Sun 27.10.19. Did an approx 370 km road trip round Mackenzie Country & a bit of N Otago yesterday Sat, celebrating Leah's completion of her second year UC Literacy Studies.
Asterisks * show some of the towns on her school literacy beat, "Best office in the world," we called it, taking in Alpine lakes & scenery: *Pleasant Point... *Albury... *Fairlie...
Lunched at *Lake Tekapo between Two Thumbs Range & Halls Range / Gammack Range. Checked out Lake Tekapo School rebuild where Leah had worked for 3 years. Drove over Alpine hydro-electric canals, past Lake Pukaki lookout & Alpine Ranges, incl *Mount Cook to *Twizel. Bought honey at Twizel Honey Farm.
Stopped at Lake Ruataniwha Salmon Farm for feeding salmon & salmon buys. Passed Benmore Range, via Omarama, down Waitaki Valley past hydro-electric lakes Benmore, Aviemore, Waitaki, & Alps to Ocean bike track to Kurow for tea.
Returned to Pleasant Point via Waimate Gorge, *Waimate & *Timaru. Snow still specked Alps. Hot, dry, nor'wester blew all day. Highways: Labour Weekend busy.
Blots on Mackenzie Country landscape: Too many giant irrigators for intensified cattle farming, aka overgrazing - Mary Burn stations & Ahuriri River stations, turning Mackenzie Country brown to sick green.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
