Rawanui Forest Park
We are in Hokitika, which we like to call "Hockey-tika" just to Canuck it up a bit. :p We have been doing lots of hiking and also went river kayaking a few days ago, plus caving yesterday -- unguided except by the light of our phones! Tomorrow is going to be epic: we are going ice climbing on the Franz Joseph glacier!
And now back to the backlog...
My first longer hike outside of Masterton was in Rawanui Forest Park, which is about 25km east of the town (back towards Castlepoint). It was a hot day and I didn't want to overdo it, so I chose something that would be about two hours round trip. I had to cross some farmland to start and the sun beat down on me with all of its "UV index of 13" power.
The actual trailhead started as a footpath through tall grass, and I wondered if I had missed something or if I was in fact going the right way. You can understand my hesitation after my wayward hiking experience in the Kauaeranga Valley. I was pleased when the trail became more apparent and lead into the shaded forest, although it obviously wasn't a popular track, as it was narrow and overgrown. At least this time it was fairly level other than a few small steep sections!
Impressive tree at the beginning of the forested track.
I should have guessed that the trail would be overgrown when the sign marking it was receding into the vegetation itself!
This flower got a bit overexposed, but look, heart-shaped leaves! :)
Big totara tree.
BIG!
I like the delicate simplicity of this shot.
Strange undergrowth-free area of the forest.
Neat branches growing straight up.
And that's all she wrote! Short and sweet. :) At least I remembered to put my logo on my photos before uploading this time, haha.
And now back to the backlog...
My first longer hike outside of Masterton was in Rawanui Forest Park, which is about 25km east of the town (back towards Castlepoint). It was a hot day and I didn't want to overdo it, so I chose something that would be about two hours round trip. I had to cross some farmland to start and the sun beat down on me with all of its "UV index of 13" power.
The actual trailhead started as a footpath through tall grass, and I wondered if I had missed something or if I was in fact going the right way. You can understand my hesitation after my wayward hiking experience in the Kauaeranga Valley. I was pleased when the trail became more apparent and lead into the shaded forest, although it obviously wasn't a popular track, as it was narrow and overgrown. At least this time it was fairly level other than a few small steep sections!
Impressive tree at the beginning of the forested track.
I should have guessed that the trail would be overgrown when the sign marking it was receding into the vegetation itself!
This flower got a bit overexposed, but look, heart-shaped leaves! :)
Big totara tree.
BIG!
I like the delicate simplicity of this shot.
Strange undergrowth-free area of the forest.
Neat branches growing straight up.
And that's all she wrote! Short and sweet. :) At least I remembered to put my logo on my photos before uploading this time, haha.