Malvern Hills

This morning was so bright and sunny I decided to drive among the nearby hills. It is late autumn and not all the trees have lost their leaves. The countryside is very green after recent rain, but the rivers and creeks are still dry or very low after the drought.

The willows are still colourful

The Craigieburn Range has more snow than the closer mountains

Mount Torlesse, with the Red Peak on the left, Back Peak and Otarama on the right

Willows in the valley

The road through the poplars

The Mountains This Morning

Mount Torlesse

Back Peak and Otarama

Summer Snow

The first two days of summer have been cold, with two falls of snow on the mountains.

Mount Torlesse, the Rubicon Peak

Back Peak and Otarama

Castle Hill Peak and The Gap

Castle Hill Peak

Castle Hill Peak is the highest in the Torlesse Range. Here the summit is obscured by snowcloud. The mountain is named after a farm on the western side. This view is from the east. On the right-hand side is The Gap, which is the distinguishing feature of the range as seen from the Canterbury Plains.

Keens Road

Keens Road goes down to the Waimakariri Riverbed

Cabbage Tree Shadows on Keens Road

Mount Torlesse is in the distance.

Cloud Piercers

Back Peak and Otarama of the Torlesse Range

Spring Sunshine

The Torlesse Range

Sheffield Valley with the Torlesse Peaks

The Hawkins River

 At this time of year there is water in the river.  For much of the year it is dry in this section.

The yellow broom adds colour to the landscape, but it is a noxious weed.

Large Narcissus Fly in a Pot Marigold

The large narcissus fly (Merodon equestris) is yet another accidental import from Europe.  It arrived in a consignment of daffodil bulbs and has spread over much of the country.

Although it looks like a small bumblebee it is a hoverfly.  It hovers above a flower before landing, and when it has finished feeding on the nectar it darts away so fast that it difficult to see which direction it took.

November Snow

Torlesse Range

  Although it is late spring the mountains still get falls of snow.

Wellingtonia trees (Sequoiadendron giganteum)

More Fresh Snow

Torlesse Range from Springfield

 Yesterday's storm brought fresh snow to the mountains.

The Great Alpine Highway at the approach to Springfield.  On the left is Castle Hill Peak, the highest in the range at 1997 metres.  In the centre is The Gap, which is the distinguishing feature of the Torlesse Range when viewed from the Canterbury Plains.

Southern end of the Torlesse Range at 1.15pm

Dwindling Snow

The southern end of the Torlesse Range at 7.26am

Warm conditions are melting the snow quickly.  Compare with yesterday.

Spiders and Mountain

The southern end of the Torlesse Range at 8.41am

Small Spiders Oxyopes gracilipes

Oxyopes gracilipes  males

There were several of these small (5-6mm) spiders sunning themselves on the alpine strawberry leaves this afternoon.  They were all the same size and shape, but had different markings.  These two interacted briefly, and not in a friendly manner.

Mountain and Miner's Lettuce

The peak of Otarama, Torlesse Range, 7.30 am

Miner's Lettuce, Claytonia perfoliata

I found a patch of miner's lettuce near the Waimakariri Gorge Bridge, on the bluff of the northern side, under pine trees.  How did it come to be there?  Was it introduced when somebody dumped their garden rubbish there, or does its history go back to the early days before the bridge was built?

Photo taken today.

Also there, the broom was in flower, and here and there a ragwort in bud.