Erewhon, famous only in New Zealand, is “nowhere” spelt backwards, almost. Presumably, the families that established the most remote sheep stations on either side of the Rangitata River about 150 years ago had an interesting sense of humour; the station on the other side was named Mesopotamia.
It’s about a 20-km drive from Lake Clearwater to the Mt Sunday walking track. Although this is the main reason for the trip or staying at the Mt Potts Lodge, the view is worth it, and you can stop almost anywhere.
The northeast side of the road is dominated by Mt Potts (2,184 metres high) and the southwest by the Rangitata River valley, backed by the Black Mountain Range. To the northwest, you can pick out glaciers around the main divide. It is more difficult to tell the difference in Winter as most peaks will have snow.
