We left the Mt. Aspiring area still shrouded in clouds, rain and mist. We headed up towards Haast Pass. We were hoping against our gut feeling that the weather would clear up a bit, knowing this part of the South Island is known for its inclement weather.
When we got to Haast Pass we took a hike up to what was supposed to be a lookout with a stunning view. We didn't expect to be able to see much because of all the clouds. It was a fun walk, but again we were warned of dangers to the unsuspecting. New Zealand lies on a big earthquake fault, so you never know when the earth might open up below you...
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| Dun, ta-dun ta... Daah! |
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| Tree Parasite | Shrub Xxx Red Berries
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| New Zealand Pigeon (Kereru) (Hemiphaga Novaeseelandiae) | |
We found some cool spider webs...
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| Spider Web |
and some really cool enchanted forest.
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| Enchanted Forest | |
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There was a grey-green moss growing on some of the rocks which has tiny brown berries on it.
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| Moss with Tiny Berries | |
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| Black Pine
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We got marginal views of some mountains, but great views of clouds and fog.
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| Haast Pass Hike
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Back at the car we bagan our descent towards Haast; we stopped at some of the numerous waterfalls along the way. One, Fantail Falls, was a sort of shrine of cairns.
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| Fantail Falls |
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| Cairns at Fantail Falls |
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| Creek | |
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| Thunder Creek Falls |
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| Fantail (Piwakawaka) (Rhipidura Fuliginosa) | Red Lichen
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When we got to Haast it was socked in. We checked the weather forecast and it looked like more of the same. We had hoped to drive up the coast and enjoy the scenery, but it was going to be tough with nothing but rain and fog. Grateful for a flexible schedule, we did a 180 and headed back the way we had come, to the "dry side" of the mountains.
One thing we were learning was that New Zealand weather is horribly unpredictable. We had weather predictions that changed every few hours, making it virtually impossible to plan anything around the prediction. We decided to take our chances and drive further north with the hope of seeing Mt. Cook ("Aoraki" in Maori) , the highest mountain in New Zealand, from the dry (east) side.
Next up: Aoraki (Mt. Cook).
This page last updated on 2016-11-29.
