THE KIWI KRONICLES: November 2010

Day 60 Scott's Lookout, Oparara Arch, Moria Gate Arch, Westport

The day was overcast but still pretty warm. That was the good news, the bad news was that we were in Sand Fly country. Actually more like Sand Fly Hell, they were everywhere. The only way you could tell if you had been bitten was when they started to itch, boy do they itch. The only way to deal with it. Get used to it.

One of the hikes we wanted to do today was Scott's Lookout. It was around a one hour return hike but the only problem was we had to climb.

Way to Scott's Lookout

It was a nice walk and it did give us a nice view of Scott's Beach. It also got our heart rate up pretty good. The walk we did this morning is also the start of one of New Zealand's Great Walks. The Heapy Track is 82 kilometers long and takes 4 days to complete. We didn't have that much time so we thought it best if we didn't do it. HaHa.

Mouth of Kohaihai River

Scott's Beach

Swing Bridge of Kohaihai River

Part of the Heapy Track

Our Campsite

Next on our agenda was the Oparara Arch and the Moria Gate Arch. The two arches were at the end of a very fun road. It was gravel, washboardy, very narrow and very windy. The 16 kilometer trip took 40 minutes. Fortunately we only met one car coming the other way.

Once we got to the car park we had lunch and then started the one hour return hike to the Oparara Arch. We both commented that after the drive we just completed we had better see something spectacular and we did. Not only was the walk nice but the arch was huge as it is 219 meters long, 43 meters high and 79 meters wide.

Oparara Arch

It was impossible to capture the enormity and spectacle we saw with the camera. The lighting made it difficult for good picture taking as well. We enjoyed the arch for awhile and then headed back to the carpark. The Moria Gate Arch is also a one hour return hike but unfortunately in the opposite direction. This arch was quite a bit smaller but just as nice. We had to climb down into it through a small opening before it opened out.

The entrance

Halfway in

The Arch is 8 meters high, 46 meters long and 28 meters wide which is quite a bit smaller but we both enjoyed it more than the Oparara Arch. We finally had to navigate the climb back out so that we could make the walk back to the car park. I was not looking forward to the drive back down to the main highway.

We didn’t meet anyone on the drive back down so it passed without incident. The decision, once we hit the main road was, do we stop for the night or push it on into Westport. We decided on the latter and hit the road. Westport was 92 kilometers away but the drive took over 2 hours as we had to climb and cross Karamea Bluff. I couldn’t help myself, I had to stop and take pictures.

View from Karamea Bluff

That was our last stop. We proceeded directly to the campsite, did not pass go, did not collect our $200, just had a late dinner and relaxed our weary bones.

Day 59 Jet Boat, Westport, Kahurangi National Park, Kahaihai Campground

We have a reservation for 11:00 AM a short way down the road so we didn't have to get a real early start . We left the campsite shortly after ten and headed west on Hwy 6 until we came to The Buller Gorge Swing Bridge Adventure Park. The Buller River flows through the deep canyon between Murchinson and Westport with the Gorge being closer to Murchinson. As you get further west the canyon spreads out into more of a valley. We are here to go jet boating.

Away we go.

However, in order to get to the jet boats you have to cross the longest swing bridge in New Zealand. It was around 150 meters or 500 yards long.

Here she comes.

Once we were safely across we headed down to the wharf to get ready for some excitement. We donned life preservers and hopped in the boat and away we went. It was pretty nice, Allan (our driver) did a bunch of spins, ran some rapids, did some more spins and in general just tried to scare us. Little did he know that Kathy can't be frightened. Oh yeah, the scenery was pretty nice as well.

There was still one more adventure to be had, Kathy was going to be Supawoman and ride the Comet Line. The advertisement for the ride read as follows:

" The adrenaline seeker will love the ‘Supaman’ ride, which involves launching into the air for a harnessed flight, without the security of a seat."

The Start

Get Set

And Away we Go

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Look at me, I'm flying

The pictures tell the story, she had a blast. Unfortunately we were out of time and had to push on so I didn't get to go. Maybe next time.

A short way down the road we stopped for lunch at a road side picnic area. It gave us a final view of the Gorge before dropping down into the valley.

Buller River

The rest of the drive to Westport was quite nice as we followed the river almost the entire way. Of course we had to stop and take a few pictures.

Oops, yes that is a car down there.

Tight Fit

We arrived at the west coast as we came to Westport. Westport is a small town located at the mouth of the Buller River and is supported mainly by mining, fishing and dairy farming. Tourism does play a part in the economy as after all, it did bring us here. We headed for the I Site and there we met a very helpful young lady by the name of Rona. She couldn’t have been nicer as she helped us plan our stay in the area. She was also able to point us in the right direction for a couple of nice hikes. She is a nice lady and we wish her well.

Thanks Rona

We left Westport and headed north to Kahurangi National Park where we stayed for the night. The first part of the drive was pretty tame as it stayed close to the coast with the mountains not far away. The second half changed as we turned inland to climb and cross the Karamea Bluff. It was a long drive with all the cornering and shifting of gears but the view was worth it.

View From Karamea Bluff

We hit Karamea and kept going until we came to Kahurangi National Park. The park is located at the mouth of the Kohaihai River and the Tasman Sea.

Mouth of Kohaihai River

The surrounding mountains gave the park a look and feel of isolation. It was shortly after dinner that we went for a walk on the beach and had a chance to experience it for ourselves.

It gave one a very solitary but somewhat eerie feeling when looking back and realizing there is no one else there. All you can see are your own footprints.

Footprints in the Sand

After following our footprints back to the campsite so we wouldn’t get lost, we just relaxed and watched the day fade away. Another superb day in New Zealand.

Day 58 Murchinson, Maruai Falls Scenic Reserve

Friday morning turned out to be a planning day as the South Island is starting to get busy. The summer vacations coincide with Christmas Vacations and all the campsites get busy. Especially anywhere that has a nice beach. This means that we had to try and figure out when we were going to be in Milford Sound so that we could make reservations. It is the one spot we do not want to miss.

It was also nice just to sit around and rest a little bit.

The afternoon found us first stopping in Murchinson for a look around and a coffee. It was extremely hot; we heard reports of 35 degrees C, so we didn’t have a lot of energy. However we did find enough to go for a drive and take in the Maruai Falls Scenic Reserve. It was not far out of town and a good way to while away the afternoon.

Maruai Falls

We returned from the Reserve and spent a quiet and relaxing evening at the campsite.

Day 57 Ruby Bay, St. Arnaud, Nelson Lakes National Park, Murchinson

We left Kaiteriteri this morning after thoroughly enjoying ourselves for three days. It was a lucky find for us and really is a beautiful spot. The plan was to make a quick stop in Motueka for groceries and then head to St. Arnaud. The problem was that we missed the turn and instead decided to drive the Ruby Bay Scenic Route before we turned around. It was only a short drive and after a couple of pictures we were back on the road.

Ruby Bay

The main problem in finding the right road was that we were cutting across country and driving the back roads to get to St. Arnaud. We finally found ourselves on the right path and leisurely made our way to St. Arnaud and the Nelson Lakes National Park. The drive took us through a lot of farming country with the mountains providing a stunning background. We are just starting to see the northern end of the Southern Alps.

Good Art is found in the stangest places.

The South Island is not nearly as populated as the North Island which makes for lighter traffic. This allowed us to slow down to be able to really enjoy the drive. We finally made it into St. Arnaud and discovered it is a small alpine village that is the gateway for anyone going into the park. We stopped in at the visitors centre and found out the park has two main lakes, Lake Rotoroa and Lake Rotoiti. Lake Rotoiti can be seen from the Visitors centre and that is where our hike started. It was only a short hike, a little more than an hour and we didn't take many pictures but it was pleasant.

Lake Rotoiti

Once we finished out hike we got back on the highway with our ultimate destination being Murchinson. It is our stopping point for the night but first we had to make a couple of detours. The first was a turnoff that led us to a vantage point overlooking Lake Rotoiti and the surrounding area.

The second stop was Lake Rotoroa as we were able to drive down to the shore.

Lake Rotoroa

We completed the drive into Murchinson and got a campsite for the night. Today was one of the hottest days we have seen since our arrival in New Zealand. Once we reached the campsite we took full advantage of it and just layed around for awhile. It was another great day in the land of the Kiwi's.