Along the Mt Aspiring Road
Travelling back to Wanaka from the end of the road to the Mt Aspiring National Park we passed this sign. The view of the mountain from this point is not as spectacular as the one closer to Wanaka but the mountain tops were still in sunlight and the shadows were lengthening quickly. I had to get the shot before the light was gone. Wispy clouds above the peak add to the atmosphere.
Mt Aspiring that way!
Further along the road towards Wanaka there is a small lake with boggy edges and patches of reeds. The clear blue sky and mountains coloured yellow by the evening sunlight were reflected in the water. I just had to stop to capture this image. Within a few minutes a breeze caused the water to ripple and the reflections were lost.
Reflections - Mt Aspiring National Park
Where the Road Runs Out
This image reminds me of the first two lines of the hymn “The Dolphin Song” by New Zealand hymn-writer Colin Gibson (WOV 672):
“Where the road runs out and the sign posts end
Where you come to the edge of today…”
Where the road runs out and the sign posts end...
It was late in the afternoon when we arrived at the Raspberry Creek Shelter at the end of the public road from Wanaka to Mt Aspiring National Park. A few cars were parked at the shelter. Despite “No Camping” signs posted by the Department of Conservation, a lone tent was pitched beside the car park.
The grassy valley stretching before us was tinted with yellow highlights from the setting sun. Returning day-walkers relaxed in their cars preparing for the drive back to Wanaka before darkness made the narrow rutted road beside the Matukituki River more difficult to navigate.
In the distance, nestled against the mountains that rise steeply behind, a small green shepherd’s hut accentuated the isolation of this remote corner of Central Otago.
A shepherd's hut nestles beneath steep mountains - A view from Raspberry Creek Shelter - Mt Aspiring National Park
Matukituki Valley
Late afternoon in the Matukituki Valley, 30 km from Wanaka.
Matukituki River
The Wanaka-Mt Aspiring Road to the Matukituki Valley beyond the Treble Cone ski field road is gravel and gets narrower the further you drive up the valley. Bridges across streams are replaced by fords and care must be taken on single-track sections of the road beside the Matukituki River. Climbers wishing to summit Mt Aspiring must leave their cars at the Department of Conservation shelter at the end of the road.
Matukituki River at Sunset near the DOC shelter
The scenery becomes more spectacular as you drive further towards the head of the valley. We had a great time here after 4 days skiing at the nearby Cardrona ski field.
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