March 5

Wanaka, inland from the Alps, was our next destination. We drove south from Franz Josef along SH 6 to Haast then east to cross the mountains at Haast Pass, the highest point on the road. The narrow, winding road was busy with cars, trucks, tour buses, RVs and cyclists. The scenery is breath-taking with hiking trails that lead to picnic areas, rivers, waterfalls and mountain ridges.

The landscape changes along the Makarora River Valley, a starting point for trampers (long distance hikers) who are setting off to explore Mount Aspiring National Park.

Our drive continued along Lake Wanaka to The Neck (a narrow strip of land) and Lake Hawea.

Wanaka is a year-round centre for outdoor activities: boating, skiing, fishing and swimming.

We hiked to the top of Iron Mountain for the views of the town and Lakes Wanaka and Hawea.

Just for fun: rabbits in our hosts’ garden, pine cones and a quirky display outside the Cinema Paradiso where we watched the movie Green Book.

March 2

From Hokitika, we drove south along the only coastal road. We had heard of a road closure due to rock slips, an understated term. These slips are really landslides which carried trees, boulders and rocks down the mountainsides, across both lanes of the road and further down the slopes. To allow crews to use their heavy equipment effectively, the road was open for only ten minutes each hour on the hour. We timed our travel to arrive for the hourly road opening and made it through.

At Okarito, a small community of vacation homes, we hiked from the seashore to a wonderful view of Aoraki Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. Partway up, we could look down on the lagoon and the Tasman sea.

The view from the look-off – we were fortunate to have a clear day.

Franz Josef is the village located at the foot of the glacier with the same name. The mountains and glaciers loom over the town, casting shadows early in the afternoon. Hostels, motels, shops, tour offices, bars and restaurants support the tourist trade; backpackers and bus tours, rental cars and campers fill the two main streets.

The highlight of our stay was a helicopter tour to see both the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers from the air. I had a front row seat, between the pilot and a young woman from England. Interesting to note that we were weighed and our seats assigned based on balancing a full load of 5 passengers and a pilot. After a safety briefing, we were off!

Back to home base located in a pasture outside of Franz Josef after a thrilling experience.

March 1

From the Tasman Seattle near Hokitika, the land rises gradually to meet the mountains and eventually the Southern Alps. In between the seashore and the foothills are extensive sheep pastures and dairy farms. We set off cross-country to find the Hokitika Gorge, where the landscape changes dramatically from pasture to bush, and to hike the trail through the gorge. The river is a beautiful aqua colour created by ‘rock flour’ or ground-down schist rock and sandstone. The particles are so fine that they remain suspended in the water as it flows down from the Southern Alps, creating that beautiful colour.

Have a look at the video here: https://hokitika.org/places/59/Hokitika-Gorge

From there we headed to Dorothy Falls by driving around Lake Kaniere. Across the lake are dramatic views to the mountains.

Dorothy Falls is a short walk from the parking area on a narrow dirt road that winds around the lake.

Along the way back to town, we stopped for a couple of short hikes and spotted these birds and plants.

A tomtit

A pukeko

This unusual tree, a kahikatea

And this fern

I spotted this tiny blue mushroom along a sunny bank. Compare its size with my glasses.

Sunsets over the Tasman Sea from the beach at Hokitika

February 28

We’re ending the month in the small town of Hokitika on the West Coast. Our beachside apartment is just a few steps to the Tasman Sea and a stretch of wild, rocky beach. Yesterday’s early spell of heavy rain and high winds has lead to bright sunshine, warming temperatures and stunning views of the Southern Alps and Mounts Cook and Tasman to the southeast.

We enjoyed a walking tour of Hokitika with Ann this morning and learned of the gold rush of the 1860s and the Wild West attitude. At the time, Hokitika was one of the larger towns of NZ with a population of 45,000. Eleanor Catton’s Booker Prize winning novel, The Luminaries, is set in Hokitika in 1866. Today the population is about 4,000; tourism and the dairy (skim milk powder) provide employment.

A sculptor / metalworker has restored this building from 1905 and established his workshop and display gallery on the premises.

American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie left his mark on the town by funding the public library. Many buildings in the area have been declared unsuitable and abandoned because they would be unsafe in an earthquake, but the library has been reopened and restored to its original exterior with the incorporation of polystyrene for some of the architectural details. From street level, these features look like the real thing. This photo is from the NZ Tourism site and shows the roof details that have been replaced.

West Coast Treetop Walk is a 20-metre high structure with half a kilometre of walkways and towers through a rainforest of rimu and tree ferns.

Through the trees, a view of Lake Mahinapua, a shallow lake that was originally a coastal lagoon. The expansion of coastal dunes cut it off from the Tasman Sea and made it an inland lake, about 0.5 km from the sea. Vintage photos show people enjoying outings in small boats and lakeside picnics dressed in their Victorian finery.

A look down on the tree ferns to appreciate their shape and symmetry.

A beautiful specimen to close this post

February 26

Tramping and walking are tame activities compared to those offered in Buller Gorge with its zip lines, suspension bridges and tandem swings over the river. The Old Ghost Road trail system has been recently upgraded, although users are warned that the trail is narrow in som areas (20-30 cm wide) and conditions may become extreme due to weather, lack of shelter or cell phone coverage. Rustic accommodations in huts are available along the trail for intrepid travellers who book well in advance.

Punakaiki is a travel destination for the Truman Track, Pancake Rocks and Blowholes and hiking in Paparoa National Park. The centre of the village offers a visitor information site, a tavern and a shoe/souvenir/clothing shop. Backpackers arrive by the bus load and tour companies schedule stops to allow travellers to take the 30-minute hike out to Dolomite Point to see the Pancake Rocks (and get cell phone service – the only spot where it’s possible to get connected). At high tide, surf crashing in underwater caves finds outlets through the rock, creating fountains of water that spray the unsuspecting – the Blowholes.

The rock formations resemble stacks of pancakes.

In Paparoa National Park, an hour’s walk along the Pororari River trail took us into dense, lush rainforest with palms, tree ferns and lush undergrowth to a viewing point above the river.

February 25

Our trip from Kaiteriteri and Abel Tasman Park followed the Motueka River Valley westward, through pastures, farms, vineyards, hops, hills and mountains to the Buller River and the Gorge and eventually to the coast of the Tasman Sea. Trailhead signs for mountain biking and hiking trails through the mountains have warnings about quickly-changing weather conditions, narrow trails, dramatic changes in elevation, fast-flooding rivers and lack of cell service. Huts must be booked in advance on the longer routes, and there is no road access to remote trails. Outdoor adventurers are reminded that they are responsible for their own safety.

The road winds along the river’s edge, under the overhang of rock on the far side.

An outing for these vintage Fords and their owners

From our cabin in the treetops in Punakaiki, a sliver of the Tasman Sea was visible through the rainforest.

The Truman Track, a seaside trail, was a few minutes’ walk through dense rainforest to sandy beaches, dramatic rock formations and rough surf. Stairs and viewing platforms make the hike safer and more enjoyable.

February 25

A rainy morning in Kaiteriteri was an opportunity to explore the wearable art garments on display, the results of an international design competition. I had seen a couple of these creations at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts and was excited to see more.

The creativity, materials, techniques and craftsmanship are outstanding.

These wall decorations are derived from the above garment and sold in the WOW gift shop.

Inspired by a beekeeper’s gear

A souvenir pin cushion, found in many sewing rooms, in wearable form

February 22

Our day started with an early, smooth crossing of the Cook Strait on the InterIslander ferry to begin touring the South Island.

An hour’s drive from Nelson along the shores of Tasman Bay and we’ve arrrived in the beach resort area of Kaiteriteri. Our lovely accommodations are within a ten minutes’ walk of the beach where kayak tours and water taxis provide access to the beauty of Abel Tasman National Park.

Keen to paddle in the Southern Hemisphere, we booked a morning tour that included lunch on the beach and an afternoon hike to a viewpoint overlooking the bay. Our guide, Aaron, was a personable Canadian from Vancouver Island. He follows the warm weather leading overnight paddling tours from Tofino, BC in Canadian summers and doing day paddle tours in NZ summers. The best thing about kayak tours: somebody else has to load / unload boats and gear and deal with all the wet stuff at the end of the day! Kidding aside, Aaron pointed out eagle rays, fur seals, whitebait (small fish), and shore birds.

February 20

Our day of sightseeing in the capital city started with a cable car ride from the suburb of Kelburn, high above the harbour, down to the central business district and the harbour.

Te Papa, the national museum (https://www.tepapa.govt.nz) is housed in a beautiful, modern building on the waterfront. Its exhibitions and collections feature Maori culture and history, NZ participation in WWI at Gallipoli, artifacts and information about Captain Cook’s journeys, a gallery of fine art and a visiting exhibit of the Terracotta Warriors from Xi’an, China. Below ground level, a display of the building’s base isolators, or shock absorbers, describes how the 152 devices are intended to protect the building from earthquake movement.

An example of Victorian architecture on the waterfront

The Beehive houses government offices

The New Zealand Parliament was in session; we sat in the Gallery to observe Question Period for a few minutes.

The former government office building is a beautiful kauri wood structure. Victoria University offices are located there. A remarkable feature is the hanging staircase that has been restored to its original beauty. It has no visible means of support.

Zealandia (https://www.visitzealandia.com/) is a nature sanctuary within the city boundaries. This project is a 500-year vision to encourage the proliferation of native species. The property is fully fenced and patrolled in an effort to restore the area to its pre-human state. New Zealand was free of mammal predators 700 years ago.

Quail are frequently seen on the paths and fences.

Endemic to New Zealand, tuaturas are ‘living fossils,’ a species reptile that existed in the dinosaur era. Search for one in the centre of this photo, then look at the next for a close-up.

February 15

A sculpture, the Wave in Time, commemorates the young woman who lead festivities to celebrate the town’s recovery from the earthquake and fire in January 1933, The statue of the of young boy on a pole waving back to her is located across the pedestrian mall.

These Victorian homes survived the earthquake and fire on the hill overlooking the city and harbour.

Wrapping up the festival with music and dancing in the streets

Huge blooms in the city’s gardens

A wall hanging in Trinity Methodist Church, Napier, the venue for Jazz Vespers at the Art Deco Festival.

Maori carved posts, or pou, represent the tribes and their ancestors in the district around Hastings, a town close to Napier.