The South Island of New Zealand, Part three. Westland to Abel
Tasman National Park
Welcome Back to Part Three of our van camping journey around the
South Island of New Zealand. The journey finds us in Alexandra,
Central Otago, New Zealand. In this article we travel over the Southern
Alps to Westland via the Haast Pass. We then travel over Arthur's
Pass to Christchurch. Our journey north takes us once again into
the mountains, the Lewis Pass and Hanmer Springs. We then journey
to the warmer coastal climates of the Abel Tasman National Park
and Golden Bay. If you have just found this page then you might
like to begin at part one
of our trip.
The road from Alexandra to Haast takes you through some of the most
beautiful scenery of the Southern Lakes District. Passing Lake Dunstan,
Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. It was a beautiful crisp autumn day
and the trees were golden in fall colour. We meandered and took
all day in what is about a five hour road journey. Screaming to
a halt when I spotted some scenery too good to pass, camera at hand
tucked down beside my seat. It was just a day out of the box. We
topped up our diesel tank in Cromwell because I know the fuel in
Haast is even more expensive.
Lake Dunstan (left) Lake Hawea (right)
Passing the edge of Lake Wanaka the road rises through the valley
past Makarora then into windy steep terrain. It is often misty and
wet in this part of New Zealand but we were treated to fantastic
mountain views. Tussock covered river valleys and high mountain
peaks. Once over the Haast Pass the road descends into the lush
green forested valleys and estuaries of South Westland. We find
the Wild West coast and the small town of Haast.
Mt Hooker from Pleasant Flat (left) Haast River bridge (right)
The main tourist trail here would take you over the one way bridge
and northward to the glaciers. We turned left and headed south to
Jackson Bay and even more delights. This is estuary country with
wide rivers like the Arawata that flow out of the mountains. Whitebait
fishing is a big industry here for the locals and you can see the
big rigs they use for netting those tiny little delicacies. Lonely
sandy beaches can be accessed from the long straight road. When
you come here make sure you bring insect repellant. There are no
crocodiles in Westland but you would swear the sandflies have devoured
a few unwary travelers. Kayaking on the estuaries is also a popular
pastime for those fortunate to spend a few relaxed days here.
It rains a lot on the west coast of the South Island and our blue
sky day had turned grey and wet. This was by no means disappointing
as the moss covered trees and the misty mountains lend themselves
to moody photography and paintings. The long straight road takes
us to Jackson Bay, a tiny fishing community. A few commercial fishing
boats are serviced by a large wharf and a boat ramp. Cathy and I
parked up, made a coffee from our thermos and enjoyed the sun setting
into the west casting light on to the mountains beyond.
Jackson Bay (left) Westland forest (right)
We left Jackson Bay to return towards Haast and wondered how much
the local real estate is worth here as the property at the end of
the road was for sale. If you ever want to run away and become a
reclusive artist then this is the place for you. But you would have
to drive 50km for supplies and I don't think the kids would visit
very often. Backtracking along the coast we rolled into the Haast
Beach holiday park. The camp had a large kitchen and lounge which
a party of recreational fisherman from Christchurch had taken over.
They were preparing a meal from the spoils of a day's fishing out
of Jackson Bay. With some friendly conversation we enjoyed a great
feed of smoked hapuka and crayfish caught only hours before. This
is often the sort of hospitality you can expect from decent ordinary
New Zealanders. Good on them too! I was probably starting to make
noises like our fat tabby cat does at dinner time at home, stopping
short at rubbing up anyone's leg. That night a few of the southern
hunter gatherers shot a few deer in the mountains. I bet they have
a few healthy kids and pets at home.
The next day was wet and wild, the forecast had a heavy rain warning.
We drove north from Haast along heavily forested coastal roads.
On previous trips to Westland Cathy and I had photographed both
Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. The latter is easier to spell but both
are spectacular rivers of ice flowing out of the Mt Cook region
of the Southern Alps. The Glaciers follow steep valleys out of the
mountains to the coast. The ice has carved the valleys over millions
of years, often expanding and retreating. As you can imagine the
glaciers are a major tourist attraction on the coast. The guides,
helicopters and the access roads are often very busy. On a clear
day New Zealand's largest mountain, Mt Cook, can be seen rising
above the glaciers and the forested mountains. An amazing experience
for any artist.
Franz Josef Glacier (left) Arawata River Valley (Right)
When it rains on the West Coast of the South Island the rule of
thumb says it will be dry and fine on the east. The prevailing westerly
winds dump all their moisture on the mountains and the coast. The
air rises, cools and the precipitation turns to snow. As the air
descends over the tussock lands to the east they are dry and warm.
A hot dry northwester is part of life in the Canterbury plains of
New Zealand.
We rolled into a very tidy modern camping ground in Hokitika. Greenstone
or Jade carving is a big tourism industry here. Next day we drove
past bush clad lakes and braided rivers to Greymouth. A coastal
settlement born from the gold rush and is now the largest town on
Westland. Our journey from Greymouth to Christchurch would again
take us over the Southern Alps via Arthur's Pass. We could have
taken the direct route from the coast road, just south of Greymouth.
Instead we took one less travelled, past Greymouth, up the Grey
River and turning off at Stillwater. Following the tourist trail
we drove past Lake Brunner and Lake Poerua. Very pretty bush clad
lakes, typical of Westland.
Lake Poerua (left) Lake Brunner (right)
If this is your first trip to the West Coast then I suggest you
travel north of Greymouth on the coast road to find the Pancake
Rocks and Punakaiki. They are truly amazing and the headlands offer
great views of Westland and its mountainous backdrop. We joined
up with the main Arthur's Pass road and journeyed up the Otira Viaduct.
No doubt you will want to park in the lookout to view the interesting
viaduct expanded over what is a very narrow river gorge access.
You are likely to get a visit from a member of a local community
of mountain parrots or 'Kia'. These large birds have personality
plus but curious Kia can be a little vandal. It pays not to feed
or encourage them. My first encounter with a Kia was right here
in this car park. He hopped up on to my van wing mirror right next
to me. I thought how cute, he was getting so close, so friendly.
Admiration turned to bird rage as within 250ths of a second the
Kia had hooked his big curved beak and ripped a strip out of my
door rubber.
On this road the high alpine valleys and mountains are some of the
most dramatic and scenic you will see in New Zealand. The touristy
village of Arthur's Pass is a great place to stay and plan many
activities and adventures. For us, after lunch in a nice café,
we journey on to Castle Hill.
As we travelled through the mountains large pillars of limestone
become more common. Some of the most spectacular examples are very
close to the main road in a reserve called Castle Hill. Here we
photographed the unusual shapes and enjoyed a walk through the towering
pillars of smooth cold stone. It was like a scene out of a Narnia
movie, quite literally too. Once over Porters Pass the road east
descends into the Canterbury plains and long straight roads take
you through the rural country side and suburbia to the centre of
Christchurch.
Castle Hill Reserve
Christchurch is New Zealand's second largest city behind Auckland
and is known as the garden city. A strong English heritage prevails
with a central square hosting a large cathedral church. Hadley Park
and the Christchurch Botanical Gardens are a must see along with
interesting and photogenic architecture. The Port Hills overlooking
the mostly flat city signal the beginning of Banks Peninsula with
its exposed hills and valleys. The port settlement of Lyttelton
is accessed through a tunnel and has quant little Victorian homes
on very steep streets. In the Christchurch Cathedral Square Cathy
and I enjoyed coffee at Starbucks and then headed away from Christchurch
for a hot swim at Hanmer Springs.
The road north into the mountains takes you over the Lewis Pass.
The most northern road crossing the Southern Alps. Along the way
is another of New Zealand's popular tourist attractions. Hanmer
Springs is a delightful town in the midst of the mountains. It is
popular with mountain bike riders and skiers. It is here the geothermal
hot water flows out of the ground and a weary adventurer can relax
into the steam filled pools of Hanmer Springs. The pools are natural
but sculptured by man to resemble a natural setting in a large commercial
complex. I can imagine how magical they would be on a snowy winter's
day. There are many pools of various controlled temperature levels.
After trying a couple of pools we found one that was just right.
It was a cold frosty night and getting out of the springs was the
hard part. We slept in our van at the local camping ground. By now,
into our third week, we had all but given up on cooking any meals
in the camp kitchen and taken to almost pub crawling our way around
the South Island. Most New Zealand pubs have excellent and affordable
meals, along with wine and local company.
Hadley Park Christchurch (left) Lyttelton (right)
Next day we travelled over the Lewis Pass and diverted north to
the Buller district. On the road to Murcheson we discovered what
was claimed to be the largest swing bridge in New Zealand over the
Buller River. A tourist trail also follows gold ruins and a large
crack in the ground created by the 7.8 Murcheson earthquake in 1929.
I had some fun photographing tourists on the flying fox who were
taking a fast and exciting way back over the river. The Tasman Bay
town of Motueka was our next stop for fuel and supplies. Fifteen
minutes later we were in Marahau and the gateway to the world famous
Abel Tasman National Park.
We van camped in the local camping ground having booked a water
taxi into the park the next day. Abel Tasman is a national park
named after the first explorer to sight and harbour in New Zealand.
Abel Tasman named New Zealand thinking it was part of the great
southern continent. The 50km stretch of coastline north of Motueka
forms the basis of the park. One of New Zealand's great walks follows
the coast and is walked by thousands every year. Many staying in
DOC huts and camping grounds. Many choose to kayak the beautiful
golden sand beaches and calm waters. The little beaches and estuaries
between the bush clad headlands are something else. Iron ferrite
or fool's gold washes down into fine sandy beaches giving them the
appearance of beaches made of gold. Along with the clear blue water
and forested headlands you can imagine how photogenic this place
is.
Left alone at Abel Tasman National Park
Because the Abel Tasman walk follows the coast and the beaches it
can be accessed from the sea in many places. The water taxi companies
can drop you off along the trail and you can walk for a while then
catch another taxi back to your accommodations. Very convenient!
Cathy and I were dropped off at Bark Bay and walked down the coast
to the larger Torrent Bay. A few parts of the track are over mud
flat estuaries and can be accessed only at low tide. Sometimes there
is a much further high tide route to take but the mud is faster
and interesting. From Torrent Bay we walked over the estuary to
Anchorage Bay, past the next headland. We took off our boots to
keep them dry and picked our way between the sharp sea shells. As
the mud squelched between our toes the crabs would run for safe
holes as we approached. I don't think Cathy was fond of the crabs
as the odd defiant little nipper would stand its ground. Holding
its claws high above its crabby little head it was pleasing to know
that we were a lot bigger than it. The water taxi picked us up and
returned us to Marahau.
Golden sands of Abel Tasman National Park
Our next point of destination was Golden Bay and the top of the
South Island. It did not look far on the map but as we were to discover
there is a formidable barrier. The Takaka Hill. I have heard about
the trip over the range but never did I imagine the long and windy
road. With a Beatles song playing on the stereo we went up up up
and then down down down. Zig Zaging all the way. There are some
amazing limestone caves accessible for tourists at the top of the
range and I understand they are very good. Maybe next time. The
road drops down into a lush grass valley called Takaka Valley. Dairy
farming is once again a major industry here. The climate is warm
and moist, much like the Bay of Plenty back home in the North Island.
We drove on to the small town of Takaka and found the coast a few
miles north. We rolled into a camping ground right on the beach
at Golden Bay.
Golden Bay was first called something else by Captain Abel Tasman.
A misunderstanding between his crew and the local Maori resulted
in an altercation and a number of deaths on both sides. It is said
that Maori may have misinterpreted a greeting to be a signal of
war. They bravely paddled out in their canoes and took on the visitors.
He named his first port of call in a new land 'Murderers Bay'. Thankfully
some geographer had the sense to change the name to something more
fitting of such a beautiful sheltered bay. At the top of Golden
Bay is Farewell Spit. A long stretch of sand home to many endangered
birds and a natural barrier for the harbour. The spit is not open
to public access but there are 4WD eco tours that can take you there
from Collingwood.
After a walk along the beach we travelled the eastern shores of
Golden Bay and then up and over to Totaranui Bay at the top end
of the Abel Tasman National Park. DOC have a huge camping ground
here. Being the offseason we were the only ones here so we had the
golden sand all to ourselves. I bet it is busy in the summer months.
The day was still young so we backtracked back to Golden Bay and
up the western side to the small settlement of Collingwood. Evening
presented a beautiful sunset over the estuary and we found a camping
ground right on the edge of the harbour entrance. After nightfall
we walked a short distance to the local pub for dinner.
Golden Bay (left) Little Kaiteriteri Bay (right)
The last day on our month long South Island adventure was here and
we had a long drive to Picton to catch the 6pm ferry crossing. Many
miles of beautiful New Zealand scenery lay before us including the
Marlborough Sounds. It was a once again a gorgeous blue sky day.
We drove over the range back to Tasman Bay, continuing on along
the coast to the city of Nelson. Known as the sunniest place in
New Zealand. Perfect for the horticulture and wine industries, that
thrive here. From the small town of Havelock we diverted from the
main road to travel the Queen Charlotte Drive. A famous scenic route
in New Zealand, the road follows the coast and the serene bays of
the Marlborough Sounds. The end of the drive is Picton and back
to where our journey in the South Island began. Of course the 4
hour drive from Collingwood took us 6 hours. How else would I have
so many photos to show you?
Malborough Sounds
I hope you enjoyed following our van camping adventures in the South
Island of New Zealand. I think the highlights of the trip were the
Cathedral Caves in the Catlins, Milford Sound in Fiordland and the
Abel Tasman National Park.
We trust the articles have given you some idea as what to expect
and some tips on how and where to travel. If you know someone coming
to New Zealand or the South Island in the future then I am sure
they would love you to copy the URL link above and send this on
to them. All the best and happy snapping.
Andrew and Cathy Whyte.
Be aware that if you are involved in the tourism industry in any
of the places we visit then you might like to become a linked sponsor
of this article. See the Ratecard.
I choose not to publish active links to sites of interest in case
they become inactive. A Quick Google search here will bring up valued
advertisers for your queries
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