I sit here wondering what to write, in a way that is coherent and interesting to anyone reading this. I read posts from people on Instagram that have me devouring every word and I absolutely admire their ability to do so, post after post.

So here now is my attempt at writing about a particular day we spent around Twizel. Obviously other have written most eruditely about this area but for what it is worth, here goes!

Kellands Pond was the place where I had read about and seen photos of some amazing scenery shots. We are pretty good at Google Maps but this place gave us a run for our money in terms of actually finding it. When we did, the colours in the sky were beginning to explode and I was running around with a tripod in hand frantically looking for a good spot to shoot from. The progression of colours were quite amazing, so it was a good morning indeed to get up early.

Once the morning had lost its colours, the plan was to walk the Hooker Valley track. Mount Cook Road leading up to the Hermitage and the beginning of the track is always a picturesque drive. However the overcast weather was a foreshadow of the conditions we were going to encounter on the walk with ice and snow making even walking up steps rather treacherous. The song Slip Sliding Away became the anthem for the day!

It took all my effort and concentration to walk without falling/slipping which I thankfully did not do – falling or slipping that is. It just meant that the phone camera was used way more than the camera in my backpack. I’m pretty happy with the phone shots though. Here are just a few:

We made it!