Lupins in the MacKenzie Country
Trip Guide: Peter
Trip Report: Jane
It was forecast to be a HOT weekend when 11 of our members arrived in the MacKenzie Country for a lupin hunting trip, and so it was, complete with huge thunderheads hanging in the sky on Friday, an amazing backdrop for many lupiny landscapes. The lupins appeared almost as soon as leaving Burkes Pass, and the array of colours was an amazing sight. Weeds they may be, but they are impressive too. On Saturday we began with the Ahuriri River lupins and Black Fronted Terns, some of us playing with impressionism as well. Then to the Quailburn Road where lupins were thick on the ground and we travelled up to the end of road to the old woolshed (circa 1920) which is maintained by DOC. The old beech trees were covered in Mistletoe, a very exciting sight. When the others had disappeared off to Lake Ohau and Mt Cook, Maureen and I made images in amongst the tallest, lushest lupins along a stream, and we found an old cottage to photograph. After that we headed to Elephant Rocks, near Duntroon and were rewarded with fabulous skies in an amazing landscape. At the end of a long, hot day we joined the others at Peter and Ann’s Bach in Otematata, our HQ for the weekend, where we enjoyed a sumptuous potluck meal, with a cold wine or beer.
After tidying up early on Sunday we all left to make our way home with a bit more photography on the way. I went to Lake Ohau, Barry and Caro to Mt Cook, Diana and Judy to Lake Alexandrina, and Maureen to the Clay Cliffs, and I’m sure everyone was every bit as exhausted as I was.
Thanks Peter for a fab weekend.
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