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JETNZ: The distant Lake Lyndon
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JETNZ: Lake Coleridge and the Rakaia River
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JETNZ: First break on Rabbit Hill (1198m)
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JETNZ: Last time we stood here 5 Sept a dark wall of rain was heading our way!
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JETNZ: Down towards the saddle between Rabbit Hill and point 1327. A hunter and his dogs sit in the tussock on the saddle
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JETNZ: The head of Macfarlane Stream
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JETNZ: And up the other side...
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JETNZ: Suddenly there's smoke… on the hill (point 1170) north west of Lyndon Road
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JETNZ: No mobile coverage to report the fire, we march up the ridge checking our phones and watching the fire spread
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JETNZ: Feeling helpless as the fire grows..
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JETNZ: The smoke spreads and we are breathing it all the way to the top
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JETNZ: Limited views to the south
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JETNZ: And north for that matter
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JETNZ: Still no coverage but the 'runners' that were sent ahead have already made the call from point 1660m
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JETNZ: Suddenly a glider swoops past… this is the second pass. The first was incredibly low !
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JETNZ: Nearly at the top and we spy a chopper with monsoon bucket heading for the fire...
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JETNZ: Ben More (1655m)
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JETNZ: Lunchtime entertainment
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JETNZ: Relaxing at point 1660
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JETNZ: The hazy Canterbury Plains. And our descent spur
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JETNZ: Perfect conditions for trampers and gliders!
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JETNZ: Down the spur to point 1444
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JETNZ: The wind has come up and it's time to go down
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JETNZ: An almost monochromatic landscape...
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JETNZ: That patch of forest is our target. Quad brake time!
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JETNZ: A five minute quadraceps break
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JETNZ: Glad we're not going down that spur!
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JETNZ: Last look back at point 1660
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JETNZ: Treeline here we come. The scree is a mix of soft and hard base
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JETNZ: Waiting for the leader to find the right track…