A derelict farm house at 640m on the Red Hills Track
A view south across The Plateau (1,100m) to the Raglan Range and beyond
A view north of Point 1291, looking southeast to the Wairau Valley
Heading north towards Point 1418
Beyond Point 1418, looking to Chrome (1,646m) with the head of Motueka River Right Branch centre
A view south, back down to The Plateau and beyond to the upper Wairau River
Now well into the rock garden that the Red Hills mostly is, heading towards Chrome
A view east from near Chrome, to the Wairau Valley and Mt Patriarch (1,656m)
Dropping off Point 1666, on the approach to Point 1706, with my camp spot beyond that on Point 1749 (the highest point on the left skyline here)
In the flatest spot on the rocky ridge at Point 1749, looking south, back down my route of the day - 22km from the Red Hills Track carpark
A view north to Maungakura/Red Hill (centre left skyline) from my tent spot on Point 1749
A view north along the ridge leading to Maungakura/Red Hill (left)
The southern approach (bottom right) to Maungakura/Red Hill (1,791m) - still another 2kms of broken ridge rock away
A view west across the Gordon Range
Looking east from Point 1749 to the Kaikouras
The big view from Point 1749, taking in the ridge back to The Plateau (right), Wairau Valley and the Kaikouras (centre) and, in the foreground, the basin giving access to a tarn at 1,500m I had to descend to next morning to replenish my water supply
Looking east from Point 1749 to the Kaikouras
A view south down the Red Hills from my tent spot on Point 1749
A view east to Mt Patriarch (1,656m) at sunset
A view east to Mt Patriarch (1,656m) at sunset
Sunset view west from Point 1749. I should have realised that rough weather was coming from this beautiful cloud ceiling. Gail-force winds collapsed my tent around me at 4.45am the following morning - type 2.5 fun
Above the 1,500m tarn on the east side beneath Point 1749. I sourced water from a creek in this gut that had come to life with the unanticipated storm rain
A fitting final image for a Red Hills trip - abrasive red rock!