Winter Shadows

As the shortest day approaches the east-facing Torlesse Range spends most of the day in shadow. This brings into relief features that are not so noticeable at other times of year. For example, the mole on the Sleeping Beauty’s chin. Do you see it? Just to the right of The Gap. Her eyelashes are also visible. The Sleeping Beauty was named in the 19th Century because it was a useful marker in the long expanse of the Southern Alps at a time when there were few landmarks on the Canterbury Plains. She is best described as a recumbent pregnant woman (her feet are some distance to the left). I try not to see this interpretation of the mountains, preferring them as they are, but I have come across local people who see only the illusion. Then again, depending on where they live, others see her the other way round, with The Gap as her mouth and Castle Hill Peak as her forehead. It’s all a matter of perspective.