We’re doing the West Manuherikia Track today, we’ve done this one before but in the opposite direction

It rained quite a bit yesterday so we hope the river isn’t too high, so far it’s looking ok

The first hut on the track: Boundary Creek Hut, where I lost my Ray-Ben (yes, Ray-Ben, not Ray-Ban, they were cheap fakes from AliExpress)

The Omarama Saddle right ahead of us (the low point)

The second hut: Top Hut

Looking back at the hut

We have made it to the top of the saddle, here’s looking back at the track

And the valley with Top Hut

It looks like another great day for gliding as well

The decision is made to drive up to the St Bathans Range (just like the previous time we were here)

Getting to the St Bathans Range is a lot of sloooow driving, sooo many rocks

This is how far I’m willing to drive, from here on it’s a little walk we’re doing, over that top in the previous photo

At the that top, looking back

View of the Mackenzie basin where I was gliding only recently

It’s also rather cold here (at about 2 km altitude), glad I brought a beanie and gloves

Going back to the car again, quite steep here

Rachel ahead of me

Looking back at what Omarama glider pilots know as Hugo’s Elevator

Our car is still there, it’s a happy car, it’s had a 50 mm raise since we were last here and the extra ground clearance really helps, no damage this time

Looking towards Lake Dunstan

Hawkdun Range in the distance

Last part of the track, back down to Omarama

After buying some groceries at Omarama we visit Sailor’s Cutting

Just for a little walk

We end the day at our favourite freedom camping spot at Lake Aviemore

Enjoying a lovely meal

The Young Range, I think it is spectacularly beautiful

Looking back at the Huxley Range and Lake Hawea, Omarama in the far distance (on the left)

Crossing the Makarora River from the McKerrow Range to Mt Broome

Crossing the Wilkin River towards Turret Peaks

I turned around at the Aspiring turnpoint and am now heading back to the McKerrow Range, Mt Aspiring itself in the photo

Hard to spot in the photo but PIK- 20B ‘KG’ is just ahead of me flying towards the McKerrow Range

The McKerrow Range with again KG, can you see him?

Maybe now?

The Barrier Range, now heading to as far north as I can get

Crossing the Dobson River, Naumann (Neumann, Newmann) Range on the left, Ben Ohau Range on the right, Mt Cook in the distance

I’m now flying over the Gamack Range, just to the east of the Jollie River, very good lift here and high cloud base

Tasman Lake

Murchison Glacier, I’m close to the Armadillo turnpoint here

Northernmost turn for me today, back to Omarama now

Crossing the Tasman River towards the Ben Ohau Range, what a view of Lake Pukaki! I’ve decided to (finally) join the WeGlide community so my flight can also be seen in detail here

And to top things off a beautifull sunset! Awesome day!

Sailors Cutting

A girl fishing

Fantastic views, awesome sky

Gentle uphill (and downhill) slopes

Lake Benmore with the Benmore Range on the other side

Power lines, coming from the power station the Benmore Dam is known for

The Benmore Dam

Lots of power being generated here

It’s 30km from Omarama to here

Loch Laird Camping ground on the other side

I’m on my way back to Omarama again

Oh, I forgot to mention, this track is part of the A2O (Alps to Ocean) cycle trail

I love how the track meanders through/with the landscape

Back at Sailors Cutting

Perfect day and temperature today for a cycling trip

With enough of a breeze to keep cool

I must have done 50km by now, I have a rest and look forward to getting to Omarama again

Back at Omarama, Dave Tillman has organised a wine tasting evening. Not my cup of tea as I only drink Diet Coke but people are enjoying it

A lot of the usual suspects here

What’s missing is a roaring fire

Carl, doing stuff on his laptop, likely he’s on some dating site

A map of today’s track, from Omarama to the Benmore Dam and back, 60.6 km

Pretty much the same photo but with more if the Huxley Range in it, you can see why it was an amazing run!!

This looks like the same photo once again but this is taken after I crossed the Young Range, so this is the Makarora River and looking south towards Lake Wanaka this time

Via the Young River, Mt Turner, Siberia and Dragonfly Peak I made it towards Craigroyston Peak, in the left of the photo the Shotover Saddle, on the right Rob Roy Glacier

Flying straight towards Rob Roy Glacier

Rob Roy Glacier in all its glory, the last time I was here was on the ground, with Jasper

And I’m heading back again

After arriving lowish at Corner Peak at Lake Hawea I found a good climb and via Dingle Peak and Mt Martha made it back to the Ahuriri and back to the Mackenzie basin, almost home now, Lake Ohau with Ben Ohau in the distance

There’s still lift at the Benmores, let’s go!

Me

I got a good climb above the tops at the Benmores and extend my flight by flying to Twizel, Lake Ruataniwha in the foreground

And a last glide back towards Omarama, Benmores to the left in the distance, The Buscot straight ahead, Omarama lies just behind it

Approaching the Benmores, in the photo the canal from Lake Ruataniwha to Lake Benmore via the Ohau Power Station B and C

My track, done counterclockwise, the very last part (to Twizel and back) is missing as my logger ran out of juice

And there are a lot of sheep on the Te Akatarawa Road from Fishermans Bend to the Benmore Dam

The Clay Cliffs, I’ve been here many times before

but it’s always worthy of a visit

But hey! What is that!? Beautiful scenery destroyed by an absolute eyesore!

They ruined it all by putting a dumb stupid unnecessary sign smack in the mibble here. Only OSH could approve of something insane like this

Luckily the view towards Omarama and Mt Horribler is still as good as ever

But why did we have such an early start? Because Rachel is going gliding today with no less than Justin Wills!

It’s a late birthday gift for Rachel, flying with the legend

Rachel took these photos whilst flying in RW, this is above the Lindis Pass coming from the Dunstan Range

The Lindis Pass looking west, unfortunately not long after Rachel started feeling unwell, something that often happens to people not used to flying gliders, especially as a passenger

So the flight is cut short and Rachel and Justin head back towards Omarama, here are the Clay Cliffs again that we visited a few hours before

RW on finals for runway 27. Despite having to cut the flight short Rachel had a great time, many thanks to Justin Wills!

And that was our holiday. On the way back to Christchurch a last photo of Mt Cook, we look forward to our next visit to this wonderful part of the country!

To my left Matukituki river, where I landed out 3 years ago with Jono in PB, not this time though!

Fog Peak

The Matukituki River West Branch and the Rob Roy Glacier with Rob Roy Peak

Fog Peak again, I spent some time here to get a much needed 1000ft climb

Just past the Shotover Saddle, approaching Mt Tyndall

Flying along the Forbes Mountains, Moira Peak straight ahead

To my left a little lake which is the origin of the Hunter Creek North Branch and in the valley in the distance the Rees River, the very river I walked along when I did the Rees-Dart track

Mt Earnslaw coming up on the left

What a spectacular view!

Crossing Beans Burn, with a great view of Lake Unknown (no, seriously, that’s its name) and the Dart River on the far left

Looking south there are the Humboldt Mountains on the left with its peak Somnus and in the distance just a glimpse of Lake Wakatipu, in the valley on the right you see the Route Burn North Branch

Very same spot as the previous photo but now looking towards the north-east, there’s Lake Nerine on the far left, Amphion Peak just to the right of the lake across the valley and Theatre Flat in the valley on the right

Just north of Lake Hyslop looking north-west where the Hollyford River ends in Lake McKerrow with Martins Bay and the ocean just beyond it

Mt Madeline, still following Justin (can you spot him?) who luckily knows his way around these mountains, because I don’t! Lake McKerrow on the far right now

Mt Madeline again, just a bit higher than before

Milford Sound! We made it!

Milford Sound village with the clearly visible airport, Lake Ada in the distance

Between Mt Underwood and Apirana Peak, looking north-east towards the Taoka Icefall

Flying to the south-east just north of Lake Adelaide left in the photo, RW to my right

Justin in RW just north of Lake Adelaide

Circling at Mt Gifford, RW in the top-right corner

The Korako Glacier with its highest point Mt Tuhawaiki, Lake Adelaide on the far left and Justin in RW flying high above the bright green lake on the right

From here we really are on our way back again, heading north-east and looking north here with Lake McKerrow in the distance, a glimpse of Lake Alabaster to the right of it and the Hollyford River in the middle that connects the two lakes

Overhead Hidden Falls Creek, Prospector Peak on the left, Bryneira Range straight ahead

Cruising further along the Bryneira Range, Niobe peak on the right

Back on the Forbes Mountains towards Mt Tyndall

The view a little more towards the left with the Dart Glacier in the middle and Mt Aspiring (the highest peak) in the distance

Almost at Mt Tyndall, RW to my right (and leading of course)

Justin guiding us past Mt Ansted

Towards Mt Aspiring

To the left of us is the Dart Glacier again

RW guiding me to more familiar terrain again

Mt Aspiring, Kitchener Glacier and the lake that feeds the Turnbull Thomson Falls that become the Kitchener River

Upper Volta Glacier with the Glacier Dome

Mt Pollux

Drake Range, Jackson Bay in the distance

RW guiding us over the Southern Alps

Near the Okuru River

Bealey Range

Just past Mt Wilson, looking right toward the Hunter River and Lake Hawea

Overhead the South Elcho Stream, soon to be joined by the North Elcho Stream, Mt Jackson in the middle, the flatter mountain to the right of it is Mt Ward

Approaching Mt Ward

Getting closer

And closer

Mt Williams

Mt Darby in the middle, below it the Dobson River that feeds into Lake Ohau

Backbone Peak on the Ben Ohau Range, Lake Ohau in the distance on the right, Omarama at 10 o’clock, almost home after a fan-tas-tic flight, thanks Justin!

Track log of the entire flight