Combine remote tussock and sheep-filled high country stations with epic mountain peaks and perfectly reflecting lakes, and where will you find yourself? Ashburton Lakes. I actually can’t believe it took me so long to discover this area - it’s truly one of NZ’s hidden gems and yet so accessible from Christchurch less than 2 hours drive away. Whilst hiking this place in summer is definitely an option, in my opinion it really comes into its own in the winter when you’re surrounded by snow on the peaks.
Taking a right at the junction and drive for about 30 minutes on the gravel road and Lake Heron will come into sight. Keep an eye out for Maori Lakes on the way - it can be a good spot to stop and shoot if the water is calm and it’s not filled with birds (unless you’re there for the wildlife opportunities!) The foreshore of Lake Heron is distinctly recognisable by the upside down pudding shaped hill across the other side of the lake known as the Sugarloaf at 1,250 metres.
One of my favourite family holiday memories will always be the night we spent at Lake Heron in a Wilderness motorhome in the depths of winter. We arrived at dusk and the light was very soft and beautiful, there was no one around, just us.
Not only were were the ONLY vehicle staying in the campground, but waking up to a lot of snow on the ground was an entirely magical experience, it was also slightly nerve-wracking at the same time - we’d never put chains on a vehicle before let alone a campervan.
It’s also the only time I’ve ever been to a campground toilet and had to go with the door open (it had come off its hinges!) watching snowflakes falling - somewhat surreal! The snow continued to fall for a few hours after we woke up giving us plenty of opportunities for snow angels, snowball fights and of course building an obligatory snowman before we finally worked out how to put the chains on and slowly crept back up the road through the snow.
On another occasion, I hosted a winter workshop based at Lake Heron station, staying in the 3 bedroom historic cottage on site. We were extremely fortunate to have clear skies for 3 nights straight which meant ample opportunities to shoot astro including star trails and being in a remote location there is no light pollution either which made for very dark skies and bright stars!
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The downside of the clear skies on our winter workshop were BITTERLY cold mornings - they ranged from -5 degrees down to -8 degrees Celsius on the last morning - brrr! We were also treated to an incredible morning above the Southern Alps on a sunrise flight with the owner of Lake Heron Station, Philip Todhunter, in his private plane. What a magical treat this was - one of my favourite ever aerial shots was taken just after sunrise - flying at this time of day really does give you the best light!
If you don’t have a campervan and want to stay the night at Lake Heron, then staying at either Arrowsmith Lodge or the cottage at Lake Heron Station are your two best options here.
Once you get back to the main road into the Lakes, hang a right at the junction and within about 10-15 minutes you’ll reach Lake Camp. Again there’s a campsite right on the shores of the lake, and the view across the lake to the pointy peak of Mt D’Archiac is my favourite view in the whole Lakes area. If you can catch it on a still morning, even better. I’ve spent 2 nights camping here in a campervan on different occasions and with different but beautiful morning results.
The other viewpoint that is often photographed here is looking more sideways across the lake to Mt Potts.
I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t shot many noteworthy images of Lake Clearwater (the larger lake) as it's often not been calm enough to do so and I personally think the composition is nicer from Lake Camp anyway. Lake Clearwater is where a number of holiday baches (or cribs as the Southerners like to call them) are, and if you are lucky you might find one for rent on a holiday home site online.
At the far end of Lake Camp before reaching Lake Clearwater, you get a nice view back down towards the campground too.
If you carry on the main road past Lake Clearwater, eventually the road winds down into the Rangitata Valley with views across to Mount Sunday (otherwise known as Edoras from Lord of the Rings), the Cloudy Peak range with Mt D’Archiac in the distance. This valley view is incredibly impressive, the elevation of Mount Sunday at 600m is immediately dwarfed by the peaks of the Southern Alps which are mostly between 2,500 to 3,000 metres! It's worth stopping here to get a zoom shot towards the mountains.
You can take a walk up to the summit of Mount Sunday and it’s not terribly far - about 45 minutes crossing a few river streams (all bridged but could be a bit soggy after a lot of rain) but a bit of a short, sharp climb towards the top. It is definitely worth it for the 360 degree panoramic views!
If you want to stay further into the Rangitata valley near Mount Sunday, Mt Potts Lodge is a good option.
This location is even possible as a day trip from Christchurch but to truly appreciate the scenery being here at sunrise or sunset is definitely the best option. At a pinch you can stay at Mt Somers and drive in as well. If you are coming from Christchurch (or anywhere north for that matter), I recommend taking the scenic inland route past the Rakaia Gorge. There is a short walk to the first viewpoint which is well worth exploring if you are only have a couple of hours to spare, or a longer walk if you have all day.
Have you explored Ashburton Lakes yet? If not, I hope you are going to put it right at the top of your list now!
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