Mt Dewar, New Zealand
When did I visit: End of December, in the evening around 7pm. Sunset was at 9.30pm or so.
Track distance & time to complete: More or less an hour to the top. It’s a bit uphill but the path is wide and easy to follow. Some 40 mins back to where we parked the car. (details below)
Temperature: Generally warm, I’d say around 18-20 degrees Celsius. You can expect some cool breezes at the top and may need a hoodie/jacket depending on weather.
Parking: You can park at Skippers Road lookout, but you can also drive a few hundred meters more like we did and park at the very start of the track.
Exact location: Mt Dewar, New Zealand on Google Maps
While doing my usual research before visiting a destination, I somehow stumbled upon this place called Mt Dewar. The views from the top looked truly spectacular, yet I could only scrape some essential information and details about it.
Which only meant one thing: it’s likely a rarely visited trail. That was my cue.
We reached the start of the track around 7pm, with plenty of time to get to the top in time for sunset. Of course, we knew we’d be making stops along the way to admire the views and surroundings. But we were in for a real treat this time.
Ridges, mountains and tussock as far as the eye can see. Even in summer with no snow coverings, the scenery was just stunning. It was tough to stop ourselves from taking so many photos of it.
It was still warm, and hiking up a mountain amplified the warmth even more. Jackets had to come off.
Step by step, the views kept expanding and the sunset light was becoming even more beautiful.
As we started reaching the end of our hike, we started getting glimpses of a phone mast that sits at the top of Mt Dewar. A bit disappointing to have man-made objects with all that gorgeous scenery around, but it is what it is. There were also a few more antennas and some other objects at the top, which meant I decided not to fly the drone as to avoid any potential damage, or fines.
Still, we were welcomed with 360 panoramic views that included Coronet Peak, Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables.
Touched by Gold
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Engulfed in warm sunset light, it was definitely time to start switching between lenses and capture different details and perspectives.
After a brief pause, we had a sip of water and nibbled on some snacks while admiring the panoramic views.
All of human civilisation seemed far away and there was no noise, except the occasional bird, cricket and whisper of the wind.
We were soaking in all of it.
Glimmer of Hope
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It was just after 9pm and the sun had started to go on its way to hide behind the clouds and distant mountains. We knew we’d need another 40 minutes or so to get back to the car, plus another half an hour to get back to our Airbnb. Considering our jam-packed agenda in the few days prior and after this hike, we were getting a bit tired and needed some rest.
Even with our tiredness, we didn’t really feel like parting with this place, so we made a promise to ourselves to visit it again. Hopefully in winter.
It was time to head back, for now. Thank you Mt Dewar for showing us the beauty that you get to witness each and every day.
Truly spectacular.
Layers of Wonder
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Thanks for reading, I hope you’ve enjoyed the story and images of my journey.
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