Saturday, January 19, 2008

Rakaia Gorge


We took a drive west of Christchurch today, into the
Canterbury Plains and came across the Rakaia Gorge.
The gorge itself is nothing spectacular compared to
places near our home such as the Grand Canyon and the
Black Canyon of the Gunnison. But it is in a very
pretty area, with nearby Mount Hutt looming in the
distance and lots of flora giving it a lush appearance.
What makes it stand out from the others though is it's
water. It's a beautiful turquoise color that's caused
by "rock flour". This occurs when the water draining
the glaciers flows down the New Zealand Alps and grinds
the rock. This causes the rock particles to suspend in
the water, giving the river it's color. I've seen this
water in many of the lakes on the South Island but this
is the brightest I've seen it. It's a really picturesque
sight and photos can't do it justice.

1 comment:

kay said...

when do you guys get here for heaven's sake??

K