#cobbvalley

3 says of absolute bliss and freezing cold weather but what a nature and so very close to home. We are truly enjoying exploring New Zealand and where so very happy to be able to make a 🔥 campfire. Every day we walked for an average of13 km ( which is enough for me 🙃🙃) totally embracing this amazing nature, how blessed we are... feeling 🙏🏽🙏🏽#nz #cobbvalley #kahuranginationalpark #freedom #travel #travelnzwithme #travelnz @nzgeo #photographynz #trampingnz @ingetje_tadros (at Cobb Valley Dam) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFoWi1KgyxD/?igshid=91ibch5dg7yq

The Cobb Valley and Lake Sylvester.  What a way to spend the first day of 2015! This has to be one of the most breath-taking, yet accessible, Sub-Alpine/Alpine treasures I have ever come across.  Sure, the drive in is a little hair-raising, depending who you meet coming the other way. But a relatively short uphill slog, transports you to a completely different world to the one in which you left your car.  Every metre ascended sees towering beech trees slowly shrink to become a mythical miniature forest of bonsai-sized beech, and pillows of moss (apparently quite prickly pillows). Soon after, forest becomes tussock, littered with delicate alpine flowers, and a final push off the marked track takes you up again to the scree and jagged rock of Iron Hill.  It is a big, but achievable, day trip and one I highly recommended.  If you're anything like me, you'll want to pack your 'big' camera.