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Flock Hill June 2010

Friday 4th to Sunday 7th June

Yay! Hooray! And three loud cheers! After a miserable week of rain, Friday was fine and precipitationless, if somewhat soggy underfoot.

Three early arrivals at Flock Hill Lodge drove to Lake Pearson to investigate afternoon photographic possibilities and there discovered an even earlier arrival whose car had slid into a deep muddy rut along the fishermen ’s access track. What a lucky encounter for the hapless driver! A quick trip back to Flock Hill by Diana alerted the recently arrived Ulysses who came to the rescue and towed the car to firmer terra firma.

After dinner it was the firmament that occupied some people ’s attention and images were made of star trails and the night sky. And what a night sky it was! Stars shone forth in their myriads with the Milky Way arching overhead.

Saturday morning was clear and frosty. Off we went before dawn to Lake Pearson where shifting patches of fog added a mysterious dimension to the photographically famous willows. Images of the fence in the lake, the lake itself, and the surrounding mountains, were also captured before we returned for breakfast.

Our main expedition for the day was along the Mt White Road, with an off-road diversion along the flats to a musterers’ hut and sheep-yards, then on to Diana ’s Lodge (better known as the Andrews Shelter) where fungi were found in the forest. At the next stream we stopped to photograph mini-waterfalls and a few icicles. Further along, as Ulysses explained their origin, we viewed the landforms left by Speight ’s Notional Lake at the end of the last Ice Age. Retreating to the entry of the Binser Track, we lunched in the sun enjoying the wide views across the Waimakariri Valley. Lastly we visited the Hawdon Shelter where more fungi, including good specimens of Nidula candida (woolly birds-nest fungi), were found.

On Sunday morning the Earliest Bird, who had enthusiastically showered and dressed by five forty-five, discovered Ulysses in his dressing-gown standing at the open outside door attempting to count the number of raindrops falling per second. The picturesque nor’ west clouds of the day before had multiplied mightily and brought steady rain. Alas, no dawn photography at Lake Pearson for us that morning. With the wet weather showing no signs of easing, eight people decided to return home, thus halving our contingent.

The eight of us left visited Cass for the classic low-angle railway-line shot, then went to Arthur ’s Pass to pass the time. Noticing a light shining at Maison Ayres we knocked at the door and were welcomed inside by Brenda, who provided tea, coffee, and a cosy room for lunching in. By two-thirty the rain had eased, so we visited the Devil’s Punchbowl Falls.

On Monday it was still raining, but seven of us decided to take a quick look at Lakes Pearson and Sarah, although with little expectation of any worthwhile photography. How wrong we were! The rain eased and a dramatic landscape emerged. We found moody lake and mountain scenes, captured first the TranzAlpine on a bend of track which some cattle were exploring, then a coal train, and even photographed raindrops on rosehips, reflections on water...

Those present were: Diana Andrews, Trent Bellingham, Ray Early-Bird Bruning, Geoff Stuck-in-a-Rut Elmsly, Vicki Slade and Nigel Kerby with Georgia and Issy, Sebastien Krebs, John Miller, Mike Molloy, Fran Sumner, John Nearly-Forgot-His-Lunch Thornton, Lesley Tuffley, Judy Reij and, of course, the Unique and Inimitable Ulysses. Guest appearances were made by Brenda Be-My-Guests Ayres and Minka-the-Burmilla, whom we thank for a dry and cosy lunch venue complete with a furry lap-warmer.

Many thanks to Ulysses for organising this trip.

Ulysses in Drag