Wanaka to Motueka - South Island, New Zealand
02/02/2005 - 02/03/2005
Even with the sun was not at the proper angle for the perfect lake reflection shot, the lake acted as a mirror the these incredibly beautiful mountains.
With tons of fun-filled Queenstown activities behind us, we hit the road to continue our circumnavigation of the South Island. From Queenstown, we drove up, down and around on Crown Range Road past ski areas and beautiful vistas. A quick stop in Wanaka for breakie (that's Kiwi for breakfast) gave us just a taste of this marvelous, quiet resort town. Situated on Lake Wanaka near the Mt. Aspiring National Park, the scenery around the town is spectacular. There is way too much to see and do in New Zealand. With designs on getting up to the Nelson Tasman region in the next few days, we had to keep moving north through the Haast Pass toward the glaciers. Quick stops at Fox Glacier and Franz Joseph Glacier gave us a glimpse of this awesome area. Yet another place we need to return. Tick. Moving on, we continued moving north along the coast ending up in Greymouth for the night.
Driving alongside Lake Wanaka gave us one incredible view after another.
And then snowy peaks started to appear.
The color of the water indicates we must be getting close to the glaciers.
Yep, there is one now.
Franz Joseph Glacier and Fox Glacier are the most famous glaciers in New Zealand. Their proximity to the sea makes them quite unique.
Lots of options exist for exploring the glaciers - aerial tours, heli-hikes, ice walks, ice climbs. With no time allocated for these fun activities, we snapped a few photos and put the glaciers on the list for another visit.
Robin takes her first turn at the wheel. Driving on the left side was a first for her. The serious look on her face is not only a result of driving on the wrong side, but also a result of a two year hiatus in driving a car on any side of the road..
New Zealand roads are made of tar and gravel. Based on the large number of signs like the one shown above, this type of road material needs lots of maintenance. When you see one of these signs, slow down because newly laid loose gravel is just up ahead. Lots of windshields bare the brunt of the cars not slowing down.
Lots of workers and trucks laying gravel keep New Zealand's roads maintained. The roads are a bit noisier than what we are used to in the US.
Can you tell we are fascinated with the road material? Here is an upclose shot of the "grit" used to make the roads.
Other road hazards include the wily penguin. Penguins come ashore to feed their chicks back at the nest site.
After a good night's rest in Greymouth, we hit the road again for another full day of driving. As we rounded the corner toward the coast, spectacular scenery greeted us. Driving along the coast with turquoise water to the left and lush, tropical forest to the right was some of the most beautiful coastal scenery we've ever seen. This is yet another area to put on the list of places to return. If you visit New Zealand, be certain to make the drive from Greymouth to Westport.
Near Westport, our route took us inland toward the mountains. The road ran alongside the Buller Gorge. Lots of whitewater rafts and kayaks raced through the water. Along the way, we dodged many bicyclists slowly working their way up the mountain roads. We skirted the edge of the Nelson Lakes National Park getting a glimpse of yet another set of beautiful mountains.
Okay, that is pretty! Weather like this on New Zealand's west coast is probably rare. The ocean is calm, the sky is crystal clear and the water is turquoise.
A tiny bit of fog developed in this crevasse where forest meets the sea.
Check out this coastline. Awesome!
And the beaches. Big, long, sandy beaches.
Roadside stops with picnic tables are quite common. Most folks pack a lunch and stop for a picnic en route to wherever they are going.
Buller Gorge's river is a beautiful, powerful place.
In the background, you can just make out one of the snowy peaks feeding the river.
Is this a Class V rapid?
The view into Nelson Lakes National Park sparked the desire to come back here for more exploring.
Can you identify what type of vine this is? Yep, you guessed it - hops. Hops? Yes, hops. New Zealand sells hops to Germany, US and UK markets among others. Apparently, New Zealand hops are high quality as a result of the lack of pesticides used/needed and the overhead irrigation systems. And you thought New Zealand just produced apples, wine and sheep.
We are heading into the grape growing regions of the South Island. Woo Hoo!
Emerging from the mountainous, alpine region, we arrived in the land of plenty. Crops of vegetables and fruits filled the fields. We spotted our first kiwi vines. Apple trees. Nut trees. Olives. Beets. Corn. Grapes.
Late in the afternoon, we pulled in to the town of Motueka located on the South Island's north coast to start exploring the Nelson Tasman Region. The whirlwind tour of the west coast left us realizing just how many places there are to visit in New Zealand. Hmmm, perhaps we should stay a while.