Nelda Goes to Hokitika

Gaby and I wanted to take Nelda to the West Coast before she left for home at the end of January, so, on the third weekend of January we packed our bags and traveled west over Arthur's Pass to Hokitika. Of course the weather forecast was for rain - lots of rain, but we didn't let the weather dampen our spirits!

As we headed west on State Highway 73 out of Christchurch, we stopped before heading into the mountains to enjoy the scenery.



I gained an audience gathered from a nearby paddock. Cows always seem to be quite curious. I have to admit, it's sometimes a bit nerve wracking to have all these critters just looking at you, as though they can read your mind... Or, they may just think that you might feed them.



From Hokitika we took a drive around nearby Lake Kaniere and stopped to see the picturesque Dorothy Falls, just off the road. The waters which drain off the valleys acquire a reddish tint from the plant material.



Just opposite the road from the short walking track to Dorothy Falls is a track which leads to the shore of Lake Kaniere. We decided to take Nelda to the lakeshore for a look. The bush was thick and shady along the track.



Large tree ferns made me think of remnant forest of a distant past. I half expected to see therapods wandering through the bush.



After about half a kilometer of easy walking track we reached the scenic shore of Lake Kaniere.



Nelda took her colorful purse with her wherever we went. She was seldom seen without it. She made up for the dull and dreary West Coast weather.



One last destination on our wee driving tour was to see the Hokitika Gorge and Swingbridge. The waters which course through the gorge have a wonderful greenish blue cast.



We enjoyed the swingbridge for a while, then continued on down to the river to take a look.



The scenery is great. We would have spent more time there except the biting flies found us.



We had to do a bit of scrambling to reach the scenic spots.



We stayed overnight in Hokitika and the next day drove north along the West Coast to Charleston and back over Arthur's Pass. It rained just about the entire time, but we had heaps of fun.



The constant rain made it a bit difficult to get out and walk, but we did manage a cook's driving tour along a fair bit of the West Coast. We enjoy visiting the West Coast and look forward to our next trip there.

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!