Cape Palliser

Quick zip down to Cape Palliser in a Nissan Sunny on a rather overcast day, hence several black & white shots. As for me, I was aching like a smashed frog from the previous day's ordeal!





Cow / Sea interface



Quaint seaside town, Ngawi






Sea & rocks & stuff




Cape Palliser lighthouse + 250 steps




Kupe's Sail

Tararua Forest: Terror on Mt. Holdsworth!

It was a nice day on the ground, the sun was out. My plan for the afternoon was to ascend to Powell Hut, half an hour from the summit of Mt. Holdsworth (abt. 1500m), and the following day to complete a loop walk taking me to the summit, along a ridge path to Jumbo peak, and then down to the carpark - a 12 hour tramp all told.


A kidney fern! 'Not so' Gentle Annie track on the way up.

Views from Rocky Lookout half way up.

Wiggly trees.

It was a tiring climb and the weather got rough for the last half an hour. I turned really windy and rained, that fine rain that wets you through! Even with poncho, I was soaked on arrival at Powell Hut.

There were 3 deer hunters there who lamented the fact I was not a Swedish girl. I had forgotten my headtorch, but luckily they lent me one. It was incredibly windy that night, but the hut was toasty.

The next day, it was looking clearer and calmer, so I set off for the summit. If it was bad I could turn back or take East Holdsworth track down, which was not far past the summit.

Shortly after I took this picture looking back on Powell Hut, I had to put the camera away because the wind was making it a liability.

I decided to keep going. It was very slow going and the wind kept getting stronger and stronger. One time I was completely blown off my feet into the tussocks. It was really quite awesome. By the time I reached the summit, I'd had enough. I took these pictures sat against the trig point, it was too much effort to stand up in the wind and my fingers were freezing. Still I they have a certain bleak beauty that I like.

There was no way I was going to do the 3 hr walk to Jumbo in that wind so I decided to take East Holdsworth track down. I walked on with incredible difficulty, often resorting to kneeling or lying down, especially when it started hailing and each hail stone was like a bullet shot at me.

I found the track and started down... but then I lost it. I kept going into the tree line. For the next 4 hours I was completely lost. I couldn't find the track and the terrain just kept getting more treacherous. I ended up taking many risks that could've resulted in injuries, hanging from branches as the ground disappeared beneath me, and scrambling down dodgy streams and falls. Needless to say, I was not taking pictures as I went.

Eventually, I followed a stream to it's confluence with the main river, which was a relief. All I had to do was follow the river to safety. Mmmm. It was a nightmare, so many horrible waterfalls and fallen trees for obstacles. I fell over many times, its a wonder I didn't twist my knee or ankle or worse. I eventually found the track by accident to my eternal glee. Even then it took me 1.75 hrs to get back. What should've been a 2.5 hr walk was a 6 hr saga!

Here is the dreaded river looking all calm and lovely like butter wouldn't melt! Oof, I was lucky, could've been a newspaper story. "Goon's carcass found by river"

Wellington

Ragtime piano busking on Cuba Street.

Wellington from Mt. Victoria at sundown.

Welly houses.