Otago - A land of Large Lakes & Remarkable Mountains

Week 3 - South Island

Saturday - Boundary Creek to Te Anau

The weather was still pretty good as we left the lakeside campsite on what was the start of our third week in New Zealand.  The road hugged the rugged banks of the brilliant blue waters of Lake Wanaka then in turn Lake Hawea. The whole area has a feel of  total wilderness.

We caught up with civilisation again at Wanaka, a small town, the gateway to the ski slopes & adventure sports.  The waterfront was a hive of activity, shops, cafes & coffee shops.  Passing through the town we followed the 6 along the steadily climbing Cardrona Valley Road.  Deep valleys swept through tussock grass hill sides, few trees, fewer vehicles & directional signs to ski slopes.

We had checked with some of our newly found friends about this route & had been told that travelling from Wanaka to Queenstown was fine however coming the opposite way, as can be seen from the above picture, is a no no, the steep hairpins are not really suitable for motorhomes!

Once clear of the pass & again driving along flat roads, we turned left at the Frankton roundabout, crossing the narrow bridge over the impressive Kawarau River with the amazing Remarkables mountain range in the near distance.

The highway took us along the river valley, alongside these amazing rocky mountains bordering Lake Wakatipu, a huge lake  all of 80kms long. Huge.

Lunch stop was at Kingston, a small lakeside settlement at the foot of the lake, & home to a small steam railway, a cafe & motorhome park plus wonderful views.

Leaving Kingston we just had to stop to take a picture of the wheel fence outside this bungalow.

The landscape now change, the mountains were now in the distance, with the slopes being replaced by grassy fields filled with sheep, the first sheep stations we had in fact come across on our travels so far.  

We passed through several farming settlements dotted throughout the plains that took us once again across towards the mountains at our overnight stop at Te Anau & the Te Anau Lakeside Kiwi Park on the shores of Lake Te Anau on the borders of Fjord Country. 

The site was a large one that offered several forms of accommodation from back-pack to camping.  Like all previous sites, wifi was available at a cost.  The site was well positioned for the walk into the town.

Taking advantage of the wifi, a quick check was made with Trip Advisor as to which tour company to book with for the boat trip along Milford Sound, [think smaller boat the better] then booked via the on-site tourist information desk. 

Supper was taken sat on a bench being stared at by red legged gulls, willing us to feed them with our blue cod & chips whilst we watched not the gulls but a coach load of Japanese busy photographing themselves before they embarked on the ferry across the lake to another glow worm dell. 

Today's Mileage = 170 miles

It just gets better ...

Friday

Fox Glacier to Lake Wanaka via Haast Pass

Leaving the Fox Glacier Top 10 Holiday Park, we turned right at the main junction rejoining the almost deserted Route 6 Haast Highway south.

The road took us through stunning wilderness, across wide rivers, along the shores of lakes, through forests & all the time mountain ranges creeping closer to the shoreline of the Tasman Sea.

Settlements & towns were noticeable by their absence.  A few farmsteads were placed wherever there was a large enough area of flatish grassland.

The road hugged the windswept coastline, beaches littered with driftwood. We stopped mid-morning for a coffee break at Ship Cove, named after an 1855 ship wreck site.  The coarse sand was strewn with huge chunks of bleached driftwood, some of which had been artfully arranged into rugged art.   The colours of the ocean & sky, wood & swamp was truly amazing.  Cameras were definitely on overload!

Back on the road, we crossed the longest single track bridge in New Zealand, the Callender-Hamilton Bridge, which has carefully placed passing places.

Before we turned inland to follow the Haast Pass, we stopped for lunch pulling onto yet another deserted beach at Jackson Bay.   A long sandy beach, again strewn with driftwood & seaweed with large rolling waves crashing onto the strand.  Pure heaven.

There are not many roads in South Island, & there are no roads further south than Haast, so all traffic must travel across to Queenstown through the mighty Haast Pass.  The road follows the river which cuts through the heavily wooded slopes.

A quick stop off at the Gates of Haast, a rough & tumbling waterfall, which when we visited was suffering from a decided lack of water, New Zealand in January & February 2013 was suffering from drought conditions which were becoming more noticeable as the days passed.  The scenery was spectacular, with the towering mountain peaks high above us.

Once clear of the Pass, the landscape changed to rough grasslands, Sheep Country, with the smooth curvaceous hills reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands in particularly, Glencoe.  This was Makarora County as the hoarding on The Country Cafe informed us when we stopped for an ice cream cornet & fill up of diesel. This part of our journey to Lake Wanaka following many branches of the Makarora River was a little eerie.   Apart from the Cafe, there was no sign of, or very little sign of, human habitation.

From the flat grasslands, the turquoise blue waters of Lake Wanaka greet you with its vast expanse of water, & it was to be by its shores that we would park up for the evening in the Department of Conservation campsite at Boundary Creek   This wasn't exactly Freedom Camping as we had to deposit some money into a box, & there was a loo, but it felt pretty much close to it.  Interestingly, we were the only motorhome rental vehicle parked, everyone else was local, so to speak, & extremely friendly once they discovered that we had a motorhome back in the UK. So we all enjoyed a good social evening over a glass or two of the local red discussing such topics as dairy farming in NZ & european motorhomes.

Total Mileage = 133 miles 

Tramping along river beds

Thursday 31st January 2013

Hokitika to Fox Glacier

Before travelling to New Zealand we had been told that it would be wet verging on extremely wet.  The weather during our trip so far, had been hot, very hot & no rain at all.  So it was as we left our friend's farm & continued on our journey south.

Our route took us along the coastal road, which was magnificently named 'The Franz Josef Highway'.   The empty road took us through the forested hills of the Westland National Park, past lakes & on through the small grassy valleys dotted with dairy farms.  All the time with the vast backdrop of the Southern Alps framing every picture. 

Bridges took us across vast river beds carry glacier melt waters down to the Tasman Sea.  Workmen with JCB & lorries removing the river stones & boulders to repair washed out roads & bridges caused by raging flood torrents from a few months ago. 

                 

The roads here are again not busy, there were no towns only a few very small villages en-route, with the area being mainly based on dairying.  White painted clapboard bungalows with roses growing through picket fences.

However, all this changed as we approached the town of Franz Josef Glacier.  A tourist hub for walkers, adventure seekers & general tourist.  A small smattering of shops bordered the main street, coffee shops, touristy shops, supermarket & petrol station.  The small town was almost heaving with visitors.

Taking the road out of Franz Josef, crossing the bridge over the Waiho River, then taking the first left takes you up to the car park for the hike up to the Franz Josef Glacier.

It was seriously hot by now, mid afternoon.  The easy trail led through the dry, rocky river bed,  a sort of path had been cleared leaving a surface of loose shale. Most people had walking shoes but we did note a few people wearing 'jandals' [NZ = flip flops] & some japanese wearing ordinary shoes.  

The walk itself was interesting, lots of greys interspersed with brightly coloured lichens.  The glacier itself was, l think, more dramatic from the air.  You couldn't walk right up to the ice itself, but l understand that there are early morning hikes up to the ice fields.

After the afternoon's exciting excursions, we returned to the campervan & proceeded with our journey down the Fox Glacier Highway, pitching camp at the Fox Glacier Top 10 Park which had as its backdrop, the Fox Glacier easily visible from our motorhome, a greyish blue smudge snaking down the mountain side. 

Today's mileage = 106 miles

Boats & Jerseys

 Wednesday - Continued

Hokitika, Lake Kaniere

Our action packed day continued in full flow, we had taken to the air, tramped through forests to the Hokitika Gorge & now we all leapt into R's 'ute' to tour the farm.

As l mentioned yesterday RM had been a guest of the YFC movement in the UK through an exchange scheme way back in 1981.  Young Farmers from various countries visit host farms both here & abroad, & R stayed with my husband's family on his UK trip. 

                             

The farm itself is sited in the flat flood plains inland from Hokitika, with the farm specialising in pedigree Jersey cows.

The cows are farmed using the 'New Zealand' low input system, whereby they are farmed less 'intensively' than back home incuring fewer costs & making a healthy margin compared to British farmers thanks to the rapidly growing market for dairy products in China & low cost of production.  

The cows are milked once a day in an open sided milking 'shed' with the milk being collected by Westland Milk, a farmer-owned co-operative, based in Hokitika. Incidentally products from this plant can be found in the UK under the brand name of EasiYo.

The milking herd, youngstock & beef spend 12 months of the year out at grass & this particular herd is fed little in the way concentrates.  The entire milking herd is 'dried off' for one month giving R's family a chance to holiday!

Well, by early evening the mercury was still in the 80F, so to round of the day nicely, the family speed boat was 'yoked' onto the ute & we all headed off to rather large expanse of water known as Lake Kaniere.

Due to recent drought conditions, the slipway was more exposed than usual, & the pebble beach fairly large.

Once launched out came the water skis, donut /ringo rings & wakeboards & the next few hours saw us all screaming around the lake in a totally irresponsible manner.  It was great!

We Take to the Skies - thanks to the Hokitika Rugby Club Raffle Prize

Wednesday 30th January 2013

Rest Day - in & around Hokitika

It was great catching up with RM & family. We had last seen R-- way back in 1983 when he was on a Young Farmers Club exchange trip from New Zealand. The previous evening whilst dining on some of their own produced lamb, the telephone rang reminding R & J that they had only one day left to use their raffle prize from the Hokitika Rugby Club Prize Draw.  Unfortunately, this was of too short a notice as there was no relief milker booked to allow them an early start.  R & J asked if we would like the prize, a flight with Wilderness Wings over Mount Cook & her glaciers.  Wow, thank you so much!!

For being on holiday, we were up with the larks, left R busy doing the morning milking & headed down to Hokitika Airport & the Wilderness Wings Office.

The weather conditions were ideal.  Clear blue skies, light winds & a full Cessna 206.  Seemed all the prize winners were taking a last minute ride.  After a quick safety brief, seat belts clicked & doors checked, we were rolling down the runway & turning right handed once airborne heading up towards the towering snow covered peaks of the Southern Alps. 

My late father was a keen amateur pilot, & so as a child l spent quite a lot of time messing around in light aircraft, & bouncing about in the turbulent airstreams of the foothills of the Pyrenees, never venturing anywhere near snow capped mountains. So here l was, climbing to 6,000 feet, amongst the mountains & experiencing no bumpiness at all. 

The visibility excellent & you could see for miles & miles.  We swooped past the Franz Joseph & Fox Glaciers we climbed & banked around the majestic Mount Cook, we waggled wings at a group of climbers sat having breakfast on one of the snowy peaks of Mount Tasman.

All too soon, our pilot slowly turned Northwards & we headed back to base flying our downwind leg parallel to Hokitika scanning the ocean for the recent sighting of sharks just of the coast.  Like the penguins, they were noticeable by their absence.

What a way to start the day, what an amazing flight, what an experience, this was going to be one action-packed day!

Afternoon was a bit more earthbound, a drive up to the totally amazing Hokitika Gorge.  A gentle stroll along a well laid track through lush forests of tree ferns, & native bush dripping with mosses, leading down to the brilliant turquoise waters of the gorge itself. 

The day was really hot so it was nice to walk through the cooling shade down to the river & bathing pool.  

A Suspension bridge, carried us over the swirling glacier melt waters below. Now l don't like swing bridges at the best of times & especially so when 2 farmers & farmer's boy start jumping up & down making the wires swing.   

So far the Rest Day had been far from it, what other exciting things could we all pack into the remains of the day?

West Coast - Where is everyone?

Tuesday

Murchison to Hokitika

Off in good time as all vans must vacate motorhome park by 10am.  The day's route was to take us to the West Coast & then following the coastline down to farming friends just outside of Hokitika.

Turning left out of the drive we headed along deserted roads westwards.  The twisty road followed the contours of the Buller River, narrow bridges, gorges & an amazing pieces of road blown from the cliff face.

There was nothing here except outstanding nature.  No villages, towns, traffic nothing.  We had the roads to ourselves only occasional seeing another vehicle.

Signs lead off the main road advertising white water rafting & other bare knuckle extreme adventures.

As the coastal area grew closer, the landscape changed from raging rivers & dense forest to dry scrub brush.

We finally reached that Tasman Sea, stopping for lunch at Woodpecker Bay.  One of the most beautiful places l have as yet to visit.  Soft sand strewn with huge chunks of driftwood,  curvaceous rocks worn smooth by the constant pounding of the ocean.  The beach backed by dense drifts of bright blue agapanthus.  There was even a small beach cottage for sale, the first house we had seen since leaving Murchison!  

The weather was again hot, vast blue skies & the deep blues of the ocean which hugged the side of the road as we continued south.  Roadside signs warned us of penguins crossing: they were on vacation somewhere in the southern ocean.

We saw no one, or hardly anyone until we hit the outskirts of Greymouth.  People, shops, cars, civilisation at last.  South Island is not densely populated & the west coast is l guess the least populated area.  There are long drives before you hit a township & garages!  How long you ask, well hours like in several!

Greymouth came & went, the road by now had become straight following the coastal plain, the railway running along side & occasionally crossing the road in some bizarre Kiwi fashion. 

Our route was taking us to Hokitika passing the Glow Worm dell then turning left up past the Westland Milk Plant on out into the flat grasslands alongside Kaniere-Kowhitirangi Road whose back drop was the 'Misty Mountains' or in real life the mighty Southern Alps.

So here we were to spend a couple of nights, on our friend's dairy farm, pedigree jerseys.  A chance catch up on the news & gossip from the past 30 odd years when we had all last met on a Young Farmers exchange visit.

Total mileage = 149 miles