Daily Photo: Lake Forsyth on Banks Peninsula

I drove on along State Highway 75, heading for the hills of Banks Peninsula and eventually the small French settlement of Akaroa. I past Lake Ellesmere which on the map had looked like a promising spot to stop for a stroll. I couldn’t remember ever having been there, so I’d imagined crystal-blue water stretching off into the distance, flanked by hills on one side and flat pastures on the other, guiding it towards the sea. It turned out to be none of these things. The lake was flat, brownish-grey and looked more like a large lagoon than a lake.

Disappointed, I drove on to Lake Forsyth, which wasn’t much further along the road. This was also nothing like I’d imagined, although at least it looked more like a lake than a lagoon. Skirting the water’s edge, I found a small, quiet bay. I pulled over, went for a stroll to stretch my legs and see what Lake Forsyth had to offer.

To my right, the lake narrowed in the distance, eventually connecting, according to the map, with a river that ran out to sea. To my left, the water stretched into the distance, with hills rising above it and the occasional dwelling dotted along the shoreline. For a moment, I considered sitting by the water next to an old tree and reading a few pages of my book. Then the wind picked up, making the idea considerably less appealing. Instead, I returned to my car, rejoined State Highway 75 and headed for a place called Little River.