Welcome to our World
Pictures below are just a snapshot of the scenery from our horse treks..!
Hi, Tony is my name, In my spare time I just love climbing on a horse and
heading into the mountains for a few days to follow mountain trails and passes,
often with like minded horse men and women friends, then at the end of the day
camping out in one of the many back country huts or tent camping and enjoying a
sumtuous evening meal and the odd drop of liquid refreshments around the camp fire as the sun goes
down and the stars come out.
I have been around horses for a long time and feel privileged to be a New Zealander,
and to be able to enjoy exploring our paradise.
We welcome horse men and women to accompany us on rides provided they have sound, fit and shod horses and the riders are experienced.
Picture shows myself (Tony ) just loaded and about to head out on a 12 day trek into the mountains..!
heading into the mountains for a few days to follow mountain trails and passes,
often with like minded horse men and women friends, then at the end of the day
camping out in one of the many back country huts or tent camping and enjoying a
sumtuous evening meal and the odd drop of liquid refreshments around the camp fire as the sun goes
down and the stars come out.
I have been around horses for a long time and feel privileged to be a New Zealander,
and to be able to enjoy exploring our paradise.
We welcome horse men and women to accompany us on rides provided they have sound, fit and shod horses and the riders are experienced.
Picture shows myself (Tony ) just loaded and about to head out on a 12 day trek into the mountains..!
"Exploring" is wonderful to look forward to..... and back upon......however not often comfortable at the time.... unless it is of such easy nature as to not deserve the name.....!
St James......
Upper South Branch, Hurunui River....
Andersons Spur , Mt White Station..
Dampier Range, Mt White....
Deep Stream, Eskhead Station...
Ant Stream, Mt White....
Leader Dale River.....
Molesworth Station......
Arthurs Pass area....
Peace in the Mountains....
Mystery Lake.. Ashburton Gorge area..
Ashley River Gorge...
Yesterday, I drove into Lees Valley via the Ashley Gorge / Lees Valley Road, and admired the 20 kilometre stretch of this deep and ruggered gorge on the way into the valley as the river snaked back and forth far below..
I am planning a trek leaving from our home paddock, thru the Okuku hills to Lees Valley, following the Okuku river thru to its headwaters, into further hills to Eskhead Station, then over the Dampier range into Mt White Station, back over the Puketeraki Range into Lees valley and home again via the Blowhard Stock route over a two week period next summer..
Yesterday I went up for a look at a couple of route options in the Lees Valley....
Unfortunately the Okuku River was also running quite high so couldnt ford it in the vehicle to complete a round trip back out over the Okuku Pass, but have been thru this area quite a number of times so no biggy..
I am planning a trek leaving from our home paddock, thru the Okuku hills to Lees Valley, following the Okuku river thru to its headwaters, into further hills to Eskhead Station, then over the Dampier range into Mt White Station, back over the Puketeraki Range into Lees valley and home again via the Blowhard Stock route over a two week period next summer..
Yesterday I went up for a look at a couple of route options in the Lees Valley....
Unfortunately the Okuku River was also running quite high so couldnt ford it in the vehicle to complete a round trip back out over the Okuku Pass, but have been thru this area quite a number of times so no biggy..
Waipara Gorge area....
Riding over the Stag Saddle, down this Snake Ridge and out over to Lake Tekapo....
The Stag Saddle on the southern boundary of Mesopotamia Station is the highest mountain pass that horses traverse over in New Zealand at some 6200 Ft above sea level...
A photo taken on the actual Stag saddle is included by scrolling down further to the photos on Mesopotamia Station..
A photo taken on the actual Stag saddle is included by scrolling down further to the photos on Mesopotamia Station..
View from the Cloudy hut, looking up to the Cloudy Range....
Our view sitting on the veranda of the Cloudy hut early evening eating dinner, and looking at a part of our beautiful mountain country....Cloudy Range Station...
Lake Heron.......
Centre right show a dip in this mountain range and just out of sight here is the Client saddle... a rough mountain track goes up the Swin river over the client saddle and sidling down Round Hill Stream to the confluence of it and the North branch of the Ashburton river, and down eventually to the Turtons stream and the Comyns Hut, then out down the Turtons stream to the Rakaia river.. a nice round trek for experienced riders and horse...
Otago landscapes...
Crossing a main road on the Otago trek.. Maniototo tablelands...
Hut Creek, Otematata
Some fantastic scenery that we rode thru on our Otago trek....
Otago Landscapes...
The Poplars Station.......
Magdalen Valley, Lewis Pass....
Beautiful Molesworth ....
Dusk.. Acheron area....
Early evening, Clarence Reserve..
Looking down towards Quail Flat....
Lake Tennyson....
A nice day ride.. leaving the Fowlers hut ride up to this lake,then thru the outlet and follow a rough track around the side of the lake to the left in this photo to the patches of Beech forest on the far side and up the hill a little way pick up a historic horse pack track that skirts along above the further bush line to the head of this lake, then riding up the beautiful river flats.. this country has some further stunning scenery to sit and share your lunch with your horse...lol in my case its the horse gaining most of my sandwiches....
Maling Pass region........
Island Pass.....
The Anne River.....
The Stanley Gates..........
On the Lake Clearwater trail.......
This area has quite a few small tarns along the trail, this one sits in the saddle just before overlooking Lake Clearwater near the Dogs Range...
The Ada Valley....
Upper Hope River....
We hope to revisit this area early Autumn this year again...!
Overlooking the Coxs River.....
Early morning Lake Mason.....
Beautiful Lake Mason is infact two lakes separated by a narrow strip of land which the Lake Mason hut silted, on and nestled in against the forest hill, somewhat sheltered from the prevailing winds.. This pic is of the southern most of the two lakes
Northern side of Lake Mason......
Just turned the camera around from taking the above of the southern lake...The hill and saddle above this lake takes us out and over into the Hurunui River and Lake Sumner itself... This whole Lake Sumner Forest park has stunning scenery....
Lake Grace....
Upper Clarence Region
The Historic Fowler Hut....Many a night has been spent in this hut as its the entry / exist point for the Fowler Pass into the St James Conservation Park
Lake Selfe........
Lake Selfe...In this area, also has quite a number of other small beautifully crystal clear water lakes, including Lakes Catherine, Monk, Coleridge, Ida, Heririette, Evelyn, Georgina and Lillian. Again....Simply....PARADISE..!
Broken River Gorge
Pic shows the Slovens stream Midland Railway viaduct with the historic Avoca Homestead in the far pine trees on the other side of the Broken River.
This area has a beautiful ruggered landscape with several railway viaducts towering over streams and rivers, along with many rail tunnels, further up the Broken river, evidence of a once booming Coal mining venture, and very dramatic limestone weathered mountain features carved out..!
A stunning place to visit..!
This area has a beautiful ruggered landscape with several railway viaducts towering over streams and rivers, along with many rail tunnels, further up the Broken river, evidence of a once booming Coal mining venture, and very dramatic limestone weathered mountain features carved out..!
A stunning place to visit..!
Historic Broken River stock bridge.....
Harper River
Looking up the Harper River
Mesopotamia Station
Mesopotamia , where I spent some of my early days working
Pic shows half way up the trail to the Bullock bow saddle at some 5500ft and looking back down towards the Felt Hut in the little patch of bush.
Pic shows half way up the trail to the Bullock bow saddle at some 5500ft and looking back down towards the Felt Hut in the little patch of bush.
The Moonlight Stream....Mesopotamia
On the trail out thru the hills to the Felt hut, some four hours ride from the Station homestead..Pic shows coming down off the high terrace into the Moonlight Stream..
Mesopotamia, looking up towards the Bullock Bow saddle
High up on the Stag Saddle, looking back across to the Bullock Bow Saddle.. Mesopotamia Station..
Its a two and half hour climb from the Royal hut at 4300ft to this saddle at 6200ft on the Two Thumbs Range, and a further 4 hours down Snake Ridge, passing the Simpson Hut and down to Mt Gerald Station on the shores of Lake Tekapo...
Some peaks along this Two Thumb Range tower to 8200ft.....
Some peaks along this Two Thumb Range tower to 8200ft.....
Passing over the Neutral Saddle between Mesopotamia and Lake Tekapo...
Before the track was pushed in over the Bullock Bow saddle into the head of the Bush Stream, the main horse pack track used to follow up Forest creek, then up this Neutral stream and over the Neutral saddle, and sidling down running shingle on the south side of Coal stream and eventually out to Mt Gerald..but the pack track has difficult access right near the confluence of Forest and Neutral streams where a hanging valley needs to be skirted around... one part the track is high above the stream and a vertical drop off away down into it... not a place for inexperience....!
But.... for experienced riders. its a good round trek from Meso, up this Neutral stream and over to Tekapo, then returning via the stag and bullock bow saddles back to Meso....Both Neutral and Stag saddles sit at around 6200 ft above sea level so its quite a work out...
But.... for experienced riders. its a good round trek from Meso, up this Neutral stream and over to Tekapo, then returning via the stag and bullock bow saddles back to Meso....Both Neutral and Stag saddles sit at around 6200 ft above sea level so its quite a work out...
Wairau River Gorge
Castle Hill Basin.....
We Packed a lunch and took the horses up to this area for a day ride..Fantastic Countryside to canter for miles over..(smiles )
More of Castle Hill region....
Standing in the same spot and just turned the camera around a little from the shot above..!
After the Thunderstorm.............
Photo take near our hill block, as I drove up to feed the horses one evening..!
Lochinvar Conservation Park
Bull Creek Hut, across the river on the edge of the forest.
Okuku River area
The Mouse Trap Hut, a beautiful place to ride out too. In Summer dive off the rocks into the deep pools along the river adjacient to the hut..(smilies)
Beautiful Lake Sumner Forest Park....
Lake Katrine,
One of six lakes in this area, I have visited this Park hundreds of times over my lifetime, have had a bach at the head of this lake, and still each time I visit I am amazed with its scenery.
We do live in PARADISE..!
One of six lakes in this area, I have visited this Park hundreds of times over my lifetime, have had a bach at the head of this lake, and still each time I visit I am amazed with its scenery.
We do live in PARADISE..!
Lake Sumner
Lake sumner, I just turned the camera around standing in the same spot as the Lake Katrine shot above taken.
The head of Lake Sumner
Turning the camera around again standing in the same spot as the above two photos.
The Upper Hurunui River flows into the lake and on the far side, the start of the Kiwi Horse pack track that leads out thru the forest up past Lake Marion , over a low saddle then down to the Kiwi and Hope rivers eventually to the Lewis Pass region.
A stunning place to trek thru on the horses.
The Upper Hurunui River flows into the lake and on the far side, the start of the Kiwi Horse pack track that leads out thru the forest up past Lake Marion , over a low saddle then down to the Kiwi and Hope rivers eventually to the Lewis Pass region.
A stunning place to trek thru on the horses.
Lake Sumner Outlet...
The whole 12 kilometre length of this lake can sort of be ridden, by riding from the top western end, along the Kiwi Pack Track as far as the Kiwi Saddle, then branching off down a steep track thru the bush to Lake Marion, down a further steep pack track to the shore of this lake at Marion Bay and then riding along the lake edge for some 7 or 8 kilometres...Take a chain saw with you tho... there is an original horse pack track just up in the forest along this section but only parts can still be followed.. most of the ways its riding along the lake edge.. up behind this photo around a further kilometre is the historic Gabriels Hut...
This lake outlet area is simply Paradise..... one of my all time favourite places to spend time..!
This lake outlet area is simply Paradise..... one of my all time favourite places to spend time..!
Upper Clarence Region
Lake Tennyson, Twilight,(Very seldom is this lake calm like this, being exposed to the prevailing norwest wind )
