“Sportsman’s Paradise” the signs say as you enter the Hakamarea Valley, on the southern end of the Canterbury Plains, on New Zealand’s South Island east coast. Rolling hills, sheep a plenty, crystal clear rivers. Snow on the alps in the distance.
A narrow road winds further and further up the Valley following the bubbling Waiteke River. Spawning dappled brown trout mark time in the winter waters as they pause for a rest on the way upstream. Huge stands of pines stand sentinel across the hills. These tall windbreaks line paddock after paddock, unbending, thick, and protective.
Apart from these endless stretches of neatly arranged pines, the hills that rise dramatically from the flood plain, remain strangely bare. Scoured by glaciers, and uplifted by seismic shifts, the hills have no natural vegetation save low saltbush. Here amongst the low shrubs on the steep hills, and amongst the rocky cliffs, are what the sportsman come to find: deer and tahr. Introduced species have thrived in the tough climes of New Zealand and now account for a large tourism industry of stalking and hunting. The season operates from May to August, so you’ll want to love bracing winds and icy days to get the most out of your experience.
Find a cosy B and B on a sheep station, and take long lazy walks across the hills, and beside the bubbling rivers. This part of New Zealand is a place to go for a recharge. There’s time to think, and just watch the mountains and the sky. Or maybe count the hundreds of sheep walking past the house in a mesmerizing trit trot. There’s nothing, and everything, to do.
The quietness on a frosty winter morning is eerie. The pink light breaks across the hills, as the sun slowly creeps up and over the ranges well after 7.30am. Pop the percolator on the stove, as the nearest coffee shop could be 20km away. Time to flop onto the bean bag, behind a glass window in the morning sunshine, and get into your reading list.
After lunch, rug up in some cosy thermal activewear, a big windcheater, protective wool cap, and set off for a power walk. The steep hills will get some impossibly fresh air in your lungs, and work up a marvelous appetite. If you catch up with the stalkers, you must be very quiet. Total silence, no bumping rocks down the valleys. Find a little flat spot to recline, and look out over the ranges. Feel the silence, soak up the rugged beauty, and the cold, cold air. The wind chill sets in after 3.30, as the alpine glow settles over the Alps.
Hopefully, your accommodation will be stocked up on mellow Otago wines, and some one has ordered in some plump bluff oysters to sample. There will be time to roast a delicious local lamb leg and relax by a roaring fire, and play cards til late in the night.
Craving a little night life? Step outside, and clap your eyes on the mesmerizing Milky Way, and the sparkling winter constellations – Orion dipping in the west, Virgo and Scorpio riding high as soon as the darkness settles. This far south Canopus and Achernar, Queens of the Southern skies, are so eye catching and brilliant. On our visit, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn were lined up in the eastern early dawn sky – a bonus that accompanied the late sunrise in these short winter days.
Things to pack to do nothing, or at least very little, in Otago:
- Mood enhancing lounge wear for looking good on the sofa, something in velour perhaps??
- Sunscreen/Moisturizer combo – thin ozone near the poles makes the sun here deceptively hazardous; cold air makes it extra drying.
- Mittens. Gloves can be pesky, but mittens keep the hands worm, and fingers free for taking photos.
- Two or three layers of thermals – layering is the trick for outdoor hiking. Change it up or down as needed.
- A good backpack. Room for water, a book, spare thermals, a couple of oranges, maybe some binoculars for sighting a stag.
- Walking Shoes – light and waterproof to get you through the creeks, and with excellent grip for the step, rocky paths.
Best purchase on this trip:
Socks by Icebreaker. Canterbury, NZ is the home of high fashion wool thermals and activewear.