White knuckles

An early start and a busy day.  Today was the day we finally got to get out and about with our cameras and with some pretty special people to lead and guide us, both with our photography and with the localities.

First stop for me was a long and challenging ride right up the Skippers Canyon, which turns out to be #7 on a list of the world's most dangerous roads.  Whils this picture (which is about 6 images stitched together) looks very mild, the road that you can just see to the right hit many, many  gnarly spots where where was little beween us and a huge drop over the edge.  Fortunately, the  only vehicles we passed were in parts where there was enough space to squeeze by.  I thought I was going on a photographic expedition - I never expected a white-knuckle ride too!

The afternoon was spent up another hill - Deer Park Heights [Kelvin Heights] - though this one much closer to town and much gentler.  The views from the tops though were every bit as spectacular as we eyed shots across Queenstown and down Lake Wakatipu towards both Kingston and Walter Peak.  The wind was pretty strong on the hill top and had a very cool/cold edge to it.  Autumn is really beginning to roll in - another reason these trips have been so wonderful.  The deciduous trees throughout this area have looked stunning.  

A fantastic day and a long one at that.  Will sleep very well tonight I think!

(PS Map location is a total guess!)