Riding the Waitaki Hills~21 Sep 2011

NB: This blog is an update from the original written in early 2012. I found the pics I thought I'd lost, so they're all in here now. 
After the ride from Twizell, I met up with Pete & we headed out on Denzel & Suzy. The pictures tell the story here, really. The first shows Pete & Denzel crossing a stream before heading up into the zig-zaggy valley. The sides were steepish & I got the ubiquitous "ears" pic!

  
Then the New Zealand sheep pic. Considering how many sheep there are supposed to be here, I thought a pic was in order ;-p

More ears & Denzel's bum,

And then a pic of where we'd just been. Like I said: steep :-)

I'd been riding up & down steep inclines with the reins in 1 hand & the Panasonic in the other so you could see the very hilly terrain we were riding in.
The next's of Peter & Denzel & the top, followed by a view of the Waitaki alluvial plain

I got another of the very beautiful Denzel, then I walked across to get another of the valley we'd ridden up (from R to L). I told you it was steep! Mucho Fun :-)) & yes, there's snow on them thar hills :-o

Then it was time to go down again. Pete's stables are down there somewhere? He pointed them out, but I've slept way too many times since . . . . . . . . . . . . . !

Next there's us giving the horses a breather after doing all that climbing for us. Beyond the hills in the background is the sea.

Back in the valley we gave the guys a drink. Suzy kept pawing like she was going to roll in it, hence I cut off Pete's head. Sorry Pete. And the pic doesn't do justice to Denzel's cuteness.

Unlike Bruce, Pete made me wear a hat!
You can see Suzy pawing in this one. And the fact she's not nearly so cute as Denzel!

Pete had the camera again, & these are me & Suzy walking thru the river. I asked Pete what it was, but either he didn't know or I forgot to write it down.
The 2nd looks a bit like we're cantering with an off lead, but it's just Suzy pawing again.

There are some totally awesome cliffs to the west of the river valley. They're in the background, & that's Pete & Denzel with my trademark framing trees - hahahahaha!
Suzy wouldn't stand very still, so this one of the cliffs is blurred, but you can get an idea of how tall & steep they were. Brilliant :-)

Check out the pine growing at an angle, all on its own. That was a normal sized tree!
I don't need to tell you those are Suzy's ears, but I'll tell you anyway.

Denzel & Pete having a trot is followed by one taken at the canter. The cliffs are a bit lower here.

And here's that pine that was in the distance a few pics ago. Big hills in Waitaki, eh?

 

Next is Suzy & Denzel checking out some cows who came to the fence to check us out! 
From Suzy's ears, she was Very interested in those cows :-p

 


We'd ridden up the zig-zaggy valley on the R, & up to the big lump on the left. Then we rode down in another zigzag before dropping into the valley you can't see because it's below the cliffs just behind the pylon.
What an awesome ride. Cheers, Pete :-))
Then it was off to Glenmac to meet Kaye, & the last pic in this blog is the view from my room with horses & rabbits, & an awesome tree in the field. Lovely :-))

More about my night at Glenmac in the next blog, but in case you never read the next one, if you're down Kurow way & need a bed, go & stay with Kaye.

OAO