Karamea

Karamea sits peacefully behind the dunes in the northwest corner of the South Island. It is 92 kilometers north of Westport, over a treacherous yet breathtaking hill road. It is prone to slumping and slippage so pay attention to speed limits. The road is sealed all the way and is pure joy for people who enjoy driving (especially a manual transmission). Those with expensive tastes in fuel must make sure to fill up in Westport as the local petrol station in Market Cross only stocks 91 RON and diesel. Also note there are no petrol stations on the main road between Westport and Karamea.

Karamea is a place that epitomises Kiwi hospitality and friendliness. On the drive in Zonk got unsolicited "hi there" waves from a gentleman crossing the road at Little Wanganui, and from a cow-cocky heading to the milking shed on his quadbike. The term cow-cocky is a widely used NZ colloquialism referring to dairy farmers.

Karamea is the nearest large settlement to the West Coast end of the Heaphy Track, one of NZ's Great Walks. It has a moderate climate, similar to Nelson's. The sight of Nikau palms will forever be etched in your memory as an iconic reminder of this beautiful place.

The scenic bushland of the Oparara area used to be forestry land, but was purchased by the Oparara Trust and in conjunction with NZ's Department of Conservation (DoC) has been developed as parkland for the tourist industry.

The most impressive sight is the Oparara Arch, a 200 meter long tunnel the roof of which is high enough for trees to grow beneath. This photo shows the first glimpse you get of it as you walk along the pretty stream-side walking track. The track from the carpark takes about 15-20 minutes to walk.

Here you see trees growing beneath the arch as you look skyward to its roof.

The road in is a 16 km single-lane gravel track and drivers are warned of the 35km speed limit and the need to switch headlights on. Don't forget to switch them off again when you get to the car park. The park has toilet and picnic facilities, as well as an interesting display of the area's history. Part of the park, known as K Road, has been developed specifically for mountain bikers.

This beautiful sunset was snapped on 23-Dec-2008 from the beach at Karamea.

Denniston Incline

The Denniston Incline, located north of Westport was an engineering marvel in an era when Mt Rochfort Plateau was mined for its coal. The incline was a track and pulley system that sent wagons with around 10-12 tonnes of coal down a steep hill, its weight causing an empty wagon to rise to the top. When the incline ceased operation in 1967, an estimated 12 million tonnes of coal had been shifted down the hill.

NZ's Department of Conservation have preserved what's left of the incline, and the Denniston village that was once perched at the top of the hill. There's a small shed containing stories from the incline's heyday and some are quite remarkable. One woman detested the walk up the hill so much that she didn't leave Denniston for 14 years. In another, a drunken miner tried to walk up the incline to get home, using the sleepers like rungs on a ladder. Halfway up he missed a rung and fell all the way to the bottom. In the morning he woke up and couldn't remember how he'd got there. A more gruesome story is about a boy who tried to ride an empty wagon. His body was eventually found with one arm missing.

This picture of Kirwin was taken on 24-Dec-2008. If you look carefully you can see a scar in the bush above Kirwin's beak. That is where the incline used to run, so it gives you a good idea about just how steep the incline was. The township of Waimangaroa is in the distance.




This photograph of Kirwin studying a DoC plaque shows Denniston when it was a flourishing town. Although many of the foundations are still visible, sadly most of the buildings are gone. Today only a half dozen remain. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

The road to Denniston Incline is steep and windy, but sealed all the way. Take it easy on the hairpins as occasionally you'll meet a truck coming down the hill and they need to swing wide to get around the corner. Here's a view taken on a rare straight stretch of the road, near the top looking back towards Westport.

Cape Foulwind

Cape Foulwind juts out into the Tasman Sea just south of Westport. It is off the beaten track known as State Highway 6, but is well worth the time and effort to visit and explore.

Cape Foulwind has the distinction of being the first piece of NZ ever seen by a Pakeha. Pakeha is a Maori word referring to white-skinned people. It is not offensive and international visitors are likely to hear the term used a lot. In 1642 Abel Tasman (Dutch) named it Rocky Cape. More than a century later Captain James Cook (British) sailed past in his ship the Endeavour. The weather was nasty and Endeavour was blown out to sea and held offshore for a week, earning the cape its present name.

One of the West Coast's best kept secrets is Bay House Café, at Tauranga Bay on Cape Foulwind (not to be confused with the better known port of Tauranga in the North Island). The food is divine and the view outstanding. Kirwin drank a yummy iced coffee while Zonk tried the Nanami vegetable tempura (23-Dec-2008). You can see the café's red roof at the left of the photo above. The building has a colourful history having been at various times a doctor's bach and surfer's club headquarters. The word bach is used widely in New Zealand to refer to a no-frills family holiday cottage. Rumour has it the word bach was originally an abbreviation for the term bachelor's pad. Some people in the South Island use the word crib instead.

Other attractions in the area include a NZ fur seal colony and lighthouse (first lit in 1876, then rebuilt and relit in 1926) with easy walking tracks to them managed by NZ's Department of Conservation. Both attractions are 10 minute's walk from their respective carparks, or there is a 90 minute one-way walk from one to the other.

Punakaiki (a.k.a. Pancake Rocks)

Punakaiki is a Maori word created by transliteration of the English word pancake. The rocks on this peninsula are a geological phenomenon in which layers of limestone and softer mud were layered, thrust upward by earthquake, and then the softer layers eroded away creating rock formations that look like a stack of pancakes. Thus the name Pancake Rocks.

The best time to visit the area is at high tide as that is when the blowholes are in full effect. Allow at least 45 minutes to walk the loop track around the area. This gives you time for a leisurely stroll with lots of photo opportunities.

You can't miss the entry to the walkway on the seaward side of State Highway 6, right opposite the Punakaiki café/gallery and DoC office. There's a large carpark at the northern end of the area (inland side) to help keep the road clear for through traffic.

New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DoC) have done a wonderful job bridging, paving, and signposting an easy walkway around the formations. Kirwin says it was disappointing to see so many tourists walk right past the green and gold donations box and not make any contribution. He put his $2 worth in on 22-Dec-2008. Zonk donates too even though she's already contributed to conservation via taxes.

A few minutes north of Punakaiki is the 30min Truman Walk, which leads through native bush to the end of a peninsula and down a wooden staircase to a sandy little cove. This walk is well worth doing. If you don't feel up to the staircase you still get this wonderful view of the cove.

Kirwin and Zonk stayed at the Punakaiki Resort, located at the southern end of the rocks area right on Punakaiki Beach (in real estate terms absolute beach front). It has a lovely restaurant facing southwest across the beach and is therefore perfect for romantic sunset dinners. There's a webcam on the roof above reception so you can see the view for yourself on their website. This is a green resort and the owners have gone the extra mile not to overly impact the environment at the site. Buidings were constructed around larger plants, and others were relocated as necessary. Cleaning products and complimentary bathroom items are ecologically friendly. Power supply is augmented with solar panels, and building materials used are also eco-friendly and sustainable. This was the view from Zonk's eco-suite.

Franz Josef & Lake Matheson

Franz Josef Glacier is one of only two glaciers in the world that terminate in rainforest. It catches about 30 meters of snow in its neve (bowl, or catchment area) each year and descends steeply toward the sea. Franz Josef travels about ten times faster than most of the world's valley glaciers because of the gradient and water running beneath it.

According to Maori legend, the glacier formed from the frozen tears of a woman whose lover tragically fell to his death while climbing the mountains with her.

Franz Josef village services the tourists coming to visit the glacier, and is an ideal place to stop for the night if you have driven from Queenstown. There are a handful of restaurants and some newly opened hot pools, along with tour operators for scenic flights and hiking/climbing on the glacier itself.

Lake Matheson is only a few kilometers out of Franz Josef village and directions are well sign-posted. This lake is often seen on NZ postcards with the Southern Alps reflected on its surface. Unfortunately the day Kirwin and Zonk went (21-Dec-2008) it was a bit too windy for that classic shot so Kirwin entertained himself by making like a Tui (the fighter pilot of NZ's native birds) and landed himself in a tree.

Who says Kiwis can't fly?

West Coast

The West Coast is an imaginatively named region of the South Island that is about 600km in length, running from Kahurangi National Park in the north, to Fjordland in the south along - surprise, surprise - the west coast. The area has spectacular views of rugged coastline, snow-capped mountains, dense rainforest or any combination thereof. Kirwin says he knows a cute little Kiwi chick named Rowina living just out of Okarito.

This photo was taken from an Emirates Airline A340-500 in 2007 on the day Kirwin returned with Zonk to live in New Zealand. It shows the West Coast roughly from Kakapotahi south across Stillwater and Okarito lagoons, Lake Mapourika, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier villages, to Bruce's Bay and beyond. It is very uncommon to get such great visibility of the West Coast. It rains 4 days out of 7 so it is tough to get a photo without cloud.

With such a lot of water around, there are plenty of sandflies so stay on top of your insect repellant applications. Another by-product of the high rainfall is pakihi soil that floats atop a layer of water and makes life a bit interesting for the farmers. Imagine trying to herd cattle on a waterbed.

Peole who live on the West Coast are known throughout New Zealand as Coasters. They are generally fairly hardy and/or colourful characters who've made a conscious decision to live off the beaten track and feast on whitebait fritters, a local delicacy that you have to try at least once in your life. Zonk's grandmother used to make them for her when she was a little girl.

Lake Hawea & Haast Pass

Kirwin reckons this is the best photo anybody's ever taken of him. It was taken at a roadside rest stop on State Highway 6 (SH6) just before the road bends away from Lake Hawea (pictured) westward toward Lake Wanaka.

Between Lake Hawea and Haast (141 km) there are no petrol stations. This catches out a lot of tourists so if you are planning to go here, make sure to fill up at every opportunity. Those with sports cars requiring RON 98 are in for a surprise as it is not stocked in many places outside major towns/cities. Mobil and BP are the only gasoline companies to supply RON 98 in New Zealand. Generally speaking it is OK to use RON 95 instead of 98 (check with car manufacturer) but very remote places will often only stock diesel and RON 91.

SH6 between Haast and Wanaka is split into two basic views: lakes and mountains on the southern/eastern side, and lush rainforst on the northern/western side. Kirwin says to remind our Australian guests that the term bush means something completely different in NZ. Walk a couple of meters into NZ bush and you are likely to lose sight of the track as the forest is so dense.

SH6 is easily the most scenic highway in New Zealand and there is never a dull moment for the driver either. There are plenty of one lane bridges, especially on the West Coast. Highway is a misnomer for many international visitors who expect it to be a multi-lane freeway. Actually it is one lane each way, with the occasional passing lane and plenty of slow traffic bays on the shoulder. The Haast Pass section of SH6 has all of the above plus chicanes and hairpins thrown in for good measure. Drive defensively on this road.

An underpinning philosophy in NZ is that, being so remote, we play nicely and share our toys. If you're in a camper van and there's a string of traffic piled up behind you, the thing to do is pull into a slow traffic bay and let faster folks get past you. Failing to do so will generate a healthy dose of road rage and the potential for risky over-taking manoeuvres in which people die fairly regularly. Buses and trucks will sometimes indicate they are turning left as a means of letting you know it is OK to pass them. You will know when this is happening because they aren't slowing down enough to turn. [Editor's note: the Kiwi sign photo was taken near Okarito on the West Coast.]

Because the roads in NZ are often windy, narrow and/or steep, calculating driving times is not as straight forward as allowing 100km per hour on an open road. For example, the road between Wanaka and Haast is 141 km but it will take a bit over three hours to drive it. Here's a handy website to help you plan yor trip.

You can also reasonably expect to have a dirty vehicle - dust over the back window and a generous smattering of bug splat on the windscreen. Stone chips are also common outside the main centres.

When you get to the Haast side of the pass expect a full-on attack from sandflies (also known as midges). The NZ sandfly is as evil as the mosquito in most other parts of the world although it is not equipped with a bio-warfare arsenal i.e. no yellow fever, dengue fever, or malaria. You won't die from a bite, but apply insect repellant liberally if you can't stand to be itchy. Calamine lotion is a good remedy should you encounter commando sandflies.

Kirwin survived Haast Pass with Zonk at the wheel on 21-Dec-2008.

T.S.S. Earnslaw & Walter Peak Station

One of the other really nice things about Queenstown is the T.S.S. Earnslaw, an old steamship built in 1912, the same year as Titanic. Every day she plies the waters of Wakatipu between Queenstown and remote Walter Peak Station carrying supplies and tourists.

The Earnslaw is immaculate, lovingly maintained by its owners Real Journeys. Part of the main deck is opened so that passengers can look down into the engine room which is also very tidy. This old ship burns through one tonne of coal per hour and cruises at about 12 knots. She may not be the fastest afloat on the lake, but she surely is the most elegant.

There are several trips per day that dovetail with farm tours, horse trekking, and meals at Walter Peak. On the farm tours you're invited to feed the animals which include sheep, deer, and highland cattle. The farm tour incorporates demonstrations of sheepdog mustering and also sheep shearing.

The horse treks take about an hour to complete, following a circuit to a scenic spot for a photo opportunity. Kirwin's little feet couldn't quite reach the stirrups so Zonk went on her own. Here she is, kitted with a genuine Driza-Bone to keep the wind off.

Imagine sitting in Walter Peak's patio restaurant, looking back toward Queenstown. You sip on buttery chardonnay, your belly pleasantly full of fresh local fare, and let the sun gently warm your face. The clear blue waters of Wakatipu lap at the shore, lulling you into a tranquil bliss. La dolce vita at its best.


Kirwin and Zonk were here on 18-Dec-2008.

Glenorchy

The 45 km road from Queenstown to Glenorchy takes about one hour to drive and is sealed the whole way. It is eye candy in terms of the magnificent scenery and there are several parking bays at the side of the road where it is safe to stop and take photos. Glenorchy itself lies to the left of the triangular mountain in the centre of this image.

Here Kirwin is taking a load off in front of an old boat shed. Its just a stone's throw from the relaxed Glenorchy Café and its outdoor picnic tables.

A few doors up from the café is Dart River Jet Safaris, owned and operated by Ngai Tahu. Their Wilderness Safari is really worth doing. The 4WD component drives through an area known as Paradise (a.k.a. Arcadia) and Lord of the Rings fans will find themselves in territory that seems strangely familiar. Fangorn Forest, anyone? The 4WD excursion ends where river flooding has washed away the track. From there its a short walk through mossy 1000+ year old protected forests to the river, where your jetboat will speed you up the Dart River as far as possible and practical before whisking you back to the jetty at Glenorchy.

Take your camera with you, but also be pleasantly surprised by the photograph pack that's waiting for you on your return. Rain ponchos are provided but you will do the odd 360 on the water, and you will get wet.

Kirwin thought he was too sexy for his poncho and decided to take the jet boat for a spin after everyone disembarked.

Glenorchy is also the last stop before starting the Routeburn Track, one of New Zealand's Great Walks through southwestern Fjordland, a preserved World Heritage Area.

Kirwin was here on 19-Dec-2008.

Queenstown

This is Queenstown from the Skyline restaurant on Bob's Peak, as seen on the evening of 17-Dec-2008. It looks as though the photo was taken with a fisheye lens but actually it has been stitched together from three of Zonk's photos using Hugin.

Thousands of years ago Lake Wakatipu was carved out by glaciers into its 80 kilometer S-shape of today, the middle of the S being Queenstown and the ends being Kingston to the south and Glenorchy to the north. At its deepest point the lake bottom lies 440 meters below the surface, making it almost as deep as the peaks around it are high.

Wakatipu is said to be the shortened version of Wakatipuwaimaori, which roughly translated means fresh water trough goblin because of the lake monster that is supposed to dwell in its depths, guarding valuable sources of pounamu (greenstone or nephrite jade) in nearby river valleys. By coincidence, Lake Wakatipu has been used in the past by film-makers as a stunt double for Scotland's Loch Ness (e.g. Sony Pictures' 2007 production of The Water Horse).

Queenstown was originally a gold mining town, but when the gold rush was over nearly two thirds of the local population left almost overnight. Tourism filled the gap and now Queenstown is considered the Adventure Capital of New Zealand, possibly the world. The mountain ranges in the upper left of the photo are The Remarkables and this is where Zonk learned to ski in 1988. The other skifield close to Queenstown (behind the camera) is Coronet Peak.

Although the scenery is lovely, Kirwin says he doesn't want to go back to Queenstown again. It is a bit too touristy, over-developed, over-priced and fast-paced for his tastes.

Having said that, one of the redeeming features of Queenstown is its best kept secret, the Bathhouse Restaurant located at the extreme lefthand side of the beach (opposite side to the Earnslaw's berth). Kirwin had three courses and a glass of wine for NZ$100 (approx. US$55) and he says it was the nicest meal he's had in years. The bathouse itself is a historic fixture. There's a book of its history in the restaurant so if you decide to have a meal there, make sure you ask to see it. The old newspaper articles make for an amusing read. Even in the 1900s residents complained about extortionate builder's fees!

Kawarau Gorge

Here's young Kirwin parked in front of the Kawarau River as it flows through the gorge of the same name. Kawarau Gorge was a popular spot for gold miners in the mid-1800s. At the Cromwell end of the gorge is a very interesting tourist stop at Goldfields Mining Centre. You can walk amongst old gold miner's camps and see some of the original equipment still in working order. Kirwin had a go pointing the gravity fed water cannon at a bank of dirt. I think he liked the sense of power it gave him because it was tough work to wrench it away from him.

In the end he agreed to try digging the earth the old fashioned way. His little wings struggled a bit with the shovel and the low gold yield was probably a direct result of this. Kirwin was a tad frustrated at this point and started suggesting his gold pan would make a better jacuzzi.




At the Queenstown end of Kawarau Gorge you'll find the world famous A.J. Hackett's Bungy operation. The Kawarau Bridge site was also the first commercial bungy jumping site in the world, and the place where Zonk took her first leap of faith back in 1989.

Adjacent to the bridge is a winery owned by Hackett's business partner, Henry van Asch, aptly named Freefall Wines. On 20-Dec-2008, we stopped into the cellar as part of a guided wine trail. This is where Kirwin was romanced by his two Singapore Girls.

The winery also has a nice restaurant attached, styled in retro 1960s New Zealand decor. Here's a picture of Kirwin waiting patiently to be seated for lunch next to a vase of Mount Cook lilies, a native of NZ that grows well in this part of the South Island.

We also stopped at several other vinyards between Kawarau Gorge and Cromwell and learned that the entire region is declaring itself organic. This is not something that's normally easy to do so being somewhat isolated will work to their advantage. Kirwin would have loved a nice glass of red but he was designated driver for the day. Apart from that one slip up with his Singapore Girls, Kirwin was a good wee Kiwi and he stuck to the Coca-cola instead.

By the time we hit Peregrine Wines, Zonk was starting to sag at the knees. Here's a picture of Kirwin helping to keep her upright amongst barrels there.

Cromwell

This is Kirwin sitting at what used to be known as The Junction, a point where the Clutha and Kawarau rivers once met - very handy for the local gold miners back in the 1860s. During the 1970s the area was flooded to form Lake Dunstan as part of establishing a source of hydroelectric power for New Zealand. Some of the old town submerged when the lake formed. As part of the project the new town of Cromwell was planned and established on adjacent higher ground.

A few of the old buildings remain on the edge of Cromwell and several have been renovated into a quaint tourist village sporting trendy art galleries, museum, cafés and the like. One of the old villas houses a store named Provisions which sells delicious preserves and bakery items.

Warning: entering Provisions on a Saturday afternoon is hazardous to your waistline. This is when the kitchen prepares items for Sunday morning's outdoor Farmer's Market. When Kirwin paid a visit on 20-Dec-2008 they were baking gingerbread and the whole shop smelled divine.


Cromwell is also known as the Fruit Bowl of Central Otago and is the perfect place to stock up on groceries before hitting the more expensive tourist places such as Queenstown.

Lindis Pass & Taras

The McKenzie Basin and Central Otago are separated by Lindis Pass. Here's a view from the top of the pass, looking north, back toward McKenzie country. In the winter this area is typically covered with snow and occasionally the pass has to be closed. You can see how dry it gets in summer.

Not far from the southern side of Lindis Pass is Taras. It is tiny, boasting only a petrol station, café and wool shop. Taras was briefly famous for being the home of a wiley old sheep nicknamed Shrek. The café in Taras is cozy, giving travellers the perfect place to stop for a break. This is the view you'll get if you sit out front in the summertime. Kirwin chowed down on pancakes with bacon, bananas and maple syrup, while I sipped away on a latte.

Next to the café is a shop full of wool and woollen clothing. It's a great place to pick up last minute woollies if you're on the way to the skifields around Queenstown and Wanaka. Merino is the specialty of nearby Bendigo Station. This type of wool is very fine and in great demand with suit makers. There's also a blend of wool and possum fur (often branded as Merino Mink) which is soft, plush, and a bit more expensive than plain wool.

Kirwin first traversed the Lindis Pass and stopped in Taras for brunch on 17-Dec-2008.

Lake Tekapo

Kirwin and I cleverly managed to drive while it was raining and stop at our next destination just before the rain caught up with us. Once again we look north at some stormy weather, but here in Tekapo township it is warm and dry. The english translation for Tekapo is roughly night sleeping mat which is perfect for this little township because it is a great stopping point if you are travelling between Christchurch and Mt Cook or Queenstown, which is exactly what most tourists want to do.

Lake Tekapo has spectacular waters the colour of aquamarine due to the glacial silt that stays suspended in them. It lies in the heart of the McKenzie Basin, which has the odd quirk of being quite dry even though it is surrounded by mountains. Those same westerly winds we mentioned in relation to Cook Strait also come crashing into the Southern Alps, elevate and condense causing a lot of rainfall on the West Coast and snow on the Southern Alps. By the time they are over McKenzie country, they've little left to give, making the basin quite arid. However the glacial fed lakes in the region (like Tekapo) provide plenty of water to drive hydro-electric power stations and the canal system between the lakes creates a perfect environment for growing salmon.

Tekapo is located beside Mt John which in 2009 will become the first ever World Heritage Starlight Reserve. The Mount John Observatory is a joint venture between three NZ universities and one in Japan. Kirwin had wanted to spend a couple of hours stargazing there on the night of 16-Dec-2008 but cloudy weather put a stop to that part of his adventure. You can just make out the white dome of the observatory atop Mt John in this picture.

Sheep farming was the first industry to open up the McKenzie region and Tekapo has two well-known sites to honour that past: the Church of the Good Shepherd, and a bronze statue recognising the contribution of the good old sheepdog. Behind the stone chapel's altar are windows with jaw-dropping views of the lake and mountains beyond. Who needs stained glass when you have a place as beautiful as Tekapo right out the window? Kirwin reckons the windows are there to help take your mind off boring sermons.

The pretty pink and purple flowers are lupins. They're the scourge of a farmer's life because stock will not eat them. Early British settlers brought seeds to NZ so they could grow things to remind themselves of home. Unfortunately the environment in the McKenzie Basin and Otago (further south) provides the perfect conditions for lupins to grow like weeds along the roadsides. Kirwin says it gives him hayfever.