Original Oils: "Tararuas from the South"

Here are the Tararuas, just north of Wellington, viewed from the south, with the full path of the Southern Crossing showing on the skyline.

From Otaki Forks on the left one climbs up for about 3 and a half hours on a Friday night to Fields Hut.   Then on in the morning, past Kime Hut and over Mt Hector, the highest peak at 5016'.   Hector used to have a large cross on its summit in commemoration of members of the local tramping clubs who died in world wars but I do not know if it is still there.   From Hector, the path leads on over Atkinson and Aston (4540') to Alpha and Alpha Hut for the second night. Next morning out from Alpha via Hell's Gate to Omega on the Marchant Ridge. Then south along the Marchant Ridge past Dobson's Hut to Kaitoke and the Puffer.

I did the sketch of the mountains themselves from the window of my office in Wellington on a beautiful clear day and created the foreground - with some liberties - from pictures I took while walking in the Moonshine area.

This painting is Oils on board. Size 25in x 9.5in. Artist's Collection.