As such, I wasn't really looking forward to riding yesterday, so when Fockler suggested going for a hike up Queenstown Hill, it was a pretty easy sell. I hadn't been up there yet, have wanted to get up there for a while, and my time here is running out. It's literally in our backyard and was considered a sacred place by the Maoris.
It had been raining buckets earlier in the day but turned into a pretty nice afternoon. Warm day, everything fresh from rain, and vibrant fall colors all add up to one heck of a good excuse to take the fancy camera out.
In chronological order:
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/6986/warmleavesxy7.jpg)
On the way to the main walking track
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/5806/bigleavesji7.jpg)
Just after starting up the hill
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/1382/berrytreegv3.jpg)
A bit more uphill
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/1532/eschertreesvf1.jpg)
Escher-esque trees
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/4504/berriesrt1.jpg)
Still wet from the rain
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/7433/darkgreentreesvk9.jpg)
Foreboding forest
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/5610/gnarl1rw0.jpg)
Gnarled clearing
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/2184/gnarl2nr0.jpg)
Another view
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/8403/darktreespr3.jpg)
Light fighting its way in
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/2053/basketcb1.jpg)
Very cool artwork just below the summit of Queenstown Hill...Basket of Dreams
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/124/earnslawqr3.jpg)
TSS Earnslaw making its way home under stormy skies
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/7981/tussockus9.jpg)
The Remarkables behind classic NZ tussock grass
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/5866/sheepay9.jpg)
Baa...
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/2990/yellowtreesqc6.jpg)
Pervasive yellow and green
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/8941/flower2pm4.jpg)
Back in town...
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/9297/flower3lp0.jpg)
...playing around...
![Image Hosted by ImageShack.us](http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/2473/flower1rx3.jpg)
...gonna be late for work...go home already!
On a more technical note, I've learned quite a bit in the last few days (more than I wanted to, frankly) about how web browsers display color. I had noticed that all of my pictures weren't looking as good as they should have been once they were posted, and I've figured it out. I won't go into the nuts and bolts of it, but suffice to say that you're a lot closer to seeing what I intend than you have been in the past months. If this rain keeps coming, I'll go through what I've already posted and fix it. But starting with those Arrowtown pics, we're on the right track.