Replica Hill, Mt Owen, Kahurangi National Park

The view from Replica Hill (~1800m). Looking north-east out over Golden Bay. It was early January and the weather was perfect; lots of buttercups covering the tops, blue skies - the only problem was a lack of water since it hadn't rained for several days and the limestone basins are well-drained. From Replica Hill we could see Tapuaeunuku in the east, the Tasman Sea in the west, the peaks of the Nelson Lakes in the south-east and the volcanoes of the North Island in the north-east. Mt Egmont was particularly prominent.

Mt Owen is just out of view to the right, Lake Bulmer lies off to the far right. The Fyfe valley behind us. Crossing the crevasse-like marble bands in the foreground basin is more difficult than it looks, thanks to Spaniard plants (Ouch!) and the large holes in the ground. The rock is very abrasive, so going for a tumble on a slab isn't much fun.



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Copyright (c) 1996 Jonathan Carr