The West Coast

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I had actually woken up an hour early for my bus as i had completely forgotten the fact that the clocks had gone back. At least I wasn't an hour late. The drive to Fox Glacier was once again a very scenic one. Leaving Queenstow, our driver pointed out all of the flash new homes and developments which are springing up in the area. We passed through Wanaka and on over the Haast Pass. As always there were plenty of photo and refreshment stops. The bus finally pulled into Fox Glacier where I set off for the hostel. I met Edd in reception and we chilled in the sun, catching up with what we had both been up to.

The next morning the sun was out so we popped into the Department Of Conservation office to enquire about information on the Copland Track. The lady advised us that if we were to do it today would be the best day as tomorrow afternoon was forecast for rain. With that it was back to the hostel to dump off unnecessary gear before heading to the main road. We were waiting for quite a while before being picked up by a courier. We sat in the back on the wheel arches with the parcels and two Argentinan girls. The courier said that picking up hitch hikers was a perk of the job and made his 760KM round trip a more entertaining one.

The first obstacle on the track was Rough Creek and it took a little time to find a way across but then it was fairly plain sailing. It was a really good walk through dense rainforest and we witnessed some staggeringly awe-inspiring footpath erosion. The path wasn't as defined as the Routeburn and at somepoints would disappear completely. A highlight though was the two swing bridges which stated only one across at a time and seemed pretty flimsy. Arriving at Welcome Flats Hut it was straight into our swimmers to soak in the hot pools. Two of them were pretty grimey but one was out of this world. It was fairly clear and just at the right temperature of a bath. We lay back and marvelled at the surrounding mountains and clouds that were hanging in the valley. A couple of tinnies would have been perfect but unfortunately we had forgotten to stock up. After some thorough pruning it was back to the hut for dinner in the dark.

It was fantastic weather once again the next day and a very pleasant surprise so we set off fairly early back the way we'd come. Even though it was a return walk the scenery didn't lose any of it's impact. Back at the road we were waiting for literally ten seconds before being picked up by the first car that came our way. After a shower, Edd introduced me to the wonderful L & P which was the perfect compliment to our big dinner.

Fox Glacier's famous twin Franz Josef was our next destination. Again we decided to hitch the short journey and got a lift in the back of a pick up. The sides were pretty low so it was a matter of holding on to our bags and the side of the truck as the driver sped down the twisting road. It was freezing and we should have both taken the drivers advice to wear a hat. Pretty exhilerating though.

The town of Franz Josef is a bit bigger than Fox but still only really one main street. Pretty much in every building was a company offering a glacier related activity. After browsing the many options available, a full day ice climbing trip appealled the most. This was something we had both never done before and was good as it provided a walk on the glacier as well as ice climbing. We booked it for Friday which was meant to be the best day weatherwise. Whilst in Franz Josef we went on a couple of little side walks, one of which was to a long tunnel system known as the Tatare Tunnels. These had been dug by hand in the late 19th Century as a means for assisting gold panning and later used for hydroelectricity generation. We walked down the pitch black tunnel with our head torches before Edd noticed some glowworms on the ceiling. We turned off our torches and gazed in amazement at the tiny greeny blue dots that resembled a starry night. This was my first encounter and was very impressed. We then got a lift to the glacier itself which is around 4KM South of the town. It was an absolutely staggering sight seeing the huge river of ice with lush green forests growing up the sides of the valley. The fact that it comes down so close to sea level makes it very unique along with Fox Glacier and one other in Chile. The bright blue sky enhanced the view and we were now both very excited about climbing on it the following day.

It was an early start the next day as we were kitted out with overtrousers, rucksack, solid plastic boots, crampons and ice axes. We were driven to the carpark where it was then a 2KM walk to the terminal face. Here we put on our gear and walked up onto the glacier. The face is roped off to the public to prevent them getting injured from falling ice, but a few still insisted on getting too close. The glacier can move up to a metre a day and all around there were clear indications of where the glacier had left its mark on the surrounding area. Steps had been cut into the very steep parts of the walk up the face and every so often you would come across a staff member maintaining these with a pickaxe. As it was such a sunny day a lot of the ice was melting and there were many small streams of water running down into holes and crevasses some up to 50 metres deep. I was suprised at how much rock was amongst the glacier and in some parts it looked very dirty. However, further up the glacier it seemed much cleaner and we saw some great blue ice. We walked in single file for a while until we reached our first wall. We were left to practice at a low level with our crampons whilst Dave, one of the guides paced it to the top to put in ice screws for the ropes. Here we did two climbs which were brilliant. Once you start to trust that the front spikes of the crampons will hold you it starts to get a little easier. You have to make good contact between the axes and the ice and once these are secure you can then move your feet up. You also get covered in lots of ice shrapnel but it was an absolutely awesome experience. We continued a little further up the glacier during which we stopped for lunch. We sat amongst the pinnacles and crevasses in the gorgeous weather whilst Mike told Ozzie jokes. You could definately tell that the two guides loved their job and Dave seemed to have every outdoor qualification under the sun or was currently working towards it. We arrived at the second wall and now totally hooked I couldn't wait to get going again. These climbs were a little higher and one had a small overhang. On our way back we stopped and sat for a bit where we were provided fantastic views of the glacier. The guides explained how it works and pointed out its many different features. This was really interesting.
That evening we soaked in the free spa pool in the hostel with some beers. To top off a brilliant day we cooked up a feast of bangers 'n' mash.

Our next stop was Hokitika further North up the West coast. The town is the green stone capital of New Zealand where most of it is processed and carved. As a result there are a huge amount of arts and craft shops, some with nice pieces others just down right weird. It was a very quiet town which offered a nice chance to relax and catch up on some reading. The West coast is the wettest region of NZ but we had been blessed with fine weather. There was a long beach in Hokitika which is very wild and rugged with driftwood scattered across it. The waves from the Tasman sea were pretty rough and it was here that we witnessed a spectacular sunset.

From here Edd and I went our seperate ways. He was heading to the East coast where he was flying out of Christchurch and onto to Fiji. It has been great meeting up with him and we have both had some fantastic experiences on the West coast.

It was a long journey to Nelson but the highlight was stopping off at Punakaiki where the famous pancake rocks are located. Through weathering and layering, rocks have formed that look like pancakes stacked ontop of each other as the tide surges in it is forced up through caverns and shoots out at the top like a Geyser. Further inland we passed through many former gold mining settlements which were once bustling towns of thousands some now reduced to a derelict shack. You really admire the resiliance of the early pioneers who settled here.

Nelson is a really nice city and has a plesant artisan feel to the place. Marahau was my base for the Abel Tasman National Park. The track is one of the easiest and most popular in NZ. It is famous for winding along the coast offering many opportunities to drop your pack and explore small beaches and coves. Even though the region is famed for having New Zealand's most favourable climate I was not so lucky with the weather. I was also able to go on a few side walks to some great view points and sights of interest. The second day of the walk was a similar affair but the rain seemed to make the dense rainforset even more alive and helped bring out all the varying shades of green. I also managed to spot a lot of birdlife including Herons and Oystercatchers.

I stopped for a not very cheap drink in a luxurious ecolodge where I felt slightly out of place in my wet and dirty walking gear compared to most in their shirts and chinos. That evening in the DOC hut the six of us who were staying there chatted late into the evening sharing stories about our travels. It was a great way to spend my last night on the track.

I took a water taxi back to Marahau and enjoyed the trip back along the coastline. Due to the tide being so low we had to be pulled out of the water by a tractor and spent the last Kilometre of the journey along the road. Don't worry, this is a usual procedure.

I caught the ferry to Wellington from Picton in the Marlbourgh wine region of NZ. The boat was an old P&O one from Portsmouth. There didnt seem to be a huge amount to do for the three hour trip until i found a bar showing the Rugby Sevens World Series. I did venture out to the top deck to look at the Marlbourgh sounds but it was so windy you could barely stand up.

The South Island has given me a wonderful first glimpse of New Zealand. The scenery has been staggering and the sheer variety of it in a relatively small area has sometimes taken my breath away. The people are so friendly and helpful and I've had some amazing experiences here. Im very excited to see how the North Island compares as many people say there is a recognisable difference. Im going to be back travelling with Laura again which of course I can't wait for and I hope she enjoys New Zealand as much as I do. Somehow, I reckon she will.

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Photos

Some awesome erosion
Shame it's not natural

Sunset in Hokitika
Looking out to the Tasman Sea

Cleopatra's Pool
On a side trip from the Abel Tasman track

Comments

[anon]

who's that good looking bloke, then?
glad to see that you got your act together with the blog. hope all's good with you. fiji was amazing, you'll love it- just take your sunblock! in hawaii now back in western civilization with internet. going surfing tomorrow..rock on boyo