Wed 15.03.23. Hiked round Lake Clearwater, 14km, 4.5h. Anniversary of Christchurch mosques attacks.
From our Pleasant Point home, via Mt Somers, through Ashburton Gorge & Hakatere Potts Rd, Lake Clearwater was about 110km.
Parallel glacier formed lakes, Lake Camp & Lake Clearwater, popular holiday lakes, were surrounded by Alps: Mt Guy 1319m N side & Mt Harper Range 1829m S side dominated Lake Clearwater. Eastwards, passing through Ashburton Gorge from Mt Somers, I'd driven past Mt Barrosa 1364m which I'd climbed pre Covid19 lockdowns. NW of Mt Guy were grand autumn views of Dogs Range, The Pyramid 1748m & Mt Potts 2184m which had featured in Lord of the Rings movie. Further W were clear views of higher Alpine peaks at the head of Rangitata River.
Lake Clearwater circuit walk: At Lake Clearwater village, I parked my car at the lakeside carpark near the campsite. Walking eastwards along a farm track marked by DOC poles, I passed 2 fishermen & their SUVs & a memorial bench at the east end of Lake Clearwater. I crossed a wooden footbridge over the lake outlet stream. I walked a farm track on the N bank below glacial terraces on Mt Guy S flank. There were various side tracks for fishing spots on the lake shore & a track junction for those wanting to climb Mt Guy. Passing an island, I had grand views of Lake Clearwater village on the S shore, below Harper Range. Some Alpine plants seen enroute: matagouri bushes, porcupine bushes, Pentachondra pumila, Scleranthus, white flowering gentians, spear grass, tussock grassland. Due to stock farming, lots of high country, including Lake Clearwater environs was covered in Hieracium hawkweed. W end of the lake I saw waterfowl: ducks, paradise shelducks & black swans whose wings clapped against the water when they took off & flew low over the lake.
W end of Lake Clearwater, I reached a swamp with numerous swamp plants soaking up Alpine waters. A grass featured on a DOC info board by the swamp:
24/7 workers on the job here.
Wetland plants never stop working and Carex specta / pukio is a standout.
They are a flood controller, helping to hold excess water then releasing it slowly. With a big sreading root sytem they trap sediments and pollutants.
Nothing is wasted - their old leaves drop into the water providing food for invertebrates. They in turn feed fish and birds.
Working for us forever.
As long as we keep pukio around, they'll stay on the job. They can grow large and live over 100 years...
A DOC raised boardwalk & duckboards let me to wander over the swamp without getting my boots wet. Westwards, there were grand views of the high Alps & eastwards, magnificent views of the swamp & Lake Clearwater. Thistles amongst swamp plants spoiled the conservation idea. Therereafter, as it was midday hot without any breeze across the lake, I rejoined Hakatere Potts Rd at a DOC carpark to enjoy an easterly breeze all the way back to Lake Clearwater village.
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
