Day 12 on the South Island

It is day twelve of our four weeks in New Zealand and we already wish we had more time here. The South Island has so many tempting mountain tracks to tramp and such a variety of beaches to explore that we could easily spend months here. We like to play the “what if we lived here” game and imagine what it would be like, but so far have not found any place here that would make us leave home permanently. The oceans are beautiful but too cold, the mountains are gorgeous but many are treeless, some because of the snow and ice, others due to clear cutting ages ago and then sheep farming. I love coming home to our Appalachian mountains after being away, no matter where I have traveled.

The past few days, the sky has colored itself a stormy grey and the rain keeps coming and going but it is not enough to get in our way. I am glad to not be traveling on a bicycle though. We made sure we brought good rain gear on this trip and it has kept us dry and comfortable. We wear quick dry hiking pants and breathable rain pants with side zips that slip on easily over our hiking boots so we can adjust to weather changes quickly. I wear a long sleeved T-shirt, my many pocketed travel vest, with a breathable rain jacket/ wind breaker on top as needed . When it gets colder, I add a fleece jacket underneath and gloves. I have not needed my long johns, but it is the beginning of summer here and I have not trekked any serious mountain tops. I have a set of ear pops to keep the wind out of my ears, which I love so much that I bought my daughters each a pair for Christmas this year. They are made of fleece and have a tension spring built into them that holds them onto your ears without touching your hair, making them almost invisible, and are so comfortable I forget I have them on.

Today, we start from our camp north of Greymouth and continue heading up the west coast in search of cool rocks, wildlife and vistas.

View From Kaipakaki Point — View From Punakaiki /Pancake Rocks

The morning starts off grey and drippy again but it stops raining as we get out of the van at Punakaiki and the limestone layered Pancake Rocks, just a little ways up the coast from camp.

Stacks of Pancake Rocks

The rocks really do look like stacks of pancakes and the path winds through some of the rocks, using the natural ledges as steps, reminding me of the stone Appalachian Trail steps going through Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

The trail winds around up on the cliff, with a view of rocks jutting out of the Tasman Sea and seals hanging out relaxing on just about every rock down below.

At first they look like rocks themselves, but then your eye gets tuned to seeing them and they are everywhere.

Mama Seal with Babay — Mama Seal with Baby

One rock was covered in black birds that I was hoping may have been Westland Petrels, which nest nearby in burrows, but they are probably a more common shag.

If we had come at high tide we could have seen Blowholes in some of the sea caves here. Thunderous surge pools bring in waves of kelp and mermaid grass, swirling around and ebbing back out.

New Zealand Flax is blooming red along the pathways, and someone has woven a frond into a cool shape.

There is a ground dwelling bird called a Weka hanging out near the path. New Zealand has a lot of birds that don’t really fly, which is why many of them are endangered. It is too easy for predators to grab them on the ground and where dogs are even allowed in a park, they must be kept leashed.

We wander back out of Pancakes along a path that looks a lot more tropical than it feels at the moment. I can’t seem to get used to the palm trees that show up everywhere we go.

The next stop is at the Fox river where there are sea caves and a tunnel that locals used to get to a hidden beach on the far side of this point, before there was a road and bridge built.

After walking through the tunnel we crossed back over the road and were searching for the trail head to the sea cave. It looked like you had to walk right through the private gardens of some little cottages to get there, and I did not want to be trespassing. I saw a guy walking across the road bridge, so I back tracked to ask him about the way to go. He turned out to be the caretaker told us to go ahead, it was a public path. The three cottages were tucked away and very private except for that, but it turned out no one was in residence just then, so we didn’t end up bothering anyone anyway.

The cave was open to the sea on two sides and to land on the third, so it wasn’t too dark inside, and it was much larger than I expected.

A very well hidden path around back of the smallest cottage went through a crack in the rock, over a pile of driftwood, and came out on a well hidden beach. We would not have seen this if folks were about.

Over Driftwood to Hidden Beach at Fox River

It started raining hard again as we read the sign for the nearby Inland Track.

A major portion of the loop was closed due to a recent Typhoon so we did not feel too bad about not hiking it this trip.

We got back in the van, stopping at Cape Foulwind (where the wind and rain was really very foul) for views of large seal colonies, before heading inland towards the mountains once again.

Even the seals couldn’t find any sun to bath in. They were in the water out of the wind. We decide to drive East into the mountains in hopes of escaping the heavy rain that is forecast for the West coast for the next few days. The West coast of the South Island gets most of the rainfall because the clouds come from the west and get hung up on the mountains. Milford Sound averages 264 inches of rain a year, while Dunedin, on the East Coast, only gets about 28 inches. We are hoping to get ahead of the clouds.

Every now and then a little patch of sunlight pokes it’s way through.

The higher ( and closer) the mountains get, the more naked they appear.

Still trying to get ahead of the clouds. At least the roads are dryer and the wind is less.

Finally we come out into a wide valley with the clouds not quite making it over onto our side.

Into the Clear Valley — Into the Clear Maruia River Valley

Once we reach the Maruia River Valley follow it upstream and south along Rt 65 heading East again and crossing the mountains south of Nelson Lakes National Park. It was a shame to miss that whole park but the rain was unrelenting at that point. We did get a chance to check out a wild hot spring on the way over, which was situated at the base of a fresh rockslide. I still would have gotten in except that as soon as I knelt down to feel the water, a humongous cloud of biting sand flies descended on my head.I had to give it up. No way was I getting naked with that many hungry sand flies. The water felt nice though and it was a shame to walk away.

As the sun was getting low we entered Hanmer Springs, which is a resort town with fancy golf courses and hot springs. We took a risk and checked into a Top Ten Holiday Park because there did not seem to be much available near there and we were tired. It had good showers and a decent kitchen but not much else going for it. We slept and left first thing in the morning, before anybody else even got up.

Tomorrow we continue to head East and then we’ll swing around North and go back West towards Able Tasman. We might go whale watching if the weather holds off long enough.

-Wendy Lee writing at Edgewise Woods, Gardens and Critters

Lake Wanaka to the Glaciers and Beyond- Day 12

After emerging from the long road to Rob Roy we drove down the entire length of Lake Wanaka, which got less and less inhabited, and stopped at Boundary Creek for this late afternoon view.

View of Lake Wanaka from Boundary Creek Overlook

We were traveling up towards the Haast Pass, following the river valley, and pulled into the Makaroa Camp as night fell. There were a fair amount of hikers but none of them seemed very friendly.

The kitchen/ dining building was a great space and the showers were appreciated. I cooked up some Ramen noodles with fresh veggies thrown in, had a glass of wine, and went to bed.

In the morning we packed up and started up the valley to the Haast Pass.

Clouds Hanging On the Southern Alps at Haast Pass

The clouds hugging the peaks looked cold but it was nice and warm in the valley.

Cold Water and Warm Air Equals Fog in Valley

Melting Glaciers and snow pack from the mountains up ahead make for some seriously cold water. This valley floods in a big thaw but we are past that time now.

We climbed the last peak and everything started to flatten out, the types of trees changed and we crossed the Haast River one last time.

We appreciated the clear signage on all the single lane bridges. This one means those on the left heading towards the coast must stop (small red arrow) and yield to those coming at them Big Black Arrow). This was a rare bridge with a lay by in the middle in case you got caught out there.

The West coast loomed up suddenly and the trees changed again, into salt tolerant layers that leaned away from the wind.

Tasman Sea at Tauperikaka Marine Reserve

The sky cleared off as we followed a walking trail through the dunes and reached a white sandy beach covered in driftwood.

The sand turned to pebbles as we walked North towards the point.

This beach was formed by runoff from the glaciers as they retreated into the mountains behind here. The stones on the beach have many different origins and have been worn smooth by first glacial grind and then ocean wear.

This whole area is now a Marine Preserve and a small kiosk at the car park tells of finding bits of wreckage of an old wooden sailing ship, the Schomberg, lodged in this creek. The ship went down in 1855 just shy of Melbourne Australia, and parts of it floated 2000 km east, across the Tasman sea, to land here.

Next stop is at Fox Glacier, about 2 hours North.

You don’t need to be able to read to know what this means. Glacial runoff can be quite unpredictable.

The Long Walk to What is Left of Fox Glacier

The glacier has retreated so far that it is a long walk up to it theses days.

The glacier creates its’ own weather and there is a cold head wind blowing off it as we walk in. The ground is all gravel wash.

This is as far as you are allowed to go without a trained guide and special equipment. People die trying to get too close. Look at the tiny mouth of the drainage in the distance, zoomed in below. People actually try to get in there even though it is constantly collapsing.

Closeup of Ice Cave Drainage Under Fox Glacier

Even Jeff was not tempted to do that.

Looking Back at Last Climb With Sign That Says-"Don't Stop for Next 400M! Rocks Falling" — Looking Back at Last Climb With Sign That Says-“Don’t Stop for Next 400M! Rocks Falling”

By the time you decide to visit here, the glacier may be totally gone. The only way to see what is left these days is by helicopter. They fly by every 15 minutes and are loud and obnoxious. You might want to arrive before they start flying for the day, or be in the helicopter yourself.

The next Stop is at Franz Joseph Glacier.

We are greeted by a sign.

After walking down the trail to where it crosses the river, we get another sign.

Trail to Franz Joseph Closed Due to Flooding and Storm Surge

So much for that. We drive back out to the coast, go over yet another single lane bridge…

…and arrive at Rapahoe Bay Holiday Park , a private oasis set up in an old one room schoolhouse right on the beach. It is run by a woman who lives in a tiny building connected to the camp who obviously loves to garden. She has a handyman on site as well. There is nothing fancy or upscale about the place but it is welcoming , restful and full of charm.

Our site was tucked away in a corner and surrounded by tall green hedges with a wild sort of path through the shrubs onto the beach.

It was only a few steps through the brush to reach the pebble beach.

The entire beach is covered in super smooth grey rocks, which makes me think that the sea is really rough here and it might not be such a great place to swim, if it was warm enough, which it is not.

The school house has a well outfitted kitchen, easily set up to share pots and pans and all kinds of hanging utensils. We join the other folks in there and get to talking as we cook. One woman is by herself and this is the first time she has ever gone “camping” or even away by herself. She is hesitant to join in the group conversation but warms up after awhile.

One woman of a couple has stories to tell about being the 111 operator in Christ Church during the big earthquake a few years ago. She tells us that if we knew how limited the emergency services on the South Island were we would not want to come. She had to pull help from anybody she could think of to get people help. If she knew somebody with a good tractor or a chainsaw or a winch, she lined them up. Friends with 4 wheel drives became ambulances, people who knew somebody with a helicopter got called in. She ended up leaving her job because of the stress, 12 hour shifts, and low pay, and is much happier now. But she says just about everybody quit and now help gets routed through the North Island and they don’t know any neighbors who can help down here.

There were nine of us at dinner, sharing tables to eat. The ex 111 operator brought out a homemade banana cake and shared it all around. We sat, drank wine and talked until way past bedtime.

The sound of ocean waves on the loose stones rocked me to sleep.

Next Post- Pancake Rocks and beyond.

-Wendy lee , writing at edgewisewoods

Travels and Hikes with a Practical Edge

Tag Archives: Day 12-13

Pancake Rocks to Hanmer Springs-Day 12-13

Day 12 on the South Island

Fox Glacier to Rapahoe Beach-Day 11

Lake Wanaka to the Glaciers and Beyond- Day 12

Near West Virginia and Far, Far Beyond