MacKenzie to Makarora

Well, here we are back in the land of the living, we're now parked up at the NZMCA Park at Franz Josef after a brilliantly sunny eight days on the West Coast. We really timed that right, our intensive weather watching finally paid off. 

Although this was just 12hrs later and it's been bucketing down for the last 36hrs. We could fill all our water containers and tanks 100 times over and still have some spare. We'll sit it out here for the next few days while we wait for the rain to ease and keep our chins up, by telling ourselves, "you can't have a rainforest without rain". 

We managed to fit in the Fox Glacier walk and Lake Matheson before the weather broke but there are still a number of walks here in Franz to do before we move on.

We had a bit of drama a couple of days ago when we had our very first puncture after 48,000km and 3 years of travel. But it couldn't have happened in a more picturesque place. Look at that backdrop, Mt Cook from the Lake Matheson carpark near Fox Glacier. Luckily David managed to change it without having to take the 5th-wheeler off the back although it was hard work, it all went well. It was the 40 minutes we spent hunting for the ignition key afterwards that did us in! 

I'll be back to do the blogs on the West Coast soon. We've had an awesome time and have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Coast so far, especially south of Haast.

Back to the canals at Twizel, and a few photos to send us on our way to the Coast. The days got colder and more spectacular as the snow crept lower on the surrounding ranges. It never made it down to our level like it did last year. It was also great to not have too many vans in the park, only a few tough and hardy movanners. And it was a lovely surprise to see Jeff & Miriam pull in again, that's them on the left. Both of us, buggers for punishment. We met them at the canals around the same time last year.

Although the top toughie award must go to this guy in his mobile man cave parked across the canal from us. He stayed for a couple of nights in the freezing cold with no heating that I could see, and possibly no fish that I saw either. That is dedication. 

I made my regular pilgrimage to the top of the hill behind the camp to capture the 360 degree view, but this time I willed myself out of bed before day-break, wrapped up warm in the -5c frost that was settling on the ground and was rewarded with the most spectacular sunrise.

Snow had fallen even lower overnight on the Ben Ohau Range. 

On the day before we left the canals, David went fishing (again) and I went off to explore Wairepo Arm, a small lake that sits off to the side of the canal opposite where we were parked. I was hoping for a few more bird sightings than I saw; the usual scaups (diving ducks), a few Grey Warblers and this cute little fellow, my favourite high country lake bird; a juvenile Australasian Crested Grebe. He ducked and dived all the way up the side of the lake. I ran ahead of him a number of times to hide behind the toi toi on the edge so I could catch him when he come in close. We gave each other a fright more than once. He was a very fast swimmer under water and beat me to my spot a few times.

The sculpture in the bottom photo sits on a small island in the middle of the lake.

The middle photo shows the new face of the MacKenzie Country, and not one that sits well with a lot of people either. Hydro power has been joined by the pivot irrigators of the dairy conversions.

After a walk around the lake I spotted David fishing out on the point, I decided the van looked a warmer option and headed in that direction. The temperature dropped dramatically as soon as the sun disappeared behind the clouds. 

We left the canals on another cold, clear, blue sky day, waiting until late morning for the snow and ice to turn to slush before crossing Lindis Pass. There actually wasn't too much snow around the summit although the carpark was full of hire motorhomes and people having fun; building snowmen and throwing snow balls around. The range in the distance looked good enough to eat, the snow thick and white, like icing on a cake.

We stopped for a late lunch near the Luggate Bridge over the Clutha River, this time in a gravel pit at the top of the rise instead of at the bottom as we did on our way past by last week. I hadn't realised that you could see the historic bridge from this angle, what a pity, I could have come here when I was doing my autumn colour tiki-tour around Wanaka. Added to my list for next time!

It was getting late by the time we headed west along Lake Hawea, with just enough light to get a good panoramic photo of the lake from the lookout.

There were a few times over summer when we had in mind to stay at the Kidd Bush Reserve DOC camp at the top of the lake (hidden on the shoreline beneath the mountains on the far left above) but it didn't eventuate. It was far too cold to stop now and we weren't even sure if the camp would be open (it closes over winter and for lambing), and we were heading to Makarora for the night. 

But I wanted to check it out for the next time we were in the area so I've added it in here to keep it in sequence. We came back up the road the next day exploring, this is the view looking towards Lake Hawea at The Neck, a small piece of land between Lake Wanaka & Lake Hawea. We're heading to Kidds Bush which is around the corner on the top left.

As soon as we turn onto the gravel track the sun disappears behind us and we can see frost and ice laying on the road side and ahead of us around the trees. 

The road is open all the way to the reserve but what a surprise awaits us, we're looking for a bit of sun to have a cup of tea but all we find is a campground covered in thick frost.

The reserve hasn't seen the sun for days, it's tucked in under some very tall mountains behind and the sun disappears over more mountains at the far end, without it reaching back here. We won't be having a cuppa at that table.

And it looks like I've finally found my elusive hoar frost, even if it is just a mini one. It was bitterly cold outside and I wonder how many tourists, in their hire vans, drive the 6km gravel and dirt track to arrive at this frozen landscape for the night. They'd be bitterly disappointed and I bet not many would stay, especially the small sleeper vans with no heating. We couldn't wait to get out of there.

We drove on to the end of the public road looking for a patch of sun for our cuppa, we found it at the end of the road right before it crossed a cattle stop into the high country Hunter Valley Station with this magnificent woolshed beside the gate. 

Kidds Bush will just have to wait until the height of summer before we'll be back to stay.

Back to our journey from the canals to Makarora. Once through The Neck we pulled into a lookout over Lake Wanaka. I can see Mou Waho Island in the centre at the far end. That's the island we visited in the Takacat from Glendhu Bay, 'an island on a lake in an island on a lake....",  you get the picture, click on the link above to see more. 

Then it's off along the edge of Lake Wanaka, the road winding it's way in and out, up and down, right along the shoreline, with stunning scenery out to the left and snow capped mountains above.

Until we finally reach our destination for the next couple of nights; the Makarora Country Cafe & Campervan Park.

It's also a NZMCA CAP(cost applies park) and we are the only ones in for the night. Which isn't surprising given that we're the only mad people out 'camping' in this cold. The first morning we had a -5c  frost. We haven't been leaving the heater on overnight because we've been toasty warm with the winter duvet and electric blanket (when we have power) but I'd have to say that the 2c in the van when we wake up, is a little too cold for comfort.

The following morning is was -7c outside when I woke and it dropped to -9c before the sun appeared over the hedge to warm our cockles. And look what happened to the 'drip, drip' in the night! Nature is so cool....literally.

And an added bonus to our Makarora stay was the NZ Falcon/Karearea that came to rest in this tree behind our van both mornings. Another sighting, in fact there were two birds in this group of trees, probably a pair. Can you see him (or her)? The little black dot on the right at the very top of the tree (click photo to enlarge). This is our 4th (and 5th) sighting of a falcon in 3 weeks.

Here he is, I've zoomed in for you (if only I had that 600mm). 

And here he is again the next morning, he sat in the tree for about 10 minutes, preening and scratching, stretching and surveying the scenery before flying into a nearby tree and disturbing the 2nd bird who flew off.

Makarora was a great place to stop at, it allowed us to explore the top end of Haast Pass and we had a site with power to return to at the end of the day. Which was just as well, given the freezing temperatures we experienced. Sunny days are great in the mountains, but they come with their downside too; very frosty mornings! At least the cafe's roaring fire, hot coffee & carrot cake went down a treat.

Majestic Mountains- Lake Hawea

While at Wanaka we did a road trip up SH8, along the edge of Lake Hawea headed towards Haast Pass. Our destination and turn-around point was the DOC camp at Boundary Creek, a few kilometres before Makarora and well before the Pass itself. We’re leaving Haast Pass until we head to the West Coast to do the southern half later this year or it may even be early next.

It was a cold and bitter day- it’s something that has caught us on the hop a little. Yes, we knew it was going to be cold down here, it is after all winter. But some days it's a bone chilling cold that gets under your skin and refuses to budge, even when you’re layered & wrapped up to the hilt. Some days it's hard to get active especially when it's lovely and warm in the van. The diesel heaters have more than earnt their keep. And you’ll notice I said heaters- more than one. We have had the one we left in Christchurch to be repaired returned to us in Wanaka and David re-fitted it with no issues.

The low cloud cover on this day didn’t help either, it always feels more dull and uninviting when there’s low cloud and rain waiting in the wings. We stopped at the Lake Hawea lookout which would have been a fabulous spot to view the mountains across the other side of the lake.....

...had the cloud not been so low.

Looking up the lake I decided that by the time we returned back along the road the cloud might have lifted enough for us to see the mountains and any snow that might be on them. Lake Hawea is huge, it’s narrow and very long, it stretches quite a distance up past the island you can see in this photo.

We follow the road high up above the lake before it passed through a cutting known as ‘The Neck’, a narrow pass that keeps Lakes Hawea & Wanaka apart.

Once through The Neck, Lake Wanaka appears, spread out in front of us with her mountain range in view across the lake.

We now drive along the lake edge at the top end of Lake Wanaka. We stop at the DOC camp at Boundary Creek for lunch but decide to move on when all we can hear are the high-pitched revs of numerous chainsaws. It’s a weekend and there are a number of groups collecting firewood from the lake shore.

We head back towards Lake Hawea, stopping a couple of times to check out roadside waterfalls and the view looking down Lake Wanaka.

We leave Lake Wanaka behind us and pull into The Neck so I can take a photo of Lake Hawea. What a stunning view, you couldn’t mistake this classic New Zealand scene with those cabbage trees in the foreground either. It must be a thrill for visitors to come over the brow of The Neck and have this sight appear in front of them- hopefully with no cloud cover. I can see that our cloud from this morning has lifted.

We drive down below the neck and take a side track that turns in and heads around the otherside of this arm of the lake. We want to check out another DOC Camp, Kidds Bush at Bushy Point. Unfortunately the camp site is closed for winter and the farmer has locked the access gate. So we turn around and pull onto a large open area not far from the gate and close to the lake to have our lunch. Lovely hot soup and a bread roll (or sometimes a sandwich) are our lunch of choice most days at the moment. Enough to warm the cockles and keep the afternoon chill at bay.

The road back along Lake Hawea is across the arm from our picnic site, running along the bottom of this ‘hill’, Isthmus Peak (1417m) which separates Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. To get an idea of the height, there’s a house on a plateau, centre right of the photo. What a fabulous view they have.

And here we are travelling that road along the bottom of Isthmus Peak, heading towards the mountain range that was under cloud on our way up this morning.

Looking back across the lake arm towards Bushy Point, somewhere in those tress on the middle left is the DOC camp. We’ll definitely look forward to staying there in the summer.

And what a majestic mountain range it is, it’s very steep, reaching straight up out of the lake.

I think these peaks are part of the Huxley Range, which is further behind and part of the Southern Alps. A private road to Dingle Burn Station runs right along the bottom of the range and around the corner past the island.

The two tallest mountains are Corner Peak (1661m), on the corner of course. And Dingle Peak (1833m) just to the side and behind.

And a final panorama- four photos stitched together- of Lake Hawea (remember to click to enlarge)

We took a drive through the deserted and forlorn looking campground at the bottom of the lake before having a afternoon tea on the foreshore by the holiday settlement of Lake Hawea. I’m sure the settlement and campground are full to overflowing in the summer but today it would seem we were the only ones about.

We drove back home via Hawea Flat where I ‘found’ another lovely country church to shoot, St Ninians Presbyterian Church, built in 1938.