Took the scenic train through the mountains to the wee village of Arthur's Pass, which sits in the National Park of Arthur's Pass, amid the region which is a gap in the mountains called, would you believe, Arthur's Pass.
Then a few days hiking before returning to Christchurch.
Distance: Train, 150km, Hiking, 50km, Train, 150km
Total Distance: 6169km
A lot of people have told me that the best way to go to Arthur's Pass is on the train. It's not the cheapest way to do it, but the buses aren't cheap either. With the train one gets a huge seat, commentary, wee cafe, and the ability to walk around seeing both sides whenever the view opens up into the grand vistas.
In the morning I hefted my bags through the rain and down to the station. There were a number of large coaches present discouraging Chinese and aged tourists out onto the platform. I got my ticket and handed in my rucksack at the luggage carriage. The staff seemed very pleased to have found someone who was not going with bags all the way through to Greymouth, but stopping off at Arthur's Pass.
The trains are luxurious. Each person gets a huge amount of leg room, headphones for the commentary (in English or Mandarin Chinese), and a window seat unless travelling as a couple or group (no sitting next to strangers). The cafe is relatively cheap (compared to British trains, aeroplanes, and road side cafes). There were a couple of viewing carriages that have no windows or seats, just a tall railing, so people can take better photos as the landscape speeds past.
The terrain we went through was beautiful- on a good day. My outbound trip was not so good on the weather front. Mountain tops were concealed by cloud and everything was damp. However my return was much more pleasant, with clear blue skies showing off the great ranges about Arthur's Pass, the glacial valleys, and brilliant blue rivers.
To much an extent I've already been spoiled with New Zealand's mountains. These were larger than much of what I've seen on the bus or walking, but I'm not sure how much it is worth the trip for those already well traveled around the South Island, compared to getting to the Pass via bus or hitchhiking.
Having said that I'd definitely tell my parents to go via the train. It's prefect for anyone slightly older giving a chance to see a huge amount of landscape in comfort. They do a number of other train journeys in similar style, showing off the coasts.
Arthur's Pass
My first afternoon in the Pass was miserable and wet. The weather was potentially going to improve over the next few days so it seemed most sensible to chat with people in the hostel and visit one of the two cafes in the village.
My hostel was once the hut used by Mountaineers travelling through the pass and used as a based to climb the local mountains. It reminds me of the older huts one finds up in the ranges which are maintained by the Department of Conservation. However "The Sanctuary" is far more hospitable than the huts, having a proper kitchen and bathroom. The place has a rustic, handmade, feeling, with much of the pipe work being exposed and the toilet having been converted from an outside to an inside affair only recently. The boiler has on the blink during my stay but with all the old radiators we were kept very warm in the 8-bed dormitory. Everyone loved the bathroom. The shower is just a shower head with its fixture attached to the roof above a bathtub. But the roof is made of glass! During the rain or on a clear day having a shower was a bizarre and interesting time. Just wish the roof was six inches higher.
That night I sat with the only other two guests in the dorm, one from New Zealand/Britain, the other from Australia/France. We chatted about the usual array of traveller topics, life in NZ, and I got useful advice on what to see here.
Once the weather looked better I decided to walk to the west side of the South Island. The village is nearly at the top of the pass. Going an extra few kilometres west one reaches the point where the rivers start to flow west instead of east. I found "Misery Lake", which was as cheerful as it sounds. The rain had caused a flood. Even the boardwalks over the marshes were flooded. I gave up after a little while. Time to visit something else.
Back at the hostel I met a new roomy, Anna from Germany. We were both planning on going to see the Devil's Punchbowl that afternoon- a magnificent waterfall (I heard 170m high) that drains a mountain valley. I'd been told of a path that we should/shouldn't use. The one beyond the viewing platform. Behind the "Warning: Rock Falls" sign. The one that goes to the base of the falls.
Let's do it!
The basic path is easy enough. From a roadside car park in the village, across a bridge over clear, blue, ice cold waters, and up through the forests. At the platform we found a small group of guys with a similar, but better plan to us. Using a tripod and camera on the viewing platform they stood as close to the base of the falls as one safely could with dignity intact, giving them a photo of themselves and the waterfall.
You know me. I have an abstract, liberal, view of both safety and dignity.
Hence I now have an atrocious video of the falls taken from far too close. Anna was sensible enough not to follow. By the Devil's Punchbowl the waters thundered around me like a hurricane to the point where I could neither see nor hear. It was magnificent. I was only 15 feet off and drenched. Head to toe. As if I'd been swimming.
We happily retreated to the hostel. Everything on the radiators, me in the shower. I made coffee and we huddled in the kitchen. Slightly damp, but now warm.
That evening we were joined by Tal from Israel. We chatted away through the evening until Anna fell asleep, at which signalled bedtime.
The next morning the weather had dramatically improved, thank goodness. Our plan for the day was the "must do" in Arthur's Pass: Avalanche Peak. It's an understandable name when you're at the top though.
There are two tracks up to AP- the Avalanche Peak Track and Scott's Track. The Department of Conservation Wardens suggested going up APT and down ST.
APT is very steep and requires some climbing using hands and feet to scramble up the route. For me this was an entertaining relapse into what I have learnt through years of climbing. For the girls it was somewhat more arduous.
For 1 1/2 hours the wet, green, forest encroached upon the well warn route as we passed cliffs and waterfalls. Suddenly the bush line appeared. This is the point above which trees don't grow. Due to the cold in winter above this line there are only grasses and hardy little flowers. I've always found it a fascinating sight. That suddenly the dense forest stops. A stark change from dark green canopy to bright blue sky. Yet the summit was still not visible.
We walked for another 1 1/2 hours up and over small rocky hills. We were disturbed on occasion by the cries of birds. Suddenly the Keas descended.
Keas are the world's only alpine parrot, living in the high regions of New Zealand. They are far too clever, once having learnt to rip holes in the sides of live sheep to extract the nutrient rich liver or to disembowel live limbs to get at a stomach full of sheep's milk. Hence Kiwi farmers, over 100 years ago, putting a bounty on their heads.
Now there are only 5000 left. The sheep have been extracted from their territories. As a unique, endangered, species, they are now protected. Numbers are steadily improving, but the birds still remain annoying. They destroy cars during the ski season, begging and stealing from tourists in the summer.
They're still beautiful, intelligent, entertaining birds- and they know it.
We saw them throughout our journey, and they gathered around us atthe point were APT met Scott's Track. From here we had to scramble along the ridge (cliffs on either side weren't THAT big) and along to the summit at 1833 metres
We were lucky to be there on such a perfect day. The view was spectacular. To the North Arthur's Pass ran West to East. Across its far side we could see the Devil's Punchbowl, still looking enormous, and the basin it drains formed by scree and snow covered mountains. To our East and West the floor quickly fell away toward scree slopes, cliffs, and grasses, eventually finding the rivers that drained each valley. And to the South ran, West to East, Crow's valley. The base of the valley was in the dark, deep beyond the cliffs. At its head we could see the magnificent sight of Crow Glacier. It was large, with a fern leaf pattern of blue cracks running across the white surface. Beyond it all stood grand mountains, many topped with snow, all showing eroded rocks with small marks of green.
At the summit we joined every other tourist in Arthur's Pass. And amazingly for New Zealand most of them weren't German! They were primarily Israeli. Anna and I learnt from Tal that there is an unwritten, informal, guide for all Israelis visiting NZ. People inform each other of great places to stay and visit, including certain trails that evidently the wider world should be more aware of, but isn't. Avalanche Peak is one of the major Isreali destinations, and I heartily agree.
Granted, like much of NZ, you are a slave to the weather. In anything but a sunny day even just leaving the bush line is unadvisable. The weather changes quickly. Should the cloud cover come in you'd be lucky to keep to the path. Should the rain come in whilst scrambling over the rocks one slip could be fatal.
But we had all been lucky. The summit was surrounded by people taking a well deserved break. And Kea. Looking cute and harmless for photos, maybe a treat. Then, when someone's back was turned, they'd sneak in to steal whatever took their fancy.
Finally we decided it was time to go. Scrambling back along the ridge didn't finish were we met both tracks. Nearly until the bushline Scott's Track proved to be all rock and big drops. However once amongst the trees we were not beset by the same amount of climbing as on the APT. Instead the descent was mostly switch backs with only the odd monkey act required.
At the bottom Anna and Til had to quickly pack up to catch a ride back down to Christchurch. I stayed on another day before getting the train back for another night in jail in Christchurch.
Photos!
Crow's Glacier
Sexy beast
Cheeky
P
P
Devil's Punchbowl
Arthur's Pass Village
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