Apologies dear readers for my unplanned blogging holiday. I had family visiting from Australia for a week, and then I promptly came down with a nasty cold which took a week to get over the worst of. Fortunately it did not get in the way of a Girl’s Weekend Trip to the lovely township of Hanmer Springs.
Only an hour and a half drive north of Christchurch, it is most well known for its thermal hot pools, and tourist (and locals) descend upon this quiet rural town in their thousands during summer and less so in winter. I get bored sitting in pleasantly warm water after half an hour, so my attraction to the area is the scenery.
Scenery is something that Hanmer has quite a lot of, and I always forget how beautiful my country is til I go out in it for the first time in a while. I don’t normally go to Hanmer at this time of year and in spring the trip is just delightful.
Lovely golden light before sunset
I drove up on the Friday night, and the light got softer and warmer as it slowly dropped to the horizon. Resisting many many urges to stop and take photos, I loved seeing the landscape in this soft golden low sidelight. I shall have to come back again when I have more time to stop and shoot along the way.
Morning fog burning off
A bright clear day ahead
Morning looked dull and dreary, but the sun burned through the cloud cover and left us with wispy streaks of fog around the mountains that slowly cleared to leave a radiant blue sky and bright sun that shone with pleasant spring warmth.
The path meanders onwards
I wanted scenery and lots of it and headed down a road that I hoped would take me up into the mountains. The road certainly did but was not suited to my little car, more of a 4WD track, so I went for a walk along a riverside track that appeared to go up the valley. I didn’t go far as I hadn’t prepared properly nor bought any water with me, but I am sure I could have drunk from the cold clear stream rushing noisily beside me
It certainly looks cold and refreshing
Back across the other side of town, towards the mountains posing so prettily under their snow sprinkled peaks. Everywhere was the bright green of spring, grass and willow trees bright and festive in new leaves.
Like a postcard
I had spotted spring lambs on the drive in and wanted to see if I could get some of the most quintessential scenic shots of NZ, lambs in spring grass. Mum was quite wary of the strange person walking on the side of the road pointing a camera at her babies and summoned them from their napping in the sun to safety. I wanted to try parking in the car and shooting out of the open window to see if that was less scary but the fences were in the way. I could have happily sat in the sun for a while, but the grass was wet and my jeans were not waterproof. I had left my special photography cushion bought for exactly this situation at home, rather unhelpfully.
Lambs
To be continued….. the quest for the perfect river valley shot
Your photos are lovely. It’s a good reminder as we head into autumn here of what’s to come in six months.
Thanks Meg, if you haven’t already check out the bluebells I posted yesterday, and there will be more flowers all through summer, hopefully my garden will start performing soon and I can have photos of them too.
I will. And I suspect I’ll enjoy looking at your lovely summer all winter, too.
haven’t been to Hanmer for ages so thanks for your wonderful photos.
Even if I hadn’t known they were pics of NZ I would have guessed. There is something so quintessentially NZ about the scenery you shot, and as that was what you were aiming for… well done! I haven’t been to Hamner, but would love to – have heard many things about it. That area, from Christchurch up through kaikoura to Blenheim is so beautiful.
Apologies for taking so long to reply, I appreciate your feedback, I was trying to capture NZ as I see it, so if a fellow Kiwi feels that it appeals to them and they can identify with it, then yes, I think I did a good job
It really is lovely in that part of the world, the trip inland from Culverden to Kaikoura is GORGEOUS but hardly anywhere to stop and take photos which is a real shame. Maybe I need a motorbike LOL