The Rest of New Zealand Trip

Franz Josef Glacier

Well, I got the last bed in Franz Josef – with knee high puddles around everywhere and torrential downpours camping wasn’t an option. I felt a little bad as I think I got it at the expense of some unlucky cyclotourist who I had seen repeatedly on the road in the rain all day..Got to expect it with 7 -12m of annual rain.

Franz Josef with a little sun

Next day was a little brighter as I went to see the glacier itself. The path had been washed away with the rain overnight, so I jumped over the CLOSED barrier and boulder hopped up between the river to near the terminal face - passing the grinding icebergs flowing down the river. I think the Japanese “non-understande” tourist followed me up – wearing their hospital theatre style over shoes – lucky them.

From there it was up the coast past Hoki (Hokitika), Greymouth, the Pancake rocks and up to Westport (The base for the 2005 Southern Traverse). The drive up is spectacular.

Hokitika Beach - not exactly inviting.

How’s that for a bridge? Single lane with two way traffic and an active railway line in the middle. The best part is that the waiting bay is in the middle of tracks. Look forward...look back...forward..back..Scary stuff!

This is what a lot of the road is like - vertical vegetation on both sides
Sea Views on the road to Westport

The sign going into Westport says:

“For Switzerland go to Queenstown for New Zealand come to Westport”

I found Westport to be more like a down and out ex-port/mining town – there are much better places in NZ - like everywhere else, but the burgers are big, very big”

My phone is not that small

Nelson Abel Tasman and New Years.

From wacky West Port to New Years Nelson. Or more correctly Mapua (20min) outside where I stayed with a kayaking friend from Sydney while we waited for the rest of the Sydney uni kayakers to arrive just in time for midnight! We went berry picking and walking/swimming in the Abel Tasman National park..so pretty.

Then it was the mission of getting 8 people with gear and 8 days food 120km to Murchison, with one car. Some hitching was involved, some waiting in the rain, and some round trips to pick up wet people who couldn’t get a lift.

Murchison – New Zealand Kayak School.

So much water - so little time.

Back to school – in a big way. Up at 8am to the pool practice, video feedback, practice some more – then just when you think you are getting it – they tie ropes to your boat drag you across the pool and see if you can still do the Eskimo roll! Afternoons were eddy practice sessions or slalom gates, followed by gradually increasing difficulty river runs. Learning hanging stern to bow draws, carving, S-turns and that kind of classy moves from our instructor Jess under the guidance of the world renown paddling legend, Mick. Till on the last day we were paddling the Buller river with 150 cumecs dropping down a boily gorges with some fine grade 3 rapids. Fantastic. All while staying in the awesome lodge over looking the mountains..

The lodge and flat water gates - setting 10/10

[Scary photo’s on someone else’s camera]

All of us on the course.

Not satisfied with that, a couple of us went and paddled the following day for the morning when I really should have been doing a sedate drive back to Christchurch. But instead did an excellent section on the lower Matkitaki – where I distinguished myself by going over on the first rapid and gouging out the skin from my thumb while rolling back up. (Use 77 for ductape – emergency band-aid). All sorted and no further drama’s for the rest of the technical section….sweet.

Mahruia Falls 11m waterfall (left this one for next time)

Christchurch and home.

Unfortunately 23 days in New Zealand had to end – and in a stressful manner as I sprinted between the car hire drop off and the airport, while a stranger I had known for 2 minutes kindly pushed my trolley along the impossibly long check in queue that had wrecked my carefully planned logistic arrangements. A huge bike box, a small car, an off site rental company, and rain adding to the melee.

So much stuff such a little car