The colours of Aotearoa New Zealand

The first impression of the South Island/ Te Waipounamu of Aotearoa is of endless green, but this could not be further from the truth.

At this time of year with Spring in the air and lambs in the fields, it is time to go out and about, exploring the countryside and the historic sites that abound. Today’s trip was to a gold-mining area in the Reefton area and the Alborns Walk.

This easy walk is a circular loop that takes in a variety of flora, from beech forest to rimu and manuka. It also offers glimpses of the gold mining, an activity that still continues today. The old workings are somewhat terrifying: small entrances to dank, dark spaces with a slight smell of sulphur and rivulets of water running down the walls. Not a place for the faint-hearted; it must have been hard work when these mines were operating. There are a couple of old trucks along the rail track, gently decaying and adding to the atmosphere, but the plants and trees and mosses and lichens are gradually taking over.

It is thanks to these, and to the minerals upon which they live, that the hues of the landscape come to life. Here is a slideshow of some photographs from the walk – rich reds and oranges, ochres and purples, silver, and, of course, green. A true delight to anyone who loves colour, and a real inspiration for some future artworks and textiles.