Nelda Goes Tramping

Gaby's mother Nelda stayed with us for a couple of months and we decided it would be nice to show her around a bit. Over the first weekend in January we decided to lend a pair of hiking poles to Nelda and take her into Arthur's Pass for a short hike along one of the many walking tracks. We chose to drive into the community of Arthur's Pass and take Nelda along the Devil's Punchbowl Falls track. We had perfect weather for our hike.



I asked Nelda if she had ever hiked any sort of track like this, to which she replied that she had never hiked in her life. What a great opportunity. I am glad we had the opportunity to take Nelda with us and show her the outdoors up close and personal. We had a great leisurely walk along the trail which gave me the opportunity to snap a few images.



The Devil's Punchbowl Falls track leads through the beach forest along the valley sides.



It was great to see Gaby and Nelda together enjoying a bit of nature.



I find the plants here to be very interesting. Around every corner there is something new to investigate.



There was still a bit of snow in the mountains.



We noticed these interesting tracks on the leaves of this plant.



I love ferns, and there are many, many here.



When we looked at our walking track options I voted for this track because I thought we would have the opportunity to walk very near the falls. I was a bit disappointed when I realized this stream was about as close as I would get to the falls, which were much higher up the slope. Still, the track was great and Nelda enjoyed it.



There were loads of other things to see aside from the waterfall. Besides, it was a perfect day to be outside.



The track continues over the river and eventually leads back to the main road, but we decided to turn back towards the carpark and weigh our options.



I really wanted to see a waterfall, and the nearby track to Bridle Veil Falls is best described as walking up and down a very long staircase. Nelda decided she had had enough tramping and opted to enjoy a rest on a comfortable rock while Gaby and I hiked up to see the falls.



The route description to Bridle Veil Falls is aptly described, as there are newly built stairs which climb the steep slope. However, the track is short and the view is awesome: just the sort of waterfall I was after!