Driving in New Zealand Part 3

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Arthur’s Pass

Arthur’s Pass is the highest pass over the Southern Alps. The Maori hunting parties used this route way before Arthur Dudley Dobson discovered it in 1864. In the old days, this pass was beyond treacherous. Today, it is a spectacular sight of extreme civil engineering showcasing a giant viaduct, bridges, rock shelters, and man-guided waterfalls.

Tranquil and fertile farmlands with herds of sheep grazing on the hillsides and herding dogs were the highlights of the mostly straight and lazy climb on Highway 73, West Coast Road. This road connects the two coasts of the South Island. It passes several climate regions, from lush to arid as it raises into the interior of the Southern Alps. I stopped at the sight of the magnificent rock formation of Castle Hill on Highway 73 towards Arthur’s Pass. This Lord-of-the-Ring landscape is the nature’s Stonehenge. Looking at how nature magically arranged the huge rocks on the hillsides in discernable patterns, one would immediately agree with the Maori that this place is sacred and mystical.

When I reached the plateau, the view before me opened up. A straight stretch of road cut through the flat land. Mountain tops rising higher than this plateau towards the clear blue sky prevented me to see the horizon in all direction. I was standing at the center stage of the gigantic nature’s amphitheater. The pristine air and the panoramic view were all around. Rotating my body very slowly, I gazed each mountain top, and sensed a tingling sensation inside me.

Looking outside through the window of the Air New Zealand flight heading to Melbourne, I could see the dynamic Middle Earth created by the Pacific Ring of Fire below. Remembering my Four Rings driving experience, I concluded that the place below me was definitely a world away from the hustle and bustle of modern daily chores. New Zealand, for me, was a place where the pace of life slowed down almost to a glacial pace, and yet everything felt just right. The beauties, the magic of nature, and the friendliness of the people I encountered gave me a splash of elixir of life...@driving-vacation

More pictures...

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