Addicted: The West Coast and Kahurangi Conquered

After reuniting in Makarora, Aliyah and I continued our journey with west coast sunshine on our minds. This will have been our third visit to the west coast and so far we have not seen the place in sunshine. Well, third times the charm they say. We had exceptional weather the entire end of January strait through to mid Frebruary. Our first stop was the glacier town of Fox, one of two tourism hubs bustling with buses and helicopters shuttling loads of international guests onto, around and over two swiftly advancing glaciers. We opted for the day hike to the view point to admire the face of the dirty river of ice and the endless turkey trot of guided tourists.

We also walked to a small lake situated in scenic farmland with distant views of both Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. The lake is fabled for its incredible reflective views of the surrounding snow clad peaks and thousands of photographers visit the area hoping for the next epic postcard. The evening we visited began with overcast skies and enough of a breeze to put a ripple on the pond, so we weren't really impressed. The cafe en route, however, had calamari and a fine beer selection on the menu so we salvaged the evening on their scenic veranda. As we dined, the clouds dispersed revealing a amazing backdrop.

With mountains in our minds we set off the next morning for a two night tramp to Welcome Flat, a notorious hot spring hut. Welcome flat is actually part of a much more arduous mountaineering route that crosses from Mount Cook Village to the west coast, know as the Copland Track. Most of the visitors to Welcome Flat, like us, are only there for the out and back experience. One guest we share the Welcome flat hut with was actually on the last day of the entire crossing and was completing the Copland Trackto comemerate a friend who perished attempted the same route a few seasons earlier.

Mountaineering aside, the Welcome Flat hot springs were the most amazing pools I've had the pleasure to soak in. With an epic mountain backdrop, a nearby luxerous hut, and empty night time soaking we could not complain.

The next stop was another woof destination in the coastal town of Hokitika. We stayed for three days at a fly fishing lodge in the process of becoming a cranberry farm and I quickly realised that my fanatasies associated with the fly fishing lodge were quickly replaced with back-breaking weed pulling. The family was kind and provided a private cabin and amazing food, but we quickly tired of the place and eagerly set off for the next stop of the west coast march.

After a breif overnight stop in Westport to let a few showers fall, we were off again for the Kahurangi NP to cross back towards Nelson via the Whangapeka and Leslie-Karamea tracks. We previous crossed this park on the Heaphy track back in November and loved the area so much we had to come back after hearing more about the other tracks. Plus the area has legenday brown trout fishing. I won't get into the details of the 8 day journey, but here are some bullets:

Two 900+ meter climbs
Three rivers packed with big browns
Numerous unique and empty huts/shelters
4 consecutive days without seeing other people
8 days of hot sunny weather and plenty of swimming holes
A perfect end to an amazing South Island experience!

Enjoy the photos! Our next destination after some R and R in Nelson is the North Island via the Interislander ferry.

West Coast view

En route to Fox Glacier

Fox Glacier

Disapointing views at Lake Matheson

Redemption brews; our views arrived along with a buzz

Mount Cook Peeking through the clouds from the cafe veranda

The track to Welcome Flat. The forest was incredibly dense at time and the cicadas were defening...

...And at time it was clear as day

...Or like being in a trench

Copland River along the track to Welcome Flat. A welcome dip was taken here.

A massive swing bridge approximately 100 meters long and at least as high up.

A unique wave rock in our swiming hole

The view from the kitchen window at Welcome Flat Hut

Welcome Flat

Welcome Flat Hot Springs

Cool vegetation on the hike out. The forests on the west coast are incredible.

The following pictures are from the town of Hokitika which recently held a drift wood sculpture contest:

These photos are fron the Pancake Rocks, a scenic park near Punakaiki:

The unique rock formations lend themselves to many surge pools and blow holes. The grey puff behind to people in the upper center is the puff and a blow hole.

Our hostel gypsy housing, right on the beach.

The following photos are from the Kahurangi tramp:

The first hut. The west coast has many tree ferns that give it a tropical feel.

A Whio, or blue duck, a very rare native duck species.

Ponga fern-tree fusion sliced and turned route marker.

Freshment near the summit of Littel Wanganui Saddle

Cabbage trees remind me of Doctor Seusse

A tarn at Little Wanganui saddle, we tried swimming but ended up to our knees in muck. The Tasman Sea with frothy coastline can be seen in the background.

The descent was tiring and Aliyah wanted to quit here.

Thats the saddle below the cloud.

Emergency shelter (below photo is the interior)

Welcome Swallows nesting outside of Trevor Carter Hut.

Occasional bogs were a hazard at times. Aliyah nerly got stuck in the one below but only ended up with muddy boots. Good thing stream crossings are numerous.

Venus Hut

Crow Hut is decidedly a fishermans hut. It sits on the banks of two epic rivers packed with big browns and the hut is equipped with a fly rod rack and drying racks for wet gear. Paradise in short.

Unkown species but likely inedible; it was a prolific milk that burt my mouth for hours (only tasted a sample, nothing ingested).

Sand flies were bad at times.

The black trees are covered in a black soot fungus that is part of a greater system: a beetle bores into the bark and exudeds a sweet nector that allows the fungus to spread. Nectivores, such as native birds, also partake but invasive wasps have bullied the birds out of the deal.