Over the boardwalk

It's been a busy Sunday, so come sunset it seemed like a great idea to head down to the lake shore at Sunset Point once more to take in the peace and serenity of Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora.

When I arrived at the sliproad there was a friendly motorcycle tourist taking photos from the rail trail. We swapped stories and compared kit - like me he uses a Giottos tripod, but he shoots Canon, so there was a bit of friendly banter. Standing there we marvelled at the beautiful sky. This was his first time at the lake and was blown away by the scenery and expansive views. He seemed slightly envious that this is on my doorstep.

Leaving him to take his shots, instead of walking down the rail trail, I decided to head out onto the lake itself. Te Waihora is currently open to the sea, so the lake level has dropped dramatically from where it was just a few weeks ago. Where once was water, expanses of grassland and mudflat are left exposed, the latter etched with the tell-tale signs of wading birds foraging for a feed.

The receding waters have also left the lake margins criss-crossed with small channels and scattered with small pools, their surfacaces rippled by the light breezes swooping in ahead of the southerly change. This small boardwalk - no doubt a busy throughfare for hunters in duck shooting season - once more sits out of the water, ready for crossing to the nearby maimais/duck blinds.