A few days out: Castle Hill and the Canterbury High Country

We live about thirty minutes outside of Christchurch in a little Canterbury Plains farm town on the way to Arthur's Pass.  To get up into the High Country takes us about thirty five minutes and in that thirty five minutes, the landscape changes drastically.  You drive up over Porter's Pass through the clouds and most of the trees are gone.  The landscape is rockier, more exposed and dryer.  It's a different world.  

Thinking back to before I ever came to New Zealand, the Canterbury High Country is what New Zealand looked like in my imagination.  The epic, snow-capped ranges.  Small, braided streams rush down from the exposed, scree-ridden peaks.  Sheep and cows munch away obliviously in the green valleys.  It's not too bad.  If I ever get to the point where cynicism overrides the joy of being alive in this landscape then shake me vigorously.  We are very lucky.  Here are a few snippets of our long weekend with friends.

It was a tad rainy over the weekend.  From the top of our mountain hike we were above a rainbow.  I think this was a first.

The rainbow sneaks through

On the way up

Fishing for the first time of the year.

A bit windy.  A few clouds and a passing shower or two.

The river bed was noticeably changed after this year's flooding

This was new water for me.  A never before seen side tributary

The view up from the river

The always breathtaking Kura Tawhiti / Castle Hill 

One of the many secret crevices of Kura Tawhiti / Castle Hill

Early season pond at Kura Tawhiti/Castle Hill

A limestone crevice provides shelter