Okarito is a small town on the beach near a lagoon, population 35. Our first order of business in the morning was a kayak paddle. We headed off into the lagoon in 4 double kayaks. The route was self guided, so we followed a trail of sticks that had been set into the water to make a trail. There were mountains to the south and mountains to the east, and the lagoon was quite calm when we started. We saw a lot of black swans, which have white feathers on their wings. They look all black when they are on the water, but when they take off their white wings emerge and are quite beautiful.
We paddled up two different rivers with very different ecosystems, one that drained coastal land and one that drained forest land, if I remember the details correctly. The forest river looked like dark tea from all the tannins, and when the sun hit the water just right, it glowed red. All of the water here is very clear, and you can see far down to the bottom.
After lunch we took a hike south to another lagoon. We climbed up to an observation point (the guide described the path up as an outdoor stairmaster) and saw our first view of Mount Cook. The entire range of the Southern Alps stretched along the horizon.
Then we headed back down the coast. All of the forests here have trees and plants that we’re unfamiliar with, and they are magically beautiful. Lots of ferns and mosses and tall trees. We’ve only seen one mammal … a little mouse, which is one of the many invasive species.
Dinner was New Zealand lamb and roasted potatoes and roasted vegetables and cauliflower with cheese sauce. We’re eating very well. After dinner we walked out on the beach and watched the sun slip into the ocean.
Tomorrow we head to one of the glaciers and Makarora Lodge.
Pictures are here. Cheers!
1 comment:
Love the picture. Good job.
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