Next stop after Westport was Lake Mahinapua and we left just after 9 on what was an really nice day by West Coast standards. It rains on average more than half on the time of the West Coast and with environments including beaches, rainforest, and mountains in a relatively small area there are several different micro climates. First stop was just down the road to do a walk via Cape Foulwind to Tauranga Bay. It was a beautiful stretch of coastline and great weather for the walk and we even managed to see a few seals along the way. I even went for a paddle in the sea and an ice cream at Tauranga Bay as it was so nice.
From Cape Foulwind we continued south along the dramatic stretch of coastline towards Punakaiki and the Pancake Rocks which are some fascinating rock formations which could be described as looking like pancakes. The walk itself to Dolomite Point was only a short walk to see the rocks, and afterwards I had lunch in the nearby cafe where I appropriately had some pancakes which were really good. A short drive on from Punakaiki we stopped in Greymouth to pick up a few more passengers who had caught a train across from Christchurch, stopping here for a supermarket stop.
From Greymouth it was onto Lake Mahinapua which is home to a remote pub, stopping at Hokitika prior to drop off a few people who didn't want to come to the party. When I last did kiwi experience the owner was recently dead so we couldn't go there but we could stop here this time. After checking in we walked to the lake which was a black coloured lake. I was the only one who jumped in, although it was absolutely freezing. Luckily the pub had hot pools so I could just go straight in there afterwards. The night was effectively a massive piss up and after getting a pork based roast dinner including homemade garlic bread we had a few drinks, heading down the beach for a fire after the pub closed. It was a really good night.
We left Lake Mahinapua about 10 the next morning, and even got pancakes and bacon all you can eat for breakfast. The next stop after here was Franz Josef and it was another stunning day, stopping en route at this lake for a short walk before arriving in Franz Josef just after lunch. As it was such a nice day we went for a walk. We were debating between walking up the valley to the glacier or going to check out Callery Gorge and the Tatare Tunnels. We opted for the latter and it was a great walk, walking through the tunnel barefoot as it was so wet. The gorge as well had bright blue water flowing through it which made it stunning. Come evening it was as more chilled out one after the antics the night before.
The following day was a free day in Franz Josef, although after having three sunny days it was typically a horrendous day with lots of rain. Many people were planning on going on the glacier heli hike which I did last time, although the weather meant this was obviously cancelled. I was originally planning on doing a mental walk into the rainforest and mountains and I opted against this. It was nice to have a chilled out day though, and we sat in the sizable hot pool which was nice and warm which meant the rain didn't matter. Come evening the hostel ran a pizza fest all you can eat night which was really good.
Leaving Franz Josef at half 7 it was an early start towards the next stop in Wanaka. Shortly after leaving we stopped at Lake Matheson to do a walk round the lake renowned for its reflection of Mount Cook. It was a slightly overcast day however which meant we couldn't see Mount Cook, although there were still some great views from various points round the lake including the jetty and reflection island. After Lake Matheson we continued down towards the coast down to Haast where we just a toilet break and look round the visitor centre.
From Haast we left the West Coast and headed into the Mount Aspiring National Park via the Gates of Haast. From here the rugged coastline before soon turned to mountainous rainforest and we stopped at Thundercreek Falls en route for a short walk. When over the mountain pass the landscape changed dramatically to a more arid surroundings due to the considerable less rainfall, and soon after reaching here we stopped at small cafe for lunch. From here we followed Lake Wanaka before traversing across to Lake Hawea. From here it was a short drive to Wanaka township itself.
After arriving in Wanaka which is small town popular ski resort situated by Lake Wanaka, and also the main gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park, we headed out for a walk up Mount Iron. Up top there were greats views of both Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea, and when arriving back at Wanaka we headed down the lake before returning to the hostel. Come evening a few people went to the unique cinema although I just went down the pub and played a few games a pool and what not with a couple of others.
No comments:
Post a Comment