Lake Pukaki....

....in full colour!  Not at all the colour we often associate with Pukaki 

Up early then a drive back to the Fishbowl in the hope of a glorious sunrise.  Hmmmmmm.......  There was red sky for a while but it stayed low and confined to a small-ish area of the sky.  The cloud was low and plentiful and there was even been a few spits of rain as I waited, but there was no coldness to speak off......remarkably mild.  Unsurprisingly, nothing eventuated.  Hey ho.  I enjoyed my coffees up there which was lovely then headed back towards Twizel.  The road around the southern end of Lake Pukaki is always a memorable drive, whatever the weather, and today was no different with the sun trying to push its way through determined clouds, lots of mist and sun beams plus shimmerings of light twinkling on the lake when a beam did manage to burst through. 

Took a (very!) scenic and slow drive back to Twizel taking in a few back roads, the canal, a 'no exit' road and a few wrong turns and arrived back at base mid-afternoon-ish.  It hasn't rained yet but the emphasis there is on 'yet'........pretty sure it will either overnight or tomorrow.    

I've been meaning to keep a record here for this trip but I keep forgetting.  When I saw the third instance yesterday I was reminded......

Feral cat count - 3

I could count on three fingers the number of feral cats I've ever seen before so to have seen three already on this trip alone is a concern.  Now I'm a cat lover but I do find myself feeling rather concerned for the safety of wildlife, particularly the birds if the numbers of feral cats is on the rise.