ripples on the lake which detracted from the reflective image of the mountain kings, so we settled in at a halfway point with a lovely lake view for a while before returning to the Island. As the sun's rays crept through and then over the mountains, the hues of the reflection changed subtly and the mist added a ghostly line down the fulcrum of the image. It was stunning!

We were the first to arrive but soon joined by a few others and I have to say it was a beautiful way to start the day ❤️ Sorry, not sorry, for the large number of similar but still unique photos!

Walking back to the carpark as the sun broke through in full, the light on the spiders webs and nests was exquisite and the soft shadows on the mountains contrasted strongly with the golden light and sharp dark shadows of the foreground.

Back to the campsite for a hearty breakfast as a reward for all those steps - then a siesta for me while Louis went off cycling.

Completed a few late posts & blogs then had a snacky late lunch before we both went cycling up towards Fox Glacier.

The cycle path culminated well short of the glacier terminus as climate change has eroded a huge area of mountain which has created a semi-permanent landslip and taken out the old road in several places. Roast dinner to close the day and time spent packing & clearing for an early departure in the morning. Off to Haast Pass - wish us luck!