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Published: December 14th 2005
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I drove out of Queenstown in the afternoon, still beaming from the skydive. My goal was to get up the West Coast to Franz Joseph glacier. However, I was having such a good time that I didn’t feel like hurrying and around 3pm realized that there was no way that I was going to get the 300 or so kilometers north before dark. So I ended up taking my time, stopping at a cheesery (I took pictures for you Kat), an old gold mine, blue pools, the original NZ bungy-jumping bridge, and for a quick hike/run up Mt. Iron (another “mountain”).
A little before dark I made it to the coast and started looking for a place to camp. I found a spot on a beach a few miles outside the town of Haast. Other than an old Australian fisherman who left soon after I arrived, there was no one anywhere in sight. I had the beach to myself (or so I thought). I made dinner (a roll and cheese) and took loads of pictures of another beautiful sunset. As I set up my tent, I realized that I had company, in the hundreds. Seems that the beaches around Haast have
Bungy!
above the turquoise water particularly big sandfly populations and they will eat you for dinner if you don’t keep moving. I went to bed early, having run out of energy and cheer trying to keep the bugs off of me. I popped my head outside a few times later that night to get a look at the stars, but after spending too much time killing bugs that got in the tent, realized that it wasn’t worth the view.
Also, another creepy thing happened that night. I’m pretty sure that I woke in the middle of the night to hear a car driving by my tent and the voices of teenage girls around my car. By the time I was wide-awake and had my glasses on, the sounds were gone. When I got out of my tent the next morning, I looked for tracks, thinking they may have driven down the beach and pulled back on to the road near my car. But the only tracks in the sand were from my car and the fisherman’s truck. I can’t figure that one out.
The nest morning my first stop was to pick up bug repellant. My legs and feet were (and still are)
Wanaka
in central Otago covered in hundreds of bites. A grumpy old store clerk guided me to the best stuff (“Don’t bother with the spray”, “Won’t do shit” ,“Not that one”, “No”) at the local general store.
A short ways down the road I pulled over in a rest stop to use the loo. Turned out that a giant pod of dolphins were also stopping there, and after using the loo (I love that word, loo) I walked down the beach and took loads of pictures. The dolphins were no more than 20 ft off the shore and they were sticking around, so I got a number of good shots.
After a hike to another beach, I found a penguin. The beach was supposed to be a penguin colony, but the humans outnumber the penguins 5 to 1. I sat for half an hour and was finally rewarded with the sight of a solo penguin running from the rocks to the water. It made for a cute picture, but I was a little disappointed that there weren’t more.
Because I’d been scared of the shower at the hostel in Queenstown, I was in bad need of a bath. But because I was planning
Rope Bridge
The first of the many that I saw over the week. on camping for a while, I knew that there wasn’t going to be much chance of a shower. So when I found a lake and an empty pullover, I took the opportunity and went for a free swim. That lake was really, really cold (think glacier-fed Kenai lake) so it was a short swim. Good thing too, because while I was getting dressed I noticed the kayaker just across the lake, well in view.
Other stops that day included Franz Joseph glacier and the town of Hokitika. I was a bit disappointed as the glacier looked like most glaciers at home (ok, I’m jaded) and all the greenstone stores in the town were closed.
I decided to set up camp in Greymouth, and after a random and funny conversation with the gas attendant about pot in Alaska, got directions to a beach just outside of town. Evidence that local knowledge is indeed the best, this camp spot turned out to be insanely beautiful. Just feet from my tent, a rocky beach lead to huge crashing waves. These waves were easily 7-8 ft tall right off shore and they just kept coming all night, even on a calm evening like
Blue Pool
This is the real color. this one. I don’t know anything about surfing (though I hope to someday), but I’m pretty sure that this is an amazing place to go. After a fantastic sunset, more pictures, and a decent dinner (noodles and green beans with cheese and a roll), I was pretty convinced that I was in paradise. Then to make it even better, I heard a noise behind me and turned to see what I thought was a kiwi bird. Seeing a kiwi is really special because they are nearly extinct and are rarely seen in the wild. I learned the next day that what I had seen was actually a western weka, another flightless bird and a cousin of the kiwi. Still a cool sight though.
I had one more full day before I had to return the car to Nelson. Before leaving the coast to head inland, I stopped at Pancake Rocks and a seal colony. Pancake rocks were cool, though the place was loaded with tourists. The rocks are limestone that has been eroded away in layers and through which blowholes have been formed. When a wave comes along, spray flies everywhere and all the tourists take pictures. It’s a
Driftwood on the beach
I thought that a person was sitting on a log, until I realized that it was wood. neat sight. The seal colony was much more populated than the penguin colony had been and was a good last stop on the coast. The drive to Nelson was back to the usual farmland and other than a quick stop at the longest rope bridge in NZ (not worth the money) I didn’t make any noteworthy stops.
I think the West Coast was the most amazing scenery I saw in my 3 months in New Zealand. There were tall mountains and cold lakes like home, but right next to them were stunning sandy beaches and beautiful blue water. And so empty! I’ve been a bit disappointed with the lack of wilderness in NZ, but on these miles of beaches with no people, the cities and endless farms seem a world away. Excellent fun, and I definitely recommend coming here (especially if the weather is good).
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Mary Lou Carlson
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NZ pictures
I enjoyed reading your journal and looking at the pictures. It must have been a fun trip.