High Country Inland Canterbury

We had lunch at Lake Camp after passing through Mount Somers and Hakatere where there is an 1862 historic house and picnic area and where the road turns to gravel and oh so dusty and hot. It's hard to tell what colour the bus is now - we are in need of dust-busters! There is a waterskiing school at Lake Camp so we were entertained by the school children on holiday learning to ski. We assume it has been named Lake Camp because of the multitude of freedom camp sites amongst the trees along it's length - a really nice spot. Just along the road, on the other side is Lake Clearwater with it's block of well-kept baches between it and the road. You can windsurf on Lake Clearwater and fish in either lake.

Lake Camp ( with Camp Mother in foreground)

Continuing up the dusty high country track we were in awe of the mountain scenery unfolding before us despite the constant opening and shutting of our kitchen cupboard doors as we bumped our way along the gravelly, slightly potted road - lots of rattles but no breakages. The road ends at Erewhon Station, a 35,000 acre property at the head of the Rangitata River in the Southern Alps, and which is the backdrop for the second Lord of The Rings movie and known for being a working horse station and it's large Clydesdale Horse stud.

Winding up the gravel road to Mount Potts Lodge

Halfway there we stopped at Mount Potts Lodge, where from the advertising brochure we thought we would get a "high country" dinner including venison or salmon so we were a little disappointed when we found "the lodge" to be very cafe-like, the best thing on offer being burger and chips, or, in my case, cornfritters! It was quiet but we gleaned quite a lot of local information from a former shearer from Timaru who is now up in the High Country fencing for DOC.
Mount Potts Lodge has recently been bought by a wealthy Russian who enjoys hunting and fishing and there is building going on for some new accommodation at present.
We were able to stay the night as it has recently been added to the NZMCA list of POPS although it is not in the directory yet.

Erewhon Station

Today, Thursday, is another scorcher at about 30° already. After leaving the lodge we continued on up the road to Erewhon Station - the scenery is so spectacular all the way with the snow-topped ranges and Southern Alps behind. Breathtaking as it is it would possibly be even more so in winter when the river is full and the snow is covering the mountains. You get a real sense of the vast, remote and rugged beauty of the high country.