Day 26 - Lake Middleton to Twizel, 31km, 6 hours 30 minutes

Lake Ohau

Having stayed the night in comfort in Twizel, Colleen dropped me off mid morning back at Lake Middleton, to walk back through to Twizel that day.

The day was marked by flat walking with a progressively spectacular cloudscape. Having a day pack it was easy enough that I ended up running parts of it.


The early going was around the shore of Lake Ohau. This provided interesting views across the lake, to the saddle I had been over yesterday. In the photo below, up the left hand valley.


Eventually the outfrom from the lake, the source of the Ohau River, was reached. Like all the lake outflows in the Mackenzie this is controlled for power generation purposes, part of the think big project of more than a generation ago.


Swims were enjoyed in both the river, and in Lake Ruataniwha, that the river leads to. I particularly enjoyed the swim in the lake, not having waves to deal with for once in this much smaller, man made lake, and having a fine gravel beach to use.

Close to Twizel I was getting some amazing skies, perhaps marking the approach of an ex tropical cyclone over the Alps. Certainly I was pleased to be tucked up in town and not in my tent!

This marks the start of several flat, if not particularly interesting, days as I cross the Mackenzie Country.