Archive March 2013
Breaker Bay
Abel Tasman National Park in the northern part of New Zealand’s South Island is well known for its beaches, lots of sunshine and almost tropical feel. Whether you choose to drive by car to some of the beautiful spots, take a walk along the coastline, paddle a kayak from bay to bay or take a cruise onboard a water taxi – there is almost no way not to enjoy this part of the country.
Lake Rotoiti
Nelson Lakes National Park on New Zealand’s South Island is one of the lesser visited, not because of a lack of beauty but rather because it’s a little off the major route of most tourists who travel straight between Abel Tasman National Park and the West Coast. As the name suggests Lake Rotoiti, the “small lake”, is the smaller of the two large lakes in this park, with Lake Rotoroa, the “big lake”, being the other one. The village of Saint Arnaud on the shores of Lake Rotoiti is the starting point for explorations here.
Waves Rolling In On the Coast
The South Island’s West Coast is famous for its rough conditions. Not only is there plenty of rain. Strong winds blowing over the Tasman Sea and rough sea with huge waves that work on the coast line have formed – and continue to do so – impressive rock formations.
Okarito Wharf
The small settlement of Okarito lies right on the South Island’s West Coast, only a small detour from the highway that runs along the coast. While it is home to only a few people, it is well worth a visit for photographers for at least two reasons.
Franz Josef Glacier
There aren’t many towns on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. The two “major” ones – each inhabited by less than 400 people – are Fox Glacier and Franz Josef, both popular for the glaciers that reach out from the cold peaks of the Southern Alps down to the rainforest where they terminate at an altitude of less than 300m above sea level. Both glaciers have been retreating rapidly for a couple of years now.
Knights Point
Driving north from Wanaka, State Highway 6 leads via Haast Pass towards the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Only a short distance north of Haast where the highway meets the coastline, is Knights Point with its beautiful view of the Tasman Sea. The road here turns inland for most of the next 200km, running parallel with the coastline on one side and the Southern Alps on the other, neither of them far away.
Kinloch Jetty
From Queenstown, New Zealand’s fun capital, a 45km drive on what is basically a dead-end street takes you to the small town of Glenorchy at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu. But the road doesn’t end right there. Just across the lake – some 3km as the Kea flies – is Kinloch, but to drive there you need to take a little detour, making it another 25km from Glenorchy, the last few on an unsealed road. Kinloch was once meant to be a small town, but never really was. Today, it basically consists of a lodge, a campsite and a couple of buildings in the area.
Lake Mackenzie
While Fiordland is great, it is not the only spectacular place in the south-west of New Zealand’s South Island. Right next to Fiordland, the Routeburn Track, one of the Great Walks of New Zealand, leads from Fiordland National Park to Mount Aspiring National Park and is usually walked in three days.
Mackay Falls
The last day of the Milford track is less spectacular than the day before but still has beautiful forests and waterfalls on offer.
Clinton Valley Inversion
On the third day of the Milford Track you walk up from Mintaro Hut in zig-zags towards Mackinnon Pass with spectacular views of the valleys on both sides of the pass. A long descent and a short detour take you to the Sutherland Falls before you reach the third hut.