REPEAT WARNING: Once again, this is not a sailing related entry. This, as well as future entires through May 2025, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explore Australia, New Zealand and other places in the southern hemisphere across the world from the country we call home by land with some air travel assists. We are metaphorically putting our memories in a bottle to savor on some future date. If you are not interested in reading an amateur attempt to document travel experiences you may wish to skip these entries. No offense will be taken. You were warned!
We have covered a lot of ground in 8 days. When we published our last blog post we had just travelled from Wanaka to Franz Josef Glacier where we intended to resume our exploration of the South Island’s West Coast. As we briefly described in our last entry, the drive itself could not have been more spectacular, a good portent of things to come. It was part coastal with huge waves crashing over the rocky coast and casting a misty spray on the road and part rainforest as we winded down hairpin turns in the narrowest of valleys between tall mountains, with ferns cascading down the steep cliffs on either side of us. There is lots to do in the Franz Josef Glacier area so we planned to spend 4 nights and 3 full days there before driving further up the coast.
As always, we tried to not waste a minute. Our first order of business was a visit the the town’s namesake glacier. There is a short (~ 1 mile) highly accessible walking path (aka cutch friendly) that leads you through thick rainforest to a clearing (courtesy of the glacier) with a viewing platform that provides glimpses of mountain tops, waterfalls and the tiniest little sliver of the Franz Josef Glacier between 2 mountains off in the distance. Apparently, the glacier used to extend much closer to the viewing platform as little as 20 years ago. Between 2008 and 2017 alone the glacier retreated 1.5 kilometers (just shy of 1 mile). Though we were only able to see a small portion of the glacier, the viewing area did allow us to see the landscape left behind by the ice, witnessing the natural forces at work as the glacier retreats. In addition to the path leading to the glacier, there was another tract that took us uphill to a platform giving us glorious views of the valley, with the Waiho River winding its way towards the coast. The ascent was not the easiest on crutches but Jill was determined to make it to the end. (So unlike Jill. 😀)
Jill’s current hiking speed (which is fittingly glacial), coupled with our numerous stops to take advantage of the many photo ops, meant that completing these two short hikes took the better part of our first morning. For the afternoon we opted for the less active visit to the small West Coast Wildlife Center. As is often the the case, the experience in this fairly sparse center was what you as the visitor made of it. The center’s highlight is the kiwi viewing area. Much like a zoo, the center contained a live kiwi exhibit in a darkened room that mimicked the evening. Kiwis are nocturnal so artificially creating nightfall is the only way to ensure that the kiwis would be active during the daytime hours when visitors were present. The display very much recreated a kiwi’s natural forested habitat and the low plexiglass walls optimized opportunities for sightings. We were very fortunate during our visit that one of the resident kiwis was very close to the plexiglass digging in the dirt. Though kiwis are notoriously shy he (or she) was very totally unaware of — and therefore unfazed by — our presence. We probably spent a good 30 minutes just watching this kiwi go about his evening routine of digging for food.
As we said, this wildlife center was what you made of it. Most people come in just to see the kiwis which is understandable. The low number of kiwis, combined with their dense forested habitats and their nocturnal nature, makes it very unlikely that a visitor would see one in the wild. (They are not like the endangered Kea we mentioned in our last blog entry who seem to thrive on interaction with humans). So just the opportunity to observe a live kiwi was worth the price of admission. If you had the patience though — and we did — there was a wealth of information available that explained why kiwis are endangered and what New Zealand is doing to increase the population. We learned that the biggest risk to the kiwi is the stoat, a non-native predator that loves to feast on kiwi eggs, young chicks and adolescents. Along with ferrets and weasels, stoats were introduced by the British in the late 1800s to control the rabbit population. Stoats, for those not familiar (we certainly weren’t), belong to the same family as weasels and ferrets. They’re bigger than weasels and smaller than ferrets (but look just as menacing with their pointy snouts and the small but razor sharp teeth that they don’t hesitate to bear). Ironically, rabbits which, as we all know, reproduce rapidly allowing them to quickly become a nuisance, were also imported to New Zealand by British settlers. In this case it was to provide game for sportsmen to hunt, for food, and to remind the British settlers of home. The whole scenario of one distinct action leading to an unintended consequence reminded us of the Dr.Seuss book “The Cat in the Hat Comes Back” where our protagonist leaves a pink ring in the tub and everything he does to clean it just escalates to a bigger problem.
At any rate, to address the stoat problem (as well as the related issue of other introduced predators that are wreaking havoc on New Zealand’s endemic species), and allow the native wildlife to flourish, New Zealand has adopted a Predator Free 2050 program focused on the complete removal (through trapping and poisoning) of five non-native predators: stoats, ferrets, weasels, possums and rats. In the meantime, because this eradication cannot happen overnight, New Zealand has an egg collection program. By monitoring the existing kiwi population (who are tagged for tracking), rangers know when kiwis have laid an egg. They retrieve the egg which is then incubated and hatched in captivity. Once the chicks are large enough they are placed in a living space that closely resembles their natural habitat and when they are full grown — at around 18 months — they are released into the wild. The kiwis in the exhibit are part of this egg collection program and the kiwi we had the privilege to watch is an older bird that is soon to be released.
For our second full day we found ourselves hungry to learn more about the area’s fauna and flora and thought a guided tour would be a great way to do that. The issue is that many of the guided tours involve substantial hiking though less tended tracts and are not suitable for Jill. As we looked at the available offerings we kept coming back to kayaking tours. Jill can’t bend her right leg but you keep your legs straight in a kayak so, as long as she could get in the kayak itself, kayaking should work, right? We decided to reach out to one of the companies that offers kayak tours to see what they thought and they told us to come right over. After assessing Jill’s mobility we all decided that there should be no reason that Jill couldn’t get in a kayak so off we went with our guide Sydney from Franz Josef Wilderness Tours. We were so glad we pursued the opportunity. Sydney drove us about 15 minutes out of town to Lake Mapurika which is located in a UNESCO World Heritage site. After getting situated in a two person sea kayak, we glided along the calm waters taking in the panoramic views of the Southern Alps and Glaciers. Following Sydney we crossed the lake and paddled close to the shore along pristine and untouched rainforest while watching the black swans and ducks frolic in the water. Our journey next to the shore eventually lead us to a creek that ran through the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary. Though we didn’t spot any kiwis (and during the day we weren’t expecting to), it was a nice opportunity for Sydney to share her knowledge about the efforts to increase the kiwi population and make New Zealand predator free. She shared that this particular area had a goal to reach predator free status by 2025 and that it looked like they were on track to achieve that target. Sydney was also a fountain of information about the native plants and Zack, our amateur horticulturist, was particularly fascinated to learn more about them. The entire trip was visually stunning and we just love learning about New Zealand plants and wildlife. We were particularly fortunate that, on what was otherwise a rainy day, the sun came out for us right before the tour — keeping us warm and revealing those spectacular mountain views.
The next day we weren’t so fortunate. It pretty much rained the entire day, often hard. But we are prepared for every weather condition and, if we weren’t deterred by Jill’s crutches and leg brace, we certainly weren’t going to let inclement weather interfere with our day! We donned our rain gear and off we went to Okarito beach for a long walk on along the sand and stone covered coastline. The beach was magical. On one side of us was an unrelenting ocean with huge fierce waves. On our other side we were flanked by tall cliffs, towering above us, that looked like curated vertical rock gardens. The thick greenery, accented by the trickle of the occasional waterfall, looked lush against the reddish brown stone. We felt like kids as we literally spent hours walking from one end of the beach to the other, stopping to pick up interesting rocks — beautifully smoothed by years of natural tumbling — along the way.
After 3 full days in Franz Josef Glacier were were ready to head to our next destination but there was one item on our bucket list that had alluded us: a flight in a helicopter to see the glaciers! A helicopter ride in Franz Josef is one of those iconic experiences that is almost a tourist right of passage in the area. Not only do you fly over two of the largest glaciers in the South Island — The Franz Josef Glacier and the Fox Glacier — as you soar over the mountaintops and cross over the ridge separating the two glaciers, you are treated to incredible views of the Southern Alps (including Mount Cook and Mount Tasman) that you really can’t get any other way. On our first full day in the area (June 14) we inquired about the availability of a helicopter flight and were informed that the helicopters hadn’t taken off in the last week due to weather (rain with low lying clouds) and that, looking at the weather forecasts, they didn’t expect to take off again until Tuesday (June 18). That was not good news for us since we were leaving the area on Monday, June 17. Though the odds didn’t look good, we booked a flight for Monday morning and just kept our fingers crossed that there would be an unexpected clearing and we would be able to get our flight in before heading further up the coast to our next location. Just as the weather gods shined upon us before our kayak experience — creating blue sky that lasted just long enough for us to enjoy our tour — the clouds parted Monday morning with the only clouds visible being high in the sky. Against all predictions our helicopter ride was a go. We literally departed on the first helicopter flight in more than a week. The experience was as spectacular as advertised. We were fortunate to have the front row seats next to the pilot (Jill needed to sit somewhere that would allow her to keep her leg out straight — there are some advantages to having a broken kneecap) as we flew among the mountain tops and over both glaciers giving us unobstructed views of pinnacles and the deep blue crevasses as well as the surrounding Southern Alps. Our snow landing was, as they say, the icing on the cake. (No pun intended!) With no other helicopter rides for quite some time — and lots of fresh snow due to the heavy rainfall — the snow was pristine. Ours were the first visible steps in snow. We enjoyed taking long steps trying to keep our feet on the surface but occasionally having one of our legs sink down in the soft snow to our knees. It was a wonderful and memorable way to end our visit to Franz Josef and, having unexpectedly checked the glacier helicopter flight off our list, we were definitely ready to move on. (We posted some pictures from our helicopter ride in our @sailingchefigata Instagram post about our west coast adventures.)
Next on our hit parade was Punakaiki. We just planned a brief two night and one full day stay in the area but, as the expression goes, sometimes great things come in small packages. We packed a punch with this visit! Our Punakaiko adventure began even before we arrived there. Punakaiki was almost a 4 hour drive from Franz Josef Glacier but there was a lovely little town, Hokitika, at about the halfway point. A planned stop in Hokitika allowed us a to “refuel” with a light lunch but, more importantly, gave us the opportunity to hike the Hokitika Gorge Walk. Fortunately for us, this truly magnificent walk — considered one of the most scenic satisfying experiences in the South Island — is also one of the most accessible with an easy, well-formed, forest trail suitable for strollers, wheelchairs and crutches! The track takes you through mature rainforest along the banks of the Hokitika River and to the sheer rocky gorge flowing with what is usually extraordinary turquoise blue water. (At the time of our visit, due to the nonstop heavy rain in the region the water, though still beautiful, was a bit cloudy — like someone added a splash of milk.) We didn’t make it all the way to the end of the walk given the distance but we did make it about 1.5 miles to the to Upper Gorge suspension bridge. This suspension bridge enters the forest canopy as it passes over a flood channel and an island before crossing the main channel of the Hokitika Gorge. The bridge allowed us to immerse ourselves within the dense rainforest while taking in spectacular views and the color palate of the photogenic gorge fringed with its stark white limestone cliffs. Priceless! (We used a great picture of this gorge which captures it beautifully as the feature image for this post.)
After a stop in Hokitika that was nourishing for our body and soul, we continued our drive up the coast to Punakaiki. The drive was another one of those out of a coffee table book. We passed one extraordinary rock formation after another as we snaked our way around the mountains with towering cliffs one one side and open ocean complete with crashing waves on the other. We would have loved to stop — there were so many amazing photo ops! — but our hike in Hokitika meant that it we were losing our daylight and driving along unfamiliar single lane roads (that needed to accommodate 2 way traffic) with hairpin turns in the dark was not Zack’s idea of a good time. (And we absolutely could not afford an accident that might take our designated driver out of commission.) So we headed straight to our accommodation knowing that we’d start our day early the next day to see all the sites Punakaiki is famous for.
And, of course, that is what we did. We started our day walking along the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes loop trail. The so-called “Pancake Rocks” is what Punakaiki is famous. The short (and thankfully accessible) loop trail took us along the rugged coastline where we were treated to one amazing and highly distinctive rock formation after another. The commonality of all of these formations was, as their name implies, their pancake-like appearance. The formations consist of layer upon layer of thin rock. Each ‘pancake’ consists of a limestone layer made up of tiny shell fragments, separated from the next pancake by a thin siltstone layer. Thousands of years of rain, wind and sea spray have etched the softer siltstone into horizontal grooves creating these layers of rock resembling a pancake stack. Imagine thousands of CDs stacked upon one another and then arranged artistically into unique patterns of waves, arches, column, etc. and you will begin to get the picture. Totally captivating! (We posted some pictures of the “pancake” rocks in our @sailingchefigata Instagram post about our west coast adventures.)
We followed our walk along the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes loop trail with a stroll down the Pororari River Walk. Pororari River Track is a lovely walk by a river showcasing the area’s coastal rainforest and incredible limestone formations. The track was a little too long to get all the way to the end for our disabled crew member but we made it to the lookout which provided a nice view of a gorge (along with a lovely bench for someone who was getting tired). As we walked through the rainforest on this hike we continued to marvel at all the different shades of green (from light and bright to deep) and the number and density of the ferns, vines and mosses covering the trees. We often counted 5 – 7 different plant species growing up and around a single tree, frequently leaving little of the host to be seen. It felt very much like walking through a remote jungle. We concluded our day with a walk along the Truman track. This track was similar to the Pororari River Walk in that it takes you through a lush and beautiful rainforest (sans the river running along side the trail), but it gradually becomes coastal as the trees transitioned to tall grasses and you made your way to a platform overlooking the Tasman Sea. On the lookout we had a panoramic view of the coast which included a beach in a bay encased by a stunning tiered rock formation with a “cap” of dense vegetation. (We included a picture of this bay in our @sailingchefigata Instagram post about our visit to the West Coast).
With our Punakaiki dance card filled with activities our brief stay came and went with a blink of an eye. Our final stop on our West Coast tour was Westport. We chose Westport for a few reason. First, like the rest of the West Coast we knew we’d enjoy more amazing coastal scenery. Second, and importantly, the Westport area was the home of many now abandoned coal mines. There’s a rich history around these mines and the communities that grew up around them. To date, we had been spending all of our time in the West Coast enjoying and learning about the geology, wildlife and plants. A visit to Westport gave us an opportunity to learn something about the “people” history, albeit relatively recent.
Westport was only a few hours north of Punakaiki so we arrived early enough in the day to do some exploring. We chose to hike a portion of the Cape Foulwind Walk which gave us more stunning coastal views and the added treat of a large and active seal colony. While we had been doing lots of coastal walks at this point, panoramic views of mountains and West Coast’s rugged coastline with its unrelenting waves never gets old. The real feature though was the seals. Before we even got to the “official” seal colony viewing area we came to a platform overlooking a very large rock formation with what we would best describe as tiered pools. The formation and pools were so “designer” perfect that they looked like something you might find in the backyard of the rich and famous — though probably at a much smaller scale. There were 2 large and coarse rocks on either side of a semi circle with the tiered pools connecting them. The lower, larger, pool protruded further out into the circle with the upper pool receded back a bit. After looking through the built in viewing lenses provided on the platform Zack noticed what appeared to be splashing — lots of it — in the upper pool. On closer inspection he realized the the upper pool was filled to the brim with seals joyfully jumping, diving and just generally frolicking in the pool’s water. Thankfully we had our binoculars along so we were both able to watch the seals as the did nonstop gymnastic worthy flips — one after another, after another. It was all the entertainment we needed. We eventually made our way to the official viewing area for the seal colony. There were a ton of seals there too but they were mostly sleeping on the rocks. Most less interesting to watch than their playing counterparts. We returned to the seal swimming pool area for one last opportunity to observe playtime before heading to our hotel.
We were up bright an early the next morning. As we mentioned, part of the attraction to visit Westport was the opportunity to do something different and learn about some people history. So we arrange a full day guided tour of the Denniston Plateau. The tour took us up the mountains along 4-wheel drive roads to the old abandoned coal mines and the sites that just 60 years ago contained the vibrant settlements of Denniston, Burnetts Face and Coalbrookdale. As the demand for coal declined, these mines shut down and, with no other industry up in the mountains, there was no reason for the coal miners and their families to continue to brave the elements on a barren windswept plateau. So they left their homes to reestablish lives elsewhere. Interestingly, there is little left of these towns today (other than some chimneys and foundational remnants) even though, not too long ago, these towns had everything needed to support a community including general stores, a hospital, schools, bars, police stations, pools and tennis courts. If we didn’t have a guide with us pointing out the subtle clues of a past town life or taking us to well hidden artifacts, we would never have know a settlement was there. There are several reasons for this. First, with no other industry up on the plateau, there were really no “buyers” for the houses so some families took their houses with them, even if it was brick by brick. Second, the area is subject to natural decay due to climate conditions as well as reclamation of the sites by native vegetation. With the growing interest in these sites the children and grandchildren of the homeowners have begun erecting plaques where their houses were to commemorate their family history. We had great fun driving around the plateau (taking in more scenic views) and walking around the sites of the abandoned mines and towns. We also had a nice “connect the dots” moment. When we visited Dunedin we toured Larnach castle. We knew from the tour that much of Larnach’s wealth came from coal interests. It turns out that Larnach was the owner of these mines, albeit not a much beloved one based on his attitude towards the miners. (He considered them more expendable than the horses because the horses took longer to train and were therefore harder to replace.)
With our visit to Westport complete we have concluded, for now, our tour of the West Coast. (We do plan to come back in late July to visit Abel Tasman when its time to catch the ferry to the North Island). For now we are headed back to the Northeast to continue our circumnavigation down the East Coast of the South Island. Our first stop is the Marlborough region — wine country and home, most notably, to the world famous New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. We’ve had an incredibly busy 8 days filled with walking and other activities. We are now ready for some leisurely winery tours and wine tastings! 🥂#timetocatchourbreath
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