Punakaiki to Wanaka via Franz Josef and Haast Pass - pure New Zealand pleasure

It was a great trip down the West Coast to Franz Josef. and on to Wanaka.  Hokitika is a lovely, sleepy old town with a magnificent beach, strewn with driftwood. I wish I could have taken some back with me, but it is a bit bulky!

Back to the toilet theme! This was also a cool sign I could easily relate to.

especially as I was rather concerned about the next stop, The Tree Tops walkway.  A brand new structure built 45 metres off the ground, enabling you to walk in amongst some of the giants of the forest for about half a kilometre. Pretty scary stuff for a scaredy cat like me who hates being even 2 metres off the ground! But I did it and even got to the top of the tower!

Fortunately the photo does not show how much I was trembling, though I did start to enjoy the views after some minutes up there.

I enjoyed it so much ultimately, that I have even got an annual pass so that I can go there again whenever I visit the West Coast. It would be great to be able to see the mountains with snow perhaps and also to be there at different time of the day when there might be more bird life. It was well worth what seemed like rather an expensive entry fee.

What a wonderful stay it was at Cedric's Glowworm hostel in Franz Josef, which has one of the most hospitable managers I have ever met, Benjamin, who made the yummiest vegetable soup free for all guests every evening, and who could remember guests' names with apparent ease! In the evening we headed off into the nearby forest with our torches and were thrilled to find ourselves surrounded at one point by the glistening lights of glowworms. What a touch of magic!

As we wanted to get to Wanaka by late afternoon, we unfortunately could not do walks at Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, but at least we drove up to view Franz Josef, which looked fantastic in the early morning light.

Glaciers with punga ferns, and only a few kilometres from the sea. Something very special!

The recommendation of our wonderful host was great. Lake Matheson on such a day is a picture postcard/chocolate box lid place to visit. I guess this poem by Brian Turner sums it up.

Talk about perfection. I have never seen a reflection in the lake like it. Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain was perfectly mirrored. It was totally breathtaking.

We did have to avoid the groups of Chinese who were horribly noisy in order to properly enjoy the forest surrounding this absolutely gorgeous lake. Goodness knows why they have to shout at each other when they are standing so near to one another.  Fortunately it was a circular track so at the junction we waited to see where the group went and took the other path, finding ourselves virtually alone on a fabulous forest/lake walkway. You never know who might be following you!

It was fantastic to be walking through the forest and looking up, having experienced the forest looking down the day before.

What a brilliant start to our day. We just could not get enough of the wonderful Mount Cook views.

We spent our lunchtime enjoying them, amazingly sharing a table with a really pleasant couple who live in Kingston just 10 minutes from where I grew up in Epsom. The world is really very small.

What a pity to have to leave this glorious place, but there were more wonderful spots to stop and stare.

Luckily, not a lot of traffic on the road so we could always pull over and enjoy the scenery.
Look at this forest. It blows my mind!

Then after many a corner, one suddenly pops out at the beach - rather unexpectedly I guess for many.

Then back into the forest again on a winding road which seems to wind for ever, but which is totally captivating!!!

To get to Wanaka we needed to cross the Haast Pass, quite a gentle pass which weaves up the hill amongst the lush forest and past crystal clear rivers and streams. The scenery is simple but majestic, and not a building or sign of habitation in sight.

Just as I was beginning to feel exceptionally tired, we arrived at Lake Hawea at dusk. Wow! It was simply amazing. First nature's beautiful artistic creation in the lake

 followed by this stunning reflection in the late rays of the setting sun.

What a way to end the fairly long but absolutely fantastic day of travel. We were ready to head to Edgewater in Wanaka, to meet up with David and then meet friends for dinner. A marvelous day in so very many ways. We are so exceptionally lucky.