Firstly, this magical place was spotted on our way to the Rakaia River for some fishing. To be more factual, Les was to do the fishing, and I was to eat the hopeful catch, way back when motorhoming was our thing.
You are going to view a few vistas that may contain the wow factor for you between paragraphs. Don’t be fooled by the calm, glorious views that most photographers swoon over. I suggest you check the weather before you head to this area of Canterbury.
Why, you ask? When the wind hits inside the valley, as it often does, this park can be an unbearable place to be. There is dust everywhere, and itās not how we want people to remember this place. Again, just double-check the weather forecast.
Facts you never knew?
New Zealand has 3,820 lakes with a surface area larger than one hectare (10,000). Of these, 775 lakes are at least 0.5 kilometres long. These lakes cover about 1.3% of the country’s land area, ranging from volcanic crater lakes in the North Island to glacial lakes in the South Island.
Toitu Te Whenua // Leave The Land Undisturbed
Life at No. 22 
There’s a wildness to it that I like, Suzanne. I had no idea there was so much water in New Zealand xx
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It is certainly a wild part of Canterbury which is known for it’s nasty winds in exposed areas. One area, while parked up for a few days was great for clothes drying and our jeans were parallel to the ground while flapping about. š
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Nice photos of a wild and beautiful landscape.
I am just going through and reviewing, thinning down and geotagging the photos from a 2011 trip I did in that whole area – a fun memory update and challenge that I will share soon.
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Great that it ignited good memories. Have fun sorting out all those photos.
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Perhaps the reason some beautiful places remain relatively undisturbed has to do with wind. Wind makes me nuts!
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Haha, yep, wind does terrible things to our equilibrium. I can handle rain and the cold, but add strong wind, and I’m likely to stay inside. Our ex-huge motorhome was rocked by the wind on numerous occasions while touring the South Island, leaving us looking like startled possums more than once.
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Bad weather and scenic locations go together like bread and jam so thanks for braving the elements to show the rest of us the wonderful scenery.
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Very true, and most places are worth a second visit, which I aim to do at some point in the future, to a few chosen places in the South Island.
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Wow
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The nice thing about virtual travel is that I can admire the views without having to deal with the weather.
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Very true. Though I have every intention of heading off to wander around various places when the time is right.
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You promised wow vistas and certainly delivered! This landscape is stunning š®
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It is, and if I had unlimited photo storage, I would add more. I did ramp up the expectations a wee bit š
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Definitely the wow factor, but no thanks to the winds!
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It’s more of a wow factor in person. I do hope you and John get a chance to visit.
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Absolutely magic! You are blessed with beautiful landscape in NZ. Melx
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We’re fortunate to have a sea to snow landscape within a few hours’ drive. Thanks, Mel x
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You are lucky ducks! x
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Some more than others š
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Understandable. x
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We spent 4 months in NZ (unfortunately only on the North Island), but what a beautiful country you have! And we had quite a lot of windy and rainy days, but in the end, I only remember the beautiful nature and friendly people. Stunning photos.
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That’s one thing no one has control over: the damned weather. Pleased you had a great time, yes, the South Island is so different and extremely picturesque. A place to explore, though, for me, I love living in the Bay of Plenty and visiting the South Island. You might have to return, and I’ll turn on the sunshine š
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