Exploring Taranaki

  

Long weekend for me is an opportunity to go out and explore the outdoors more in depth than the normal weekends. I love long drive to rural places, exploring the nooks and crannies of New Zealand. So this past long weekend, I went to Taranaki region, which was about 5 hours drive from Auckland. I worked on Friday and left early afternoon to beat the hideous traffic on the motorway. My boss is so understanding :) Approaching Taranaki, the road was windy with beautiful gorge on my left and right. I simply love the drive in New Zealand, it’s an endless postcard view to say the least! Taranaki region is famous for Mount Egmont or Taranaki (in Maori word) that sits at 2518m. Its cone that almost perfectly shape in symmetry makes this mountain to be one of the most well-known volcanoes in the world. It was last erupted over hundred years ago so let’s not be worried to do some hikes here as it’s now classed as dormant. Phew!

For the four days I was there, I based myself in New Plymouth which is the major city in Taranaki region. I stayed at Sunflower Backpackers which is part of YHA chain hostels and got membership price so it was good. As usual, I got to know the girls in my dorms. One of them has been staying at the hostel for a month as she works for few hours a day in exchange for free lodging. Lots of people do that when they travel New Zealand for long term in order to save some money. 

Spooky looking tree

The drive to Mt Taranaki took about an hour from my backpackers as I was heading to the East side of the mountain. It’s shorter if you go to the north side. Weather wise, there was scattered rain on the way up to the mountain however still doable for hiking. At the visitor centre there was a map that shows variety of hikes ranging from as short as 30 minutes to multiple days. There was a lovely lady at the office who explained furthermore about what to expect on the tracks, so it was good to give some ideas when choosing which hikes I wanted to do in the end. I opted for Wilkies Pools track to begin with, it’s a hike to a gorgeous series of mini pools that were slowly carved by tumbling water and swirling gravel from thousands of years ago. Its cascading looking formation started all the way from the top. By climbing some boulders, I managed to follow the chain of pools with some small falls in between. It was quite misty up there but I loved it as the effect of fog lifted up the excitement even more!

 

Wilkies Pools

Wilkies Pools

From here I proceeded to another hike that leads to Dawson Falls. Most of the walks around Mt Taranaki are passing through the infamous Goblin Forest, which was one of inspirations of Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. What makes this forest stands out is the trees that shaped so gnarly with curly branches that tangled up and fully covered in moss. There was lots of mist in the forest that time because I started the walk early, also up in the mountains the fog intend to stay longer, I was on my own there so I couldn’t help feeling a bit eerie just by looking at the trees. However I also thought what a magical and mystical place it was. I kept following the tracks passing through streams, at times I was certain Gollum was about to show up from nowhere and gave a cheeky tap on my shoulder before disappearing to the woods. I did have some scenarios playing in my head of what could have happened if he was there lol. The track finally brought me to Dawson Falls, a wonderful falls hidden in the lush forest. I stayed there for a while enjoying the serenity with nothing but the sound of roaring falls before me. Then I had my morning tea that I have prepared that morning. It was just a humble snack with magnificent view of the falls. From here, I went for another hike called Stratford Plateau, it was lovely four hours hike through yet another lush forest that emerging in subalpine plateau offering an unobstructed view of Stratford and the mountain.

Goblin Forest

The next day, weather was much better and this time I headed towards the North side of the mountain. Shortly after leaving New Plymouth, I saw a woman in her late 40's waving on the side of the road. So I pulled over and asked her where she wanted to go, we happened to go to the same destination so I told her to hop in and we drove away. She’s backpacker from Germany who’s been traveling New Zealand for almost three months. She said this was the first time she hitchhiked and it was funny because I told her, it was my first time to pick up a hitchhiker. What a small world! She said normally she rented a car however now that it’s getting to the end of her travels, her budget runs a bit low so that’s why she hitchhiked.

 

Fog surrounding Dawson Falls

Eerie look at Goblin Forest

  

On the northern side of mountain, I did Maketawa tracks that leads to Maketawa Hut, I had a nosy and went inside the hut just to see how it looked like. The hut is basic but it does the job for overnight climbers who attempting to climb to the summit. It’s strategically situated overlooking amazing view of Mount Taranaki. Another popular day hike is Veronica Loop Track, this was an uphill hike through subalpine forest and offering view of the mountain and the coast. In the afternoon, I drove back to New Plymouth with tired legs yet content heart.

Sunset overlooking Mount Taranaki

  

I went to see movie in the cinema that evening and opted for “The Danish Girl” It’s an interesting plot based on true story of famous Denmark painter based in Copenhagen who despite happily married, somehow down the line he believed that he was a woman trapped in a man’s body. Setting in 1930s, he was one of the first people who went under the knife for sex reassignment surgery. I won’t spill too much beans here. I quite enjoyed it actually.

Cushioned-like ground in Goblin Forest. Soft and bouncy

After the movie, I went for a walk around town centre and checking out some fascinating murals. Then I drove to Te Rewa Rewa bridge that is quite well-known for its unique design as well as a great spot to admire the view of Mt Taranaki. I stayed there until after sunset leaving me with fiery sky before I headed back to my backpackers. Last night in Taranaki and I spent it with the Mount himself. It was just what I hoped for the day to end.

Uniquely designed Te Rewa Rewa Bridge

Mural in town centre

The next morning, my long weekend escapade was over, it was time for a long drive back to Auckland. I made a stop at Three Sisters and Elephant Rocks however it was high tide unfortunately, so I can’t do coastal walk to reach the rocks. It was a shame really as I was expecting to see this fascinating rock formation. Oh well, I was still grateful for the amazing time I spent in this region, admiring the landscape and enjoying the hikes in yet another unspoiled gem of New Zealand.

“Once you have travelled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey” – Pat Conroy

Hiking in Arthur's Pass & Tiki Touring the West Coast of South Island

 

 

 

 

Happy birthday Auckland! Yay for the long weekend! I had already planned  a trip a while ago to do hikes in South Island during Auckland anniversary which fell on the end of January. So, leaving from work I went straight to airport and just over an hour later I arrived at Christchurch airport. I then picked up my car rental and off I went to Arthur's Pass, a high country in the Southern Alps that is sandwiched between Canterbury and the West Coast. Just under two hours drive cruising through the beautiful mountain ranges, I arrived at my backpackers called YHA Mountain House. After settled in and got to know my dorm roommates, I went to bed.  Unfortunately, I didn't sleep very well that night. Reason being, I was excited with the hike I wanted to do the next day!

 

 

View from walking tracks

 

Arthur's Pass National Park

 

 

When the morning came, I quickly had my breakfast, packed my lunch and headed to the information centre to find out about the weather condition and detailed track information. I had one full day here so I decided to do what it's called the Grand Tour. It's basically a combination of few walking tracks around Arthur's Pass which offer diverse landscape around the National Park. One time you could be walking through moss covered trees, then another track took you to an open grass that was so barren with valleys around, then side track leading to a misty Devil's Punchbowl Falls and then scenic meadows with backdrop of snow-capped mountain of Mt Rolleston that sits over 2000m above sea level. This walk ranging between 4 to 6 hours. It is heaven for nature photography so I took my time as I was stopping between tracks for photo opportunities! The scenery was quite enticing for sure and with the mint weather, it was just great combo! It was truly an effortless beauty. I just felt so bliss and peaceful to be in the wilderness, just taking all in and listened to the mother nature sounds around me and smelling the fresh air, drinking cold water from clear blue river that spread around the tracks. What a refreshment to quench my thirst! If you don't have much time in Arthur's Pass, this walk is highly recommended.

 

Mt Rolleston

 

 

Devil's Punchbowl Falls

The next early morning, after having the most important meal of the day, I left Arthur's Pass and made my way to the West Coast. About 10 mins after leaving the national park, I stopped at Otira Viaduct Lookout which is a good spot to get birds eye view of Otira Valley and this place is also known as Kea's playground. They are the only mountain parrots in the world and are known for their intelligence and ability to survive the harsh environment around Southern Alps of New Zealand. This was one of my reasons to visit Arthur's Pass, to see them in the wild. As I pulled up my car to the car park, three of them started to approach. Two of them went straight to the rubber covered radio antenna on top of my car and the other one was curious with the tyre. Despite the cold, I sat on the asphalt floor for a while and watching their behaviour, such interesting birds! Another fact is that they are quite cheeky, they are known to take food from people down at a cafe in the national park, there's actually signs posted at the cafe windows that says 'No refund is given if your food is taken by Kea' Yes, you've been warned!

 

 

Curious Kea

Cheeky Kea

After spending time with native birds, I continued driving along highway 73. It was a misty morning and fog just covering the road, thick enough that I felt like driving to a cloud. So for about half hour the traffic has slowed down to around 40km/hour and motorists took more precautions when driving to the conditions. Finally the fog faded away, I was glad to accelerate back to the normal speed and enjoying the postcard perfect view of mountain ranges around me. Approaching the West Coast, I did tiki tour down to Hokitika Gorge. The walk here was quite short, through the bush and crossing the swing bridge that was built above turquoise looking river. The colour of the water was gorgeous! It was mix of rock flour, melted glacier ice and river water. The river is always changing apparently depending on the weather and how much rock flour has been carried down. So it's not always turquoise looking, at times it looks crystal clear but it can also look muddy grey. 

Hokitika Gorge

 

Interesting Rock Formation - Punakaiki

 

 

 

From Hokitika Gorge I headed north to Punakaiki, about two hours away. On the way there, I did detour to a place called Tree Top Walkway just 15 mins from Hokitika town centre, however with entrance fee of $38, I skipped it in the end. I just didn't think it was worth the money as there were so many amazing walks and hikes that you can do for free. Even though this walkway is more about human engineering so I supposed there's lots of effort put into it. In the end I still thought that the admission fee was quite steep for a walkway. 


 

Jagged cliff alongside ocean road towards Punakaiki

 

 

Jagged cliff alongside ocean road towards Punakaiki


Moving on to Punakaiki, the drive alongside the beach was absolutely stunning! Driving on the coastal road with picturesque rocky beach on my left and jagged cliffs on the right. I made couple of stops at lookouts along the way for some photos. Finally arrived at campground, I pitched my tent in the corner tucked away under big tree giving nice shades and cool breeze. Once done, I went on a leisurely walk to the infamous "Pancake Rocks." The way this limestone rocks shaped are truly like a stack of pancakes. What a breathtaking creation of Mother Nature! On a high tide there's blowholes between the rocks and creating a scene that shouldn't be missed. I made a return trip that evening half an hour before sunset and joined in with other sunset seekers and watched as the sun was set on the West Coast. Spectacular evening it was! The last light from the sun gave good lighting to Pancake Rocks, made it look even more dramatic. 

 

 

Looking out from my tent in Punakaiki

Pancake Rocks





Sunset in Punakaiki

 

The following day I drove back to Christchurch via Arthur's Pass as I wanted to do another hike before catching my flight back to Auckland that evening. I was hiking Scott's track which also quite popular amongst the hikers. Due to time constraints I did the walk until the bush line, in my opinion it was already quite strenuous and constantly up hill. The track was covered with rocks, tree roots and at times even some mini falls. I had to watch my steps all the time. On the way up, I made a lunch stop overlooking the rugged Southern Alps. It was an 'invitation' I just couldn't resist! What a place to have my cold pasta! It was so serene with occasional sounds of Kea from a distance and majestic view in the heart of the Alps right in front of me. What a moment to be thankful for. 


 

Looking out to Southern Alps

 

 

My lunch date with Southern Alps

 

Back from the bush line, I descended back to the village and made my way to Christchurch airport with a quick stop for a flat white in Springfield, a little town about three  quarter of an hour before Christchurch as I was quite sleepy and needed caffeine fix badly. 

 

South Island, it's always a pleasure going back to see you! I know I'll be back sooner than later. 

 

"And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling." - Shanti

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Gorgeous sunset in Punakaiki

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pancake Rocks - Punakaiki

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Ocean Road - West Coast

Southern Alps



Statistics ($NZD) :

Return flight Auckland-Christchurch-Auckland: $108 (Jetstar)

Car Rental 3 days : $189 incl. Full Insurance Cover (Rent A Dent company)

YHA Mountain House Backpackers-2x nights in Dorm: $56

Punakaiki Beach Camp-1x night Non Powered site Tent : $17

Walking tracks: FREE