Winter

Snow fell on the mountains early in the month of July. When the clouds lifted the snow was quite low and the temperature dropped. It was very chilly in the mornings and although I’m not interested in soccer, or football as they now call it, some of the world cup games were being played around breakfast time. The best to watch for me was the Germany v Brazil game. Oh sure, it was a walk over but at least something was happening. I didn’t like those shoot-outs at all and I always felt sorry for the losing team. In the Washborne Gardens in Richmond, a number of Monarch butterflies gather to pass away the winter months. I guess it is because of the selection of flowering shrubs and trees scattered throughout the gardens at this time of the year. Although the wings on all the Monarchs I saw looked to be quite weather worn but no doubt will last long enough for each to mate in the coming spring.

Weather Worn Monarch

Mapua – Ruby Bay Walk

Looking Down on Ruby Bay and Mapua with the Richmond Ranges on the Skyline.

Our walking group gathered at Mapua mid-July, and then walked along the shoreline to Ruby Bay beach. Rubies?  Sorry, no rubies but you will find many red jasper pebbles on the beach. They are iron rich and were formed about two hundred million years ago. Besides these there are many other different types of pebbles from granite to petrified wood making a wander along the beach always interesting. From here we wandered up to Pine Hill, a subdivision with large expensive looking houses and all seemed to have a great view of Tasman Bay. The way back to the coast was down a native bush clad gully to come out opposite the entrance to the McKee Reserve and camping ground where we had lunch. After lunch, some went back to the cars via another bush track but most just followed the coast.

A Brightwater Walk

Roman Remains at Brightwater.

We joined another group another day, to walk around the village streets of Brightwater looking at some of the historical wooden homes still standing after more than a hundred years. All, or nearly all, were being lived in today so it was only street front viewing although interesting all the same to observe the older styles. Passing one shop, I was surprised to see some old Roman pottery for sale! We have enjoyed watching on Sky TV a series on archaeology, Time Team, and they dig up plenty of this so it seemed a little strange to see some here, thousands of miles from where it was made and a couple of thousand years ago.

An Old Hunting Story

Mt Cook, Ice for Water.

The Deerstalkers held their annual national conference in Nelson this year and as conferences seem to be quite costly these days, I just went along for a look. I was shaking hands even before I got in the door and once inside met up with a couple of old mates. I didn’t stay long as they soon started their deliberations once more, but a day later another old hunting mate, Brian Witton and his wife Colleen called in. We swapped some old photos and these brought back plenty of memories.

I had met Brian and his mate Bruce Cathie while working in Ashburton in 1962 and they had invited me to join them on a trip to Mt Cook. I was very fresh in those days and had hardly wandered much higher than 2600 feet above sea level (800m) for my hunting, so climbing up Mt Cook Range and staggering along at around 1600m asl (5200ft) was a real experience with more than my tongue hanging out. Brian and Bruce had an old V8 truck upon which they had built a canopy on the back. It was more or less like a movable small hut. Cosy, would be a Land Agent’s description.  We drove along the old Ball Hut Road, parked up and then started climbing. One didn’t have to bend over to get a handhold as all one had to do was just reach out in front to grasp some tussock for assistance during the climb. We reached one of the basins and searched for any game. It was tahr and chamois that we were after and I think it was the second basin that my friends spotted a herd of tahr. The other guys had telescopic sights and .7x57mm and .270 calibre rifles while I only had an ex-army .303 with open sights. Quite a handicap.

Crossing the Tasman Glacier, Brian Witton.

We ended up right under Mt Cook and at 12,000 feet, it loomed high above us. Actually, we were quite a distance away but I did gaze in wonder at the avalanches that roared down its slopes. One heard the roar and then quickly scanned the slopes to try and see the rush of snow and ice hurtling down as it took a little while for the sound to reach us. Back along the range to start the ‘climb’ down,  we could hear what sounded like pistol shots every now and then. This was from the Tasman Glacier moving ever so slowly far below. From up high the glacier didn’t look that far across and we could see the Murchison Valley on the other side. Coming down was a dream as if one could pick a good slide, or scree, with the rocks on the smaller side, one would be down on the valley floor in a matter of minutes as against the two to three hours of climbing.

Looking Down on the Tasman Glacier.

After a couple of days up high, Brian and I decided to cross the Tasman glacier and try our luck in the Murchison Valley. Crossing the glacier was a little scary in parts with all the pools with sides like an inverted volcano. Slip down into one of these and there would be no hope of getting out as the sides were all ice. Other parts of the glacier itself was covered with rocks but with ice underneath and travel had to be cautious but it was okay. They said it was a mile across and it took us half an hour to reach the other side. We did see a bull tahr on the valley floor but that was about it. Coming back across the glacier took quite a bit longer as we were tired and it was getting dark. I was so tired that I didn’t recognise the last lateral moraine upon which the road ran. After climbing on this slope in the dark on all fours, it took awhile to realise that I was then crawling across a level surface. It was the road and I was half way across it. It was a good job it was now dark and Brian was ahead and out of sight!

June rainfall at our place was 140mm with our monthly average of 177mm so less this month.