Flying Blind

We drove to Nelson Lakes
past Lake Rotoiti
up the mountain
gaining height
attained the carpark
secured the steely steed

Switch to Shank’s pony
chafing at the bit
thankful for head-start
Off at a canter
wending our way in-and-out
of bush, and up the hill

Quickly gaining altitude
pressing for the bushline
barren, tree-less, alpine
boulder fields
rock-strewn waste
searching for a flock of sheep

Invigorating alpine air
crossing rocks with care
scanning with our eyes ahead
searching for elusive beasts
bizarre as it may seem
we seek — ‘vegetable sheep’

Boulders are their home
and alpine sheep grow fleece
but they’re not fleet
nor bound to roam
They’re quite at home
as cushions in the alpine zone

In beautiful sunset
we found our sheep
and they were sweet!
Lizzie lingered long
loving the timeless land
But Time is not forgetful

Light faded into darkness
and we fled the vege flock
We crossed the barren boulders
with Time still on our side
We made the bushline too
but then … Time marched on

Beneath the shelter of the trees
pitch-black was plain to see
(in truth, ALL we could see)
We couldn’t see each other
nor even hand in front of face
How to leave this place?

I was the villain of the piece
my job now to find relief
In darkness I wondered if
alternative transport might befit
Resolved to literally chance
‘flying by the seat of my pants’

Taking weight off feet
I shuffle ahead, bum on path
Hands at side touching earth
Hoping to feel the way
Nigel following behind
I ease us through dark time

So we wend our way
in-and-out of bush
and down the hill
When ‘out’, we walk by moonlight
When ‘in’, I rely on touch
fully focussed, feeling…

Then the long dark — as
we push on through pitch-black
doubtful of distance and direction
Inching through black silence, then
slightly lighter… a large dark shape?
the Carpark sign — CELEBRATE!

— poem by Liz Cowburn, written today
recalling a walk we did 20 years ago
New Zealand.

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Vegetable Sheep (Raoulia species)

Update 19 May: fyi these are also called ‘Cushion Plants’

Unusual plants with some species in the alpine zone having very woolly texture. They grow on boulders and therefore have a rounded shape, the woolly ones look much like sheep scattered among the boulders.

On this trip we’d set out specifically to find woolly forms of Raoulia growing in the wild. They were everything we’d hoped for, really amazing!

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I don’t have photos of those we saw but here’s a couple of interesting photos taken at Mt Hutt in Canterbury by Nuytsia@Tas (two different Raoulia species):

Many thanks to Nuytsia@Tas on Flickr. Both photos cc by-nc-sa 2.0
Links to original files:   top photo   bottom photo

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Text/poem by Liz; photos as attributed; Exploring Colour (2020)