Three days left to explore New Zealand and the forecast is for Sunday and Monday to include heavy rain. So, slight change of plans. Our route back to Christ Church crosses the Southern Alps at Arthurs Pass and right through the Arthurs Pass National Park where there is trail access to a large alpine area. We need good weather for that so we have to blast past the remaining west coast itinerary and head for the mountains. Kent is not too heart broken about missing the Hokitika Wild foods Festival but I was hoping to visit some of the jade carvers in that village. The alpine calls louder!
We are up early. The kea provide entertainment during breakfast then we hit the road with about 225 km to cover. Much of it is on curly mountain road squeezed between mountain ridges and Tasman Sea making for great views but slower driving. A couple hours in and it is time for a rest stop in the town of Ross. I can’t resist the sweets at the little café and make it back out with a chocolate-raspberry bar, “best of the lot” according to the wonderful lady behind the counter and a ginger crunch bar, one that just looks tasty to me. They are a great treat and the stop a nice break in the drive.
Kent is pretty used to this little road maggot, as the locals so affectionately call them, and we make great time. We are at Arthurs Pass before noon. It still boggles my mind that an alpine region is as low as 5000 feet elevation because we are so far SOUTH. Looks just like the areas 10,000+ ft in Colorado. Weird but awesome. Hike one is a little off the beaten path and leads us back the valley of the Otira River where clear, frigid waters tumble across boulders down a steep narrow valley. The trak is pretty rocky and steep in some places but it is beautiful. We are well on our way back out of the river valley when a helicopter appears overhead. It circles over us then back the river valley and again over our heads. The noise is very disruptive in the quiet space but it even being here is really odd. This is not a heli tour area. Hmm. We walk on back to the campervan and he continues his circles above and around us and in neighboring valleys. Even odder, when we get to the trail head carpark we find a ranger in direct contact with the pilot. He enquires as to who we have seen on the trail and adds, “someone heard a scream further into the more rugged mountaineering area back the trail we had just been on”. Even though no one saw the mishap, they are on the search for an injured hiker who “might have fallen off the cliff of Arthur Mountain”. Stuff happens. We are off the trail safely then on our way with the helicopter still surveying the rugged terrain.
We still have a bit of energy so we check out the number one trail here, the walk to Devils Punchbowl Falls. Yikes, it is about 450 steps each way…I mean stairsteps either built of stone and earth or flights of wooden stairs. The falls are spectacular. Wind scatters the ribbons of water as they plunge down the cliff face. I say it was worth the walk even if it causes an ibuprophen night. We are settled in for the night at a DOC campground in the National Park. Kent is working on our spaghetti dinner. Yum.