Snow Poplars, Mount Peel

Today has been a busy one, with Geraldine Photo Club coming to Peel Forest today for a field trip I was acting as tour guide.

Our first stop was up by the Waikari Sheepyards, which I shot in the dusk the other night. Initially we'd hoped to make it up on the gorge road, but the black ice just before we left the tar seal out paid to that - it was just too dangerous to go any further.

After shooting the views towards Mount Pukanui beyond the sheepyards, we stopped at the Church of the Holy Innocents at Mount Peel. Again, we were greeted with another ice rink, but the church is the snow is beautiful, despite still waiting for post earthquake restoration. See the extra photos for the snow in front of the building.

Next stop was another favourite of mine, Lynn Stream, and this is where I took this shoot, looking up to Little Mount Peel.

Lastly, a walk on the loop track to Big Tree, above Te Wahanu Flat in the Peel Forest Reserve.

All in all, a good day.

Well, mostly. After trying to diagnose the recent issues with out frozen water pipes, I've also found out that the cast iron casing of our water pump has cracked in the extreme temperatures, and the middle O-ring has popped. Needless to say, I'll be paying a visit to the pump shop at Orari tomorrow....