We left Franz Josef on Wednesday 9th January and stopped in Hokitika, which has plenty of pounamu (Maori for "jade") shops. I bought myself a New Zealand ruby from the Ruby Rock shop. The Goodletite form of New Zealand ruby is extremely rare and can only be found in Hokitaka. It contains ruby, sapphire and tourmaline crystals arranged by nature in one stone. It was originally discovered in 1892 by William Goodlett and although the stone initially caused a small "ruby rush" on the West Coast, the find was quickly overshadowed by a gold rush in the region. It was 100 years before Goodletite was rediscovered by Gerry Courmandeur, a Dutch born Master Gemcutter. New Zealand shopkeepers are so trustworthy that the woman in the shop allowed me to walk outside with several of these rubies to look at in the natural light. If that had been someone in England, those jewels would never have been seen again.
From Hokitika we travelling onto Puakaiki to hike amongst the limestone canyons and lush rainforest of the Inland Pack Track (see photo). The gold miners who first opened up the area over a century ago established this trail. We also went to see Punakaiki's famous Pancake Rocks, which are named because they resemble stacks of pancakes (see photo). At high tide with a heavy swell, seawater is forced upwards through blowholes but we arrived too late to see this. There is plenty to do in this area with beach walks and mountain tracks into Paparoa National Parks.
On Thursday afternoon we started the hike in the Nelson Lakes National Park from Lake Rotoiti (pronounced Roto-iti - see photo of me with backpack). The trail alongside the lake to the Lakehead mountain hut is very gentle. Nelson Lakes National Park straddles the Southern Alps, an area composed of beech forests, big lakes and even bigger mountains. The huts are unmanned, with no electricity or showers and you have to carry all your food and gear. My back pack was a little heavier than a normal day pack, but nothing I could not get used to, although others in the group struggled, as they had never so much carried anything more than a small rucksack before. On the second day (Friday), we walked alongside the Travers River, through native beech forest. At the lunch stop, three people in the group decided they would stay at Lakehead Hut rather than attempt the steep climb up the Hukere Stream to Angelus Hut. It was a steep hike with an elevation gain of 3000 feet (1000m) but it was worth it to swim in the freezing cold alpine lake next to the hut at the top (much better than smelling for another day without a shower!) (see photo). It was then a five hour hike out on Saturday, first along a stark ridgeline with dramatic views down to Tasman Bay and the mountains of Kahurangi National Park and beyond (see photo), then down through native beech forest. I didn't find the terrain particularly difficult, as I have walked on this and harder many times but it was nice to finally be out in the fresh air with incredible views. I decided that I would camp on both nights rather than be cramped in the hut and taking the risk of being kept awake by someone snoring. I don't miss all those pesky sand flies down at Lakehead Hut. I have been bitten to death and my legs look like they have been through a war zone with all those bits and bruises galore!
After the walk on Saturday and before arriving at our B&B in Kaikoura, we stopped off at the Forrest Winery near Blenheim for some wine tasting. I felt I was an old hand at it, it being the seventh winery I have been to since leaving England (not that I am an alcoholic or anything).
From Hokitika we travelling onto Puakaiki to hike amongst the limestone canyons and lush rainforest of the Inland Pack Track (see photo). The gold miners who first opened up the area over a century ago established this trail. We also went to see Punakaiki's famous Pancake Rocks, which are named because they resemble stacks of pancakes (see photo). At high tide with a heavy swell, seawater is forced upwards through blowholes but we arrived too late to see this. There is plenty to do in this area with beach walks and mountain tracks into Paparoa National Parks.
On Thursday afternoon we started the hike in the Nelson Lakes National Park from Lake Rotoiti (pronounced Roto-iti - see photo of me with backpack). The trail alongside the lake to the Lakehead mountain hut is very gentle. Nelson Lakes National Park straddles the Southern Alps, an area composed of beech forests, big lakes and even bigger mountains. The huts are unmanned, with no electricity or showers and you have to carry all your food and gear. My back pack was a little heavier than a normal day pack, but nothing I could not get used to, although others in the group struggled, as they had never so much carried anything more than a small rucksack before. On the second day (Friday), we walked alongside the Travers River, through native beech forest. At the lunch stop, three people in the group decided they would stay at Lakehead Hut rather than attempt the steep climb up the Hukere Stream to Angelus Hut. It was a steep hike with an elevation gain of 3000 feet (1000m) but it was worth it to swim in the freezing cold alpine lake next to the hut at the top (much better than smelling for another day without a shower!) (see photo). It was then a five hour hike out on Saturday, first along a stark ridgeline with dramatic views down to Tasman Bay and the mountains of Kahurangi National Park and beyond (see photo), then down through native beech forest. I didn't find the terrain particularly difficult, as I have walked on this and harder many times but it was nice to finally be out in the fresh air with incredible views. I decided that I would camp on both nights rather than be cramped in the hut and taking the risk of being kept awake by someone snoring. I don't miss all those pesky sand flies down at Lakehead Hut. I have been bitten to death and my legs look like they have been through a war zone with all those bits and bruises galore!
After the walk on Saturday and before arriving at our B&B in Kaikoura, we stopped off at the Forrest Winery near Blenheim for some wine tasting. I felt I was an old hand at it, it being the seventh winery I have been to since leaving England (not that I am an alcoholic or anything).
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