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Published: December 1st 2005
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24.11.05
We arrived at Arthurs Pass after a long uphill, slow journey to the highest village in New Zealand (in the mountain ranges) and it was freezing!
We got our van booked in and headed off to do the Devils punchbowl walk. This was only an hours walk that takes you to the base of a waterfall. It was a little hard going as it was all up hill but we got quite a nice view. Where we were staying had no kitchen so for dinner we had our camping stove in the van (kept us warm too) and we had soup and steak stew out of the pans. We then went to the internet cafe (which was a shed) which was 24hrs. with an honesty box for payment!!! Yes we did pay. Then we went to the pub (the only pub) to get warmed up with a hot chocolate and a beer. In the night it was freezing and even worse to get up to.
25.11.05
Today we planned to do a walk up the mountains on our own. So we put on all the clothes we owned again and set off to the DOC (Department of Conservation) site
to check the weather to see if it was advisable. Yes it was fine with a chance of snow at the top. We had to fill in our intentions form with our details for search and rescue, if needed.
We set off to do the Temple Basin track, 3hrs. return. Unlike Tongariro it was safe for us to leave our van in the carpark. The track was all up hill, really hard going, and it was all on rock falls so very unstable under your feet. We got some good views of the surrounding mountains. We got to our destination (a ski hut) which was open and unmanned. Inside there was a table tennis table so we had a game at the top of the mountain.
When we got outside to start our decent it started snowing!We felt like we were back in England!
It was hard work going back down because it was so unstable and steep. But we made it and found a Kea hanging round our van, didn't feed it this time.
Mission accomplished We went back to the DOC site to take down our search and rescue sheet and did another little 10min. walk, millenium walk.
This took you to the base of another waterfall which if you go inside the church you get a good view through the back window, this looks really good.
Off we set in our van again on to Hokitika. When we arrived we had a walk around the town and watched a couple of films on tv after just catching the sunset on the beach.
26.11.05
This morning we had our first fry up! Yummy! We went into town again and set off in our van for a productive day sight seeing around the area. First stop was Kaniere lake and Dorothy falls. The falls were really pretty.
Next stop was a memorial at Kowhitirangi which was a scene, in the 1940's, of New Zealands first serial killer. A farmer gunned down several policemen/soldiers/civilians. It was kind of errie as we were in the middle of no where with no one around and the wind blowing in our ears. In the monument there is a hole through the middle that gives the 25m view from the mans door step where he shot the people. There is a film 'Bad Blood' based on this event.
We continued our drive
onto an unsealed road (gravel road), there are lots of these in New Zealand, and we arrived at the Hokitika gorge, 30km away from the town. It was a short walk through the forest and then we came to a swing bridge over the gorge. WOW! The water was bright aqua turquoise, nothing like we have ever seen before, so beautiful. We walked across the bridge and down to the waters edge. We planned to have a little paddle and Andy to have a dip until we got attacked by sand flies (the worst thing about New Zealand, we are covered in bites) there were loads of them so we took our photos and went back to the bridge to admire it some more before heading back into town.
That night at about 8.30pm we drove to sunset point to catch the sunset. It was nice, but not the best we have seen (we're so spoilt).
At the site we met two couples (young and old) so we all stayed up until midnight exchanging travel tips and places to go or not to go! This is all people you meet talk about, travelling!! Sometimes it's nice to talk about
something different.
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