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We Kiwis are a lucky people We’re pretty lucky to live around here. The population density is low and there’s no shortage of wonderful natural areas to visit. We can choose between wild coast, foothills and high country mountains, rivers or lakes. Tourist pressure is not too bad, especially compared with other places that have beautiful scenery, like the hectic spots of Wanaka and Queenstown. Our high country lakes are quite unique. They’re not huge like the big southern lakes but there are lots of them. Many of them are edged with wetlands and tussock grasslands which support a wide diversity of native flora and fauna. The views at the lakes beyond the Ashburton Gorge are superb. Even getting there is good. Firstly there’s a nice drive towards the hills that takes in the small rural villages of Staveley and Mt Somers. Then the hills are closer and we squeeze through and enter the Hakatere Conservation Park.
Mary Ralston
FOREST AND BIRD
Roadside vegetation suddenly changes; big old tussocks and native shrubs are abundant for a short stretch. At Hakatere corner, the end of the sealed road, old farm buildings remind us of early settlers. Straight ahead lie Lakes Clearwater, Camp, Emma and the Spider Lakes backed by the stunning mountains at the head of the Rangitata River. A right turn takes the traveller up towards Lake Heron. The road is flanked on one side by the Taylor Range and passes amazing glacial landscape features softened by native tussocks and other vegetation. Buick’s Bridge crosses the South Ashburton River; a lovely milky blue because some of the water is melt
Maori Lakes.
water from the glacier (as a glacier moves downhill it grinds some of the rock it lies on to a fine rock dust which is suspended in the water, causing the unique blue colour of glacial lakes). Soon after Buick’s Bridge are the Maori Lakes, right next to the road. It’s a beautiful place and there’s a spot to pull in and look at the birds, have a picnic or do some fishing. On most days no-one will be there but swans and all sorts of ducks are usually at home. Raupo and rushes form a nice edge and in winter there
PHOTO SUPPLIED
is often ice on the lake and snow on the hills. The first travellers through this area also valued the Maori Lakes highly. The route through the Ashburton Gorge up to the Rakaia River was used by Maori as a way to reach the West Coast, and especially the Arahura, which was the pounamu or greenstone capital of the Maori world. They gathered food along the way, and the Maori Lakes were known to be rich in birds, fish and other delicacies. The beauty and uniqueness of
the Maori Lakes is recognised by their inclusion in the O Tu Wharekai wetland restoration project. The wetlands of the Ashburton Lakes area are considered extremely special – they are one of the best examples of an unspoilt wetland system in New Zealand. There is a great diversity of habitats for native animals and they support an amazing array of native plants, nestled in amongst some of the biggest rivers and mountains in the country.