Banks Peninsula

Well a couple of my photography friends (T & L) and myself set off with some others from our Nature Photography Club. We were going to climb some of the hills on Banks Peninsula above Akaroa to look for a hebe (native plant) which is only in that area.
The sun was shining but we had a bitterly cold easterly win, but we were dressed accordingly.
We had to climb a rather steep hill which had snow grass and other vegetation up to our shoulders. There was no track so it was one foot in front of the other, until we came up on to a plateau, where the wind nearly knocked us over.
Down among rocks we found the plants and spent a couple of hours photographing them.
They have a little pink bud bursting in to a white floret, so not easy to photograph.
After that we walked some distance more and photographed Totara Stumps.
Wonderful bleached old wood - thousands of years old from the native tree the Totara - a very hard wood. The Peninsula used to be covered in these very large trees, but the area was cleared for farming, and also milled. There are many reserves around now to try and protect some of the forest that is left.

By the time we came down off the hills we were all very tired and sore from struggling through the long grass and up and down hill.
PS "Must get fitter"

This picture shows the rocks and hills of the peninsula. The yellow hill is covered in gorse.
It leads down the the Akaroa Harbour, and the Akaroa township in the bay to the left.
You can also see a couple of photographers searching for the hebe.