A good workout for the horse I decided as I trudged along a stony ridge towards the Lake Forsyth (Te Roto o Wairewa) outlet, the loneliness of the spot accentuated by a single figure.
I knew that work was being done on opening the lake to the sea (at the request of the local iwi I think and in the hope of reversing the damage done by farming runoff) but not that this work had been completed. It can't have been easy to bulldoze a channel through the constantly shifting, pebbly beach.
There were a few hardy fisherfolk...
...and a shag who came in to dry his wings and preen.
A bank of cloud rolled in from the south and suddenly it was very cold. I returned thankfully to the car with a pocketful of stones and a nice driftwood dragon.
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I used to love collecting stones there. Such a neat place. Great blog post. :)
ReplyDeleteIts a great place isn't it .. Agats (sp) a special stone hunt. It was a large digger that dug the channel and the lake level is monitored by ccc now. Part of the reason for dropping it is the farm land around the lake gets too wet with the higher lake, the lake height/level influenced by its outlet being closed by the natural tides and currents. Its a dangerous beach with strong undercurrent but still a neat place to go. Last there I picked up a stick that looked like a snake!
ReplyDeleteThanks PG for the info. Very interesting. I think now I should go out to Taumutu. It's near there that they sometimes bulldoze an outlet for Te Waihora?? I have photos from the early 90s of CCE students and me on a high shingle bank out there (we used to stay on the marae). The natural processes and man's intervention really intrigue me.
ReplyDeleteI have some written info on the lake for you. :) Too much for on here though.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful in a lonely sort of way. Had to look up shag. A cormorant? Common to see there?
ReplyDeleteYes, a cormorant Deb - though always called (slightly unfortunately!) shags here. Different sorts and yes they are common. I see them at Governors Bay often on the rocks, wings stretched out, drying. They dive and it's always a game to figure out where they are going to come up.
ReplyDeletePG the info is really interesting. Thank you. I'm very curious to return.
You can keep info thanks. :)
ReplyDeleteReturn to the outlet ;-)
ReplyDeleteOHhhh.. :) Go for it .. :) When the souwest hits on Wed Thur and Fri the sea will be quite spectacular !
ReplyDeleteGulp - Thurs and Fri sound dire. Hope all will be well with your furs and feathers. I am supposed to be at a book launch at the uni Thurs night and the Lyttelton Festival of Lights street party Fri. Doubtful if I will get to either if the forecast is to be believed...
ReplyDeleteGetting over the hill (not you personally of course!!) will be the biggest challenge. Yes we mite get snow .. the littler the better !
ReplyDeleteNature has well and truly closed the opening now .. they had tried to open it prior to this weather but was futile .. now the lake is filling up and there will be complaints about flooding on land and the road round the lake. No way to open it till at least midweek .. then maybe not for long as might be another southerly flick later next week. Fighting nature !!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this PG. When the weather clears early in the week, I'll go out and have a look. Would love to see the sea right now but don't fancy that shoreline in rain, sleet and driving southerly!!! I like it that nature can stuff up our best efforts!
ReplyDeleteOn friday Tim said the waves were washing over the beach and into the channel behind so he stayed well back too ! I think they are still contemplating opening it (or trying) midweek so if you like I will let you know when and you might see the digger operating there ?
ReplyDeletePlease.
ReplyDeleteNow there is a big fuss about Lake Ellesmere and the fact that it wasn't opened before the big storm. Farmers are furious. Showed an aerial view of where they dig the channel.
Was the farm OK? No flooding? No trees down?
Well apparently the opening opened itself with the higher water level and the sea eroding the depth back so all go for Forsyth now :) Was very wet but quite good now .. no trees down or animals lost :o)>
ReplyDeleteThat was a bit disjointed as had someone over my shoulder .. the lake level pushed itself out through a weakened shore front. At our place there was no damage although we had around 200mm over the week which is a substantial amount ! Mostly gone now .. grass growth nearly stopped meaning feeding out to all :) How did your place handle the water ?
ReplyDeleteI understood :)
ReplyDeleteOK here, though paths on the section were little streams. The land is very soggy. Amazing to see the waterfalls on the hills - especially going over Dyers Pass.
There is always a silver lining somewhere :)
ReplyDeleteTim showed me photos of the outlet now and is very different from a few weeks back .. lots of large rocks exposed now and more rugged looking .. nature :o)>
ReplyDeleteI haven't got back yet. Got tied up with book work and medical stuff. Taking time off feels 'indulgent'. Must get over that...
ReplyDeleteAye .. easier to say than do often !!
ReplyDeleteWhew! What a storm! Hope all are well and no property damage. What is a "souwest?" Wind? Rain? Snow? All of the above?
ReplyDeleteSou West is the direction the wind and weather comes from .. for us it is usually where the cold nasty weather comes from. It also creates the larger waves from the semi onshore winds! :o)> Good question batman.
ReplyDelete