New Zealand

Part II: The West Coast

By Very Long Weekend

February 22^nd, 2017

Lakes Rotoroa & Kaniere, Dorothy Falls

After our jaunt through the northern parts of the South Island (see Part 1 post), it was time to head down south. We chose a route that would take us all the way down the West Coast for a mixture of dramatic coastal landscapes and high mountain passes. As many locals will tell you, the weather tends to change for the worse far more quickly than other parts of the South Island.

Sure enough, we did have several very wet, very cold days...but that didn't deter us from exploring some of most amazing sights we've ever seen.

On the way down we took a quick detour to check out Lake Rotoroa, our first glimpse of the mountains to come. I got the drone out for a flight around the lake but quickly got back in the car after being eaten alive by sand flies (small mosquitoes) - Julie had 'phantom' itching in the car for about 2 hours afterwards.

Our first stop was a small coastal town called Hokitika. Whilst the town itself isn't anything particularly exciting, there are some cool sights further inland. The first is Lake Kaniere, surrounded by dramatic peaks. Then, down a 10-mile semi-technical gravel road (the motto for our car: "don't be gentle, it's a rental"), we found Dorothy Falls. A stunning stack of waterfalls running down a total elevation of about 400 feet, these offered a nice opportunity to glimpse unseen angles with the drone.

Hokitika gorge

Another worthwhile sight inland from Hokitika is its eponymous gorge and its milky blue water.

You'll see from the photos, we visited the gorge after a few days of rain, but the views were stunning nonetheless. We hiked down a small trail and across a very rickety suspension bridge (a 6 person maximum that Chinese tourists clearly had trouble understanding) - and headed down to the riverbed to get more photos.

Probably not 'health and safety' approved

arthur's pass & devil's punchbowl

Staying in Hokitika meant we were a short (but mountainous) drive from Arthur's Pass. This was definitely one of the sketchier mountain roads, but worth the views along the way.

Even though the base of Arthur's Pass is only at 2,500ft (740m), the weather here is much cooler, even in summer. The town is also a main starting point for a number of hikes varying in technicality, from beaten path all the way to fall-line (i.e. "you fall - you die") mountaineering and rock climbing.

We chose the non fall-line option, an out and back hike that took us to a large waterfall called Devil's Punchbowl. The photos of the falls do not do it justice - this is a monster. At 430ft (130m), the force of the water as it surges past you is incredibly powerful. So powerful in fact that this water powers a hydro-electric power station further down in the valley - this is how Arthur's Pass gets its electricity.

The following day we had a plan to spend one of our days near Arthur's Pass exploring one of the two large glaciers on the West Coast (Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier). We had booked a trip up to Franz Josef glacier, starting out with a helicopter flight (#gettodachoppah) up to the ice field, with a guided hike and climb through the crevasses and another heli flight back down. Sadly, the torrential rain meant our activity was canceled...oh well, next time right?

Devil's Punchbowl, 430ft of awesomely powerful water

The view back from Devil's Punchbowl, Arthur's Pass in the foreground

road to queenstown: lake hawea & lake wanaka

On to Queenstown! I visited Queenstown years ago in the winter, but I couldn't wait to experience this amazing place in the summer and get a chance to show Julie. But first, we had a drive that would take us past two lakes: Lake Hawea and the more famous Lake Wanaka further south.

The further south we went, the better the weather was becoming and we were treated to blue skies as we took the road connecting Hawea and Wanaka. The road undulated and twisted, behind every dip and around every corner another angle of the lakes' deep blue waters would be revealed. We must have stopped a dozen times along the way to get yet another shot (once in the middle of the road, which was empty I swear).

Coming closer to Queenstown, we had heard from our friend Andrew (👋🏼) that Chard Farm, a small winery in the mountains, serves great wines in a secluded setting. Secluded was certainly the word - we awarded this the 'sketchiest road' title for its gravel-covered cliff with a 300ft drop-off to the Kawarau river below. Forget the road though, the wine was great. A few tastes of Sauvignon Blanc vintages, and several light Pinot Noir vintages in a stunning setting put us back on track. Just a few hundred feet below us was the world's first commercial bungee jump spot from the Kawarau bridge, so we headed down there to see people taking the plunge.

A mostly wet start to our drive toward Queenstown

But first, vino! Chard Farm winery. The vineyards are all local, left and right of the winery itself on a south facing slope

So much room for activities

And then, we were in Queenstown. What a place. Add this to your bucket list if you haven't been. The town itself is busy, but still has a laid back vibe. And this is mountain sports heaven. I got out on the mountain bike on Coronet Peak's trails (and their catchy names Rude Rock, Pack & Sack, and Zoot...).

We also took the Shotover Jet (800 horsepower jet turbine powered boats), doing 55mph on water that's at times only a few inches deep in a narrow canyon. Huge fun.

Finally we took the Skyline gondola from the town and rode a few laps on the summer luge course. It's definitely dorky, but so much fun, especially if you try to do a whole run without touching the brakes. After digging up an appetite we headed to Fergburger (again) for what is undoubtedly the best burger in the Southern Hemisphere (get the 'Southern Swine', trust me).