Hope River

Heading southwest from Kaikoura, we decided to visit the high country.  Near Lewis pass is Hope River.  Our guide book said the walk along the river here was quite good (and not very popular), so we gave it a go.

Of course, the first step on the track is crossing a river.




We wandered through a forest of black beech.  The film of fungus covering everything gives it an interesting feel.




The honeydew droplets forming on the fungus was very popular with bees and birds.


















We stopped for lunch on a well-placed log. A visiting bird was trying very hard to be nonchalant about his interest in our crackers. 




Eventually we rounded the mountain and got a good view of the Hope River itself.