Hokitika To Haast

On the drive from Hokitika to Haast I was struck by the number of lakes one can visit. We stopped at some but missed a few out.

Being city folk nowadays we feel the need to keep the car pretty much topped up with petrol. You can never be sure where the next petrol station might be. So while the car was getting a drink, I slipped across the road at Whataroa to take a picture of their hotel. My friend Kathleen (from Tennessee) and I stayed there a couple of years ago. I have to say it looks a little more run down than I remember.

I was hoping to go to the White Heron breeding colony nearby, but I hadn’t realised it isn’t accessible to the general public. Unfortunately we hadn’t allowed for the extra time to organise a tour. But never mind, perhaps during another visit.

Franz Josef

We stopped in Franz Josef at the information centre only to hear that Fox Glacier is currently closed. I was disappointed as I’d hoped to take some photos to show Kathleen. When she was here with me the heavy, horizontally falling rain stopped her from even getting a glimpse of the glacier. We walked a way into Franz Josef though and took some shots of that glacier instead.

Franz Josef Glacier

We considered taking in the hot pools at Franz Josef. The price tag of $99 for 45 minutes was enough to change our minds. Shock didn’t allow us to notice whether the charge was per person, or for the private pool. We beat a hasty retreat.

Bruce Bay looked beautiful. I’d have liked to go for a walk along the beach, but couldn’t see an easy way to get across the rock seawall. I’m not sure what the story is, but many of the white stones had messages written on them. A record of a visit.

The lookout a little way out of Haast where the opening of the road between Haast and Central Otago is commemorated is a lovely spot. The sea surely shimmered in the sun. I took a heap of photos until the sandflies got the better of me and I dived back into the car.

We missed out on finding any takeaways in Haast. At 6.20pm both the advertised takeaway shops were closed for food. We found that really surprising, considering how many cars and camper vans were still driving around.