Arthur's Pass and Beyond

On Thursday and again on Friday, we were interested to see mile after mile of the common orange crocosmia flower along the roadside as we traveled--like the agapanthus and lupines elsewhere. We also encountered crudely lettered signs proclaiming that “1080 KILLS EVERYTHING”. We were intrigued and did a little research. Apparently, there is big debate about the government’s use of 1080, a pellet poison that is aimed at controlling the possum population here in NZ. Possums were introduced in NZ to bolster the fur trade back when the government halted the harvesting of fur seals. Then the international fur trade took a dive. Since there are no natural predators, possums proliferated exponentially and are consuming bush at an alarming rate. The controversy, of course, is about the safety issues involved in applying 1080. Our tour guides for the bus and boat tours in Milford Sound had actually encouraged us when driving to not swerve to avoid hitting possums but to help the country out and render them “squash-ums”.
Friday we left Hokitika and drove a little farther north along the coast and then turned east to cross over the Southern Alps via Arthur’s Pass. We were pleased that the clouds had started to lift. As we neared the pass, the mountainsides appeared to be draped in red--the blooms of one of NZ’s best known trees, the Rata tree. Just over the pass, we stopped to take a hike. The iSite person suggested the Devil’s Punchbowl, an uphill hike of about half a mile to the base of a 430 ft. spring fed waterfall. The hike included climbing hundreds of wood steps through sun spotted beech forest. We ate our picnic lunch out on some sunny rocks near the falls enjoying just a hint of spray in the air.

the rata in bloom

Devil's Punchbowl Falls

steps on hike--looks better going down,huh?!


After the hike, we headed down the eastern side of the Alps. After one more gorgeous green mountain valley we drove through another pass and felt like we had magically entered a completely new country. The landscape was dry and stark and although the mountains were high, many were smooth and sandy looking. Our first stop was at the Cave Stream Scenic Reserve, the access to a 3000 ft. underground cave. There were a dozen young cavers sitting at the picnic tables out in the sun drying themselves and their boots. We walked to the inlet end of the cave (recommended end point if you are going to explore the cave). We had neither the gear nor really the desire to go caving but it was fascinating to explore even on the surface.

we leave Arthur's Pass area

the hole you climb up if you were caving

Back to the car, we drove a bit farther to the Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area otherwise known as Castle Hill. It is another Maori tapu or sacred/restricted area. The Maori certainly knew how to choose the sacred spots! (Milford Sound/Piopiotahi is another one.) The area appears out of nowhere and is full of huge grayish white limestone “rock battlements” as they are described. We slathered on the sunscreen, grabbed our hats, and set out on the gravel path to the base of the rocks.

It is a very popular place for bouldering/rock climbing also. For an hour or so, we wandered in awe among the rocks. (Fun tidbit: a privately owned but adjacent area of rocks was the setting for the final battle in the first Narnia movie.)  Our final leg of the day was southeast across the flat, fertile farmlands of the Canterbury Plain on our way to Christchurch

Can you find Mark?

OK, so we love corny!

I (Mark) have to add something here about the incredible road work the Kiwi’s did going up to Arthur’s Pass. There were a number of very steep rock-slide and avalanche-prone areas of the roadway. So in one area along a rocky cliff they built covered areas over the road to let rocks and streams flow over without blocking the roads. You may have seen the same, though smaller, on the way up to Snoqualamie Pass. But in between two of the tunnels there was not enough level rock to build a two lane road. So they built a cantilevered roadway that sticks out about 12 feet into the air with no supports. It is counterweighted with tons of concrete and rock on the inside mountain edge of the road. Fortunately you cannot see this as you drive on it, but from the top it looks pretty amazing, especially as big semi trucks go over it!