SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW
GLACIAL lakes, lush beech forest and snowcapped mountains have endowed Nelson Lakes National Park with a reputation for supreme beauty. Few, however, venture a short way over the St Arnaud Range, crossing the Rainbow Road into the Rainbow and Leatham conservation areas. These seldom-visited places hide beautiful bush-clad valleys with names like Hellfire and Misery, the valleys themselves being surrounded by the alpine wonderland of the Raglan Range. It’s a spectacular playground for adventure beyond the well-trodden trails over the hill.
The trip over the Rainbow began with waves washing over the bow of the Awatere, part of a ritual familiar to North Island trampers crossing Cook Strait to Te Waipounamu.
Our van bounced through the fords and potholes of the Rainbow Road towards the Wairau Swingbridge. By the time we’d parked and crossed the swingbridge, it was well and truly dark. Legions of stars marched across the sky and the moon illuminated our path down the river. It took about
