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Published: April 6th 2008
Arrived Jackson after a fantastic ride down from Franz Josef glazier where I had camped the night before. Had good weather on the way down and super roads too. Stopped at Haast Settlement for supplies where I chatted to a couple from England also on a BMW.
Riding through the Haast region, I get a strong sense of entering a primeval land, and a feeling of total isolation, or maybe its the freedom and the adventure of it all.
Leaving Haast Township with new supplies I head south following the coastal plain towards the he remote fishing village of Jackson Bay, where 50km later the long West Coast Road finally ends. Of course as soon as I get going it starts to rain, but I push on thinking it won't last, I pass the camping ground and dismiss stopping as it looks far too civilised, the rain gets harder and turns into a downpour and then it starts hailing. I begin to think this a bad idea and think about turning around as I don't know how far it is. The rain settles and dies away after a while .... there is nothing out here and time is getting
Haast Settlement
stopping at Haast for supplies.on but at least ive outrun the storm.
I arrive at Jackson at about 7pm and there is nothing here, no camping ground, no pub, no garage, no shops, zilch apart from a few houses and no sign of life ... oops. It starts raining and the sky is looking black and moody. I quickly put up my tent on the ground behind the beach and get very wet in doing so and so does most of my stuff. Im forced to cook inside and enjoy beef strogo and rice with black tea as i dont have any milk.
The storm booms and crashes' for over 12 hours and i begin to wonder but i wake early in the morning to find a wonderful sunny day and penguins. I decamp and lay things out to dry while I set out to investigate. A Kiwi pulls over in a 4x4 to congratulate me on surviving the night. Apparently the villagers were taking bets.
I walk down to the Crayfish van I spotted the night before and have breakfast of Crayfish & Chips with mug of tea. Sound!. I talk to my neighbours for a while, a family in
Safe at Jackson Bay
Thumbs up ... tents up .... notice my clothes are wet a camper, and wander around for a while and talk a little walk over the headland to the next bay. When I return to the van my neighbour looks a bit upset. Turns out he tried to help a local out with his boat and was told to get lost.
Anyway this local, another Bill, wandered up later and we had a good old chat and told me loads about the area, I spent all day in Jackson just hanging out and then headed towards Haast Valley late afternoon as I wanted to be in Queenstown tomorrow. If I didnt' leave I never would and there was a lot more adventure to look forward to.
This former seal-hunting base, tucked in behind the sheltering Jackson Head, is one of the remotest places on the New Zealand roading system and it is the most southerly place in New Zealand accessible by road in South Westlans. It has the distinction of having a higher population of fur seals and penguins, than of humans.
There is a timeless, spiritual quality to South Westland. The booming Tasman Sea, deserted beaches, dense lowland rainforest and forbidding mountains are hauntingly beautiful.
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