As our visit south drew to an end and with snow forecast we decided to stay in Arthurs Pass on the way home and see what the area looked like coated in white. After a wait we were greeted with fat, wet, heavy snowflakes which made it feel like a winter wonderland and got everyone very excited (us being from the warm tropics of Nelson).
Although it looks chilly, the snow falling straight down was a welcome respite from the gale force winds and the driving horizontal rain and sleet that we had recently experienced further south. The next morning we awoke to a silent morning with only the sound of branches cracking under the weight of snow. As the road reopened we explored the upper reaches of the Waimakariri River and watched the fog lift from the valley unveiling Mt Stewart.
Please keep checking back for more updates from our adventure further south and the paintings that will eventuate from this trip...
St Arnaud Range is very easily accessed from below, in fact so much so that I took my kid’s along the range recently to explore one of the places I find most beautiful. Here is the route that we took along the range and down Powder Valley. Also some...
Not much sleep was had sausaged between two kids that flung their arms into my head all night long and with a full moon lighting up the tent, but I emerged well rested and to a most spectacular and still morning. A few of us wandered around exploring the plateau while others stayed cocooned inside while the first fingers of sun...
After many seemingly endless weeks painting in the studio and in the middle of the school holidays before the first winter snow, the perfect weather window approached. Boots, packs and gear were scattered throughout the house half packed and ready to go, however I was still only half committed. The looming dread of listening to the kids 7 & 8 fight, whinge and moan while I carried over a third of my body weight up 1100 vertical meters...