Primo ice...

Clear ice - green slime is under the ice..

The frosts have been kind to skaters all over and we are loving it.....
Another cold morning and a dawn skate in the Idaburn gorge.  Then off to meet Dave P at Mathaius.
Wow what ice!  The whole dam had frozen with fresh black ice - and a great setting.  Neither of us had skated more than the tail end before and it was a thrill to do the whole area including up the inlet stream.  It seems to take special conditions to bring on this ice as some parts a quite shallow with plenty of greenery in the water.
From there we headed to Styx Reservoir.  Two days ago we were only able to skate part of the lake on snow ice but this time is was fresh black ice again and we skated from end to end under the steep rocky hill side.  Primo ice.  We both found it hard to leave such a great setting and fab ice - despite the constant groaning of the ice as the water level lowers.....
Finished of with a look at the Taierei river with its ice flow and a final skate on the Styx River.  Weird to be skating
on top of running water!   A great day...

Black ice everywhere

Dave making the most of it

Skaters dream

Looking up to the top of Styx Reservoir

Dave checking the intlet.

Resting on the river

Rock hazards

Styx River

Ice flows on the Taieri

Ice Report:

Idaburn:  Plenty of ice.  Best in the gorge but thin at entrance.  Walk down to the small basin near the dam.

Manorburn: Plenty of ice in middle basin.

Mathaius and Styx:  Great skating but will go off very quickly when it warms as they are both very open.  Check carefully. Water level at Styx Res is constantly dropping causing plating at the edge.  Can be tricky getting on and off especially if the ice is going aging.