17 Dec 2013

Westerlies on Campbell

Tuesday broke bright and sunny with 20 knot westerlies buffeting Campbell Island and pushing puffy white clouds past at speed with a few drops of rain to remind us of what Mother Nature can be like. Most of the team took a leisurely stroll up Col Lyall saddle in warm sunshine with Sea Lions barking at our legs as we trod the path. Everywhere you looked the mega herbs, especially Bulbinella, were just hitting their peak and Pipits were fluttering from flower to golden flower as we made our way to the summit.

The westerly gale was lighter than usual at the top, but strong enough to warrant a jacket and woolly headgear for those wanting to spend more than 5 minutes gazing out towards the white-capped Pacific and her 3 metre swells marching in to pound the wild west coast. Eight brave trampers walked the Northwest Bay circut in just under 7 hours and were back aboard by 6pm for a feast of steak and mashed potatoes, washed down with a delicious New Zealand Central Otago Pinot Noir.