“On a Mish” #369 Chasing the Sun (Part Three). Lake Clearwater Village. Hakatere Conservation Area. 19.3.2023. A big ball of bright burning bliss blazing in the sky can provide beautiful views to behold. You don’t have to pay to look at the sun but sometimes the show is so good that you feel like you should! I wanted to show my 86 year old Grandmother why I love the wilderness so much, and as the sun began to set on our second day at the crib at Lake Clearwater Village we were in for a real treat…
Sunset on day one: Check. Sunrise on day two: Check. It was now time for sunset on day two and I needed an epic location for us to view it from.
My evening plan was to drive to a spot on the Hakatere Mt Potts Road which overlooks the Rangitata Riverbed and the magnificent mountains that surround it. As we drove west, the last of the Mt Sunday hikers headed back east towards civilization. It was as if someone had cleared them away so Bev and I could enjoy the place to ourselves.
To simply sit and stare at the same mountains for over an hour might sound boring to some, but after seeing what a sunset can do to an environment once you might find yourself wanting to repeat the experience as often as possible.
Down in the Rangitata Valley the dust had been stirred up by the wind. This was lit by the lowering sun and it added another layer to the already well stacked awesomeness cake. Above the rivers, valleys and peaks, the clouds were lined up in the sky in a perfect arrangement with the crisp deep blue. As the place darkened the setting sun made the jagged mountain horizon glow gold, in a display that deserved a medal of the same colour.
We sat and had a few drinks watching the stars blossom into view one by one and before we knew it it was nighttime.
Early-ish the next day we were up again at 5am, however the morning was much different to the one before. The weather forecast was following what was predicted before I left Christchurch and the blustery winds of an approaching storm were warming the area in a gusty fashion.
We drove to a different location than the day before (for variety) and once again the show didn’t disappoint. The weather change meant a much different display and I was very happy that Bev had seen the best of both worlds when it comes to sunsets and rises in the wilderness of Hakatere. She really understood why I have the constant need to go ‘On a Mish’.
As far as weekends at the crib go this one was one of the most easy going ones I had experienced. But with that said I had achieved all of my goals and together Bev and myself had witnessed some classic Clearwater sunsets and rises. In no way does a single trip away pay Bev back for all of the years of love and caring, but it was much better than nothing! It had been a perfect weekend of relaxing and chasing the sun.
