New Zealand Road Trip | Haast Pass and the Great Coast Road
A New Zealand road trip is the perfect way to explore the diversity and beauty of the south island. Our road trip from Wanaka through the Haast Pass and up the Great Coast road to Westport did not disappoint. The West Coast region of the South Island is one of the more remote and sparsely populated areas of the country. It’s unspoiled nature on full display.
We were quite lucky the morning we left Wanaka when the lady who pumped our gas at the full service station noticed our low tire. Turns out we had a screw in the tire which was an easy repair while still in town, but could have been disaster had it gone flat while driving through the mountains of Haast Pass to Bruce Bay, 247 kilometer (153 miles) of very remote narrow roads with no phone service. Wow – can’t thank her enough!
At least while getting the tire fixed we had time to ship my camera to Auckland for repairs. Yep, my brand new camera, purchased January 1, quit working. When I told the lady at the post office my camera broke on our wedding day her response was “Must have been a good party!” Gotta love the Kiwi sense of humor!
Luckily our wedding photographer had a used camera to sell me while mine was sent away for repairs. Now I’m ready to sell it – anyone interested in a Canon 6d?
Despite a flat tire, cracked windshield (covered by insurance), broken camera, and lost sunglasses the road trip was incredible!
Allow plenty of time to journey over Haast Pass, a mountain pass in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand to the coast. You’ll want to stop often to take in the spectacular scenery. Be sure to get a map with marked locations at the visitors center.
One of our favorite stops was the Blue Pools. The glacier fed water where the Makarora and Blue Rivers meet is a vibrant blue and so clear you can see to the bottom.
The blue color is surreal. According to what I read on the signs it comes from something called rock flour which is ground down mineral-rich schist rock and sandstone so fine that instead of settling to the bottom it remains suspended in the water as it flows down from the southern alps.
It’s only a 30 minute walk from the car park and a place not to be missed on this drive!
The glacier fed water is icy cold and those brave enough to dive in ran back out very quickly!
Before starting on your New Zealand road trip be sure to study the handbook for driving in the country. Besides remembering to stay left there are also numerous one lane bridges. The big arrow means vehicles coming from that direction have the right away.
Yes it is a one lane driving bridge, but we just had to walk out to take in the view as the wild water crashed over the river boulders- don’t tell our kids!
Waterfalls, rainforests, and sandflies!!! Traveling along Highway 6 you are rewarded with a beautifully diverse environment to explore. The only downside is those darn sandflies. Sometimes referred to as the Dracula of the West Coast rain forest, we encountered them like never before. There are natural remedies at every roadside stop and we were very thankful for our ExOfficio BugsAway Damselfly Jackets. However we eventually followed the advise of a German couple we met at a stop along the way and switched to the manual method – much more satisfying!
Short walks from the road’s edge lead you through rainforest to fabulous waterfalls. A couple favorites – Fantail Falls and of course the Roaring Billy Falls.
After the long and windy roads we were ready to rest a couple of nights in Bruce Bay before continuing on the west coast. Our hosts John and Jacqui at the Mahitahi Lodge introduced us to a local Maori artist, Shannon Mahuika.
Shannon is a Poūnāmu carver and got his first introduction to Jade Carving from his father. He was kind enough to spend time with us and show us the Mere, traditional club or weapon, he was carving from Jade.
He was so interesting to chat with, learn a little about his Maori heritage and the meaning of his tattoos like the waves for new beginnings and the hammerhead shark tattoo symbolizing to never give up.
Shannon had sketched this Tiki on the chalkboard as inspiration for a future design. He said it represents a human embryo and fertility.
I’m always drawn to churches and places of worship so it was very cool when our host John, shared their local church, Our Lady of the River with us. The first service was held here on December 13, 1931 and it continued to be used by the Roman Catholic community until 2009. Currently it is only used for occasional special events and John is part of the community working to keep it preserved.
Can you guess what the Baptismal font is made from?
One tip for traveling to New Zealand, or anywhere really, is to do lots of walking and up your fitness level before leaving home. Even if you opt not to do the long hikes, there are short walks and hikes to enjoy at every turn and sometimes even a bit of a climb because who wants to miss the view of views?
One of the highlights of the area is Lake Matheson and the reflections of the mountains and glaciers. Unfortunately, the conditions were not right for us to see the reflection, but we did get this amazing view of Mount Tasman, Mount Cook and Fox Glacier while driving the country road along the way.
New Zealand contains many glaciers, mostly located near the Main Divide of the Southern Alps in the South Island. According to Wikipedia there are eighteen small glaciers in the North Island and an inventory of South Island glaciers compiled in the 1980s indicated there were about 3,155 glaciers.
As we left Bruce Bay we continued to see rain. After all this is the wettest part of New Zealand which is what attributes to the beautiful rainforests!
Very thankful not to be on a bike – don’t know how they do it!
As you travel along State Highway 6 between Franz Josef Glacier and Hokitika watch for the small town of Pukekura (population 6). The highlight of the stop is The Bushman’s Centre run by Pete the Bushman and his wife. Pete’s a genuine and unique character with views which varies from a crude sense of humor to some interesting views on environmental and political issues.
The first thing you see as you drive by the building is the giant sandfly. There are pictures inside showing how they were able to capture this giant creature.
It’s an interesting place to say the least and definitely worth the stop.
After winding through the wilderness and curvy mountain roads of Glacier Country, we traveled into Jade Country and a stop in Hokitika.
On a clear day Aoraki/Mount Cook can clearly be seen from Hokitika’s main street.
Hokitika is a cool little town founded on gold mining in 1864. We had a lovely stay in an apartment rented through Airbnb.
This road trip seems to be the part of our journey to New Zealand where things go a little wacky. Somehow my contact got stuck in my eye – maybe I had it in too many hours? Not sure why, but in the process of trying to remove it my eye became swollen and irritated. As luck would have it – there was an eye doctor in Hokitika – the only one for miles around! We had been in such remote areas, it really made me realize how these people live without easy access to things we take for granted.
The optometrist, Catherine van Paassen, was so kind to work me in and stayed late on a Friday evening for my appointment. She got me sorted out with some eye drops, and only charged a nominal fee for the appointment. The paperwork listed the visit as “have a look”.
After getting my eye sorted we enjoyed a nice meal and a walk along the beach admiring the amazing driftwood sculptures still standing from the annual competition a few weeks prior.
The next day we took a drive out to visit the Hokitika Gorge and swingbridge. Sometimes photos make a place more amazing than it really is. Hokitika Gorge is more amazing in real life than can be captured in photos.
As you walk through the lush native bush and start getting views of the magnificent granite gorge and milky blue green pools you just stand in awe, wondering how it’s possible. It is well worth the 45 minutes drive from Hokitika.
We had seen beautiful Blue Water at the Blue Pools which was close to the same color, but different. The water of the Blue Pools is crystal clear. The water of the Hokitika River in Hokitika Gorge is opaque or milky.
The drive from Hokitika through lushly grassed farmland with alpine mountain views is relaxing and enjoyable. Our host, Maureen suggested a nice loop to the Gorge, than back through dairy country around Lake Kaniere, Dorothy Falls and home to Hokitika. Maybe we were too relaxed because we got so lost the cows were looking at us like we were crazy.
Luckily we finally spotted another car on the road and since we were obviously lost, the driver stopped to give us directions.
She was so friendly and helpful, but it was hard to take our eyes off her arms. She had obviously been working in the mud or with the cows. Not really sure, but her arms were completely covered in mud (or worse). Anyway, she seemed totally oblivious to that fact and gladly helped us get turned in the right direction.
Dorothy Falls
The last day of our drive took us onto the Great Coast Road and one of our favorite stops on the West coast – Punakaiki. The Pancake Rocks are another marvel of New Zealand – this island blows me away!
The limestone was carved naturally by the environment to look like stacked pancakes. If you go at high tide you can see the blow holes and power of the Tasman Sea. It’s an easy walk through the Paparoa National Park. The sign says the circular trip on the boardwalks is 20 minutes, but we enjoyed it so much we really took our time. All I can say is wow – they were incredible and I’ve been hungry for pancakes since our visit.
On the shores of the Tasman Sea watching the pastel sunset you can feel the spray from the ocean and the force of the crashing waves as they rush to the shore. I stand in awe of the powerful force countered by the peaceful serenity.
Our New Zealand road trip through the Haast Pass and up the West Coast was full of adventure. Even though it didn’t go perfectly we had a blast and made more great memories. That’s the fun of a road trip – flat tires and all – the journey really is as much fun as the destination!
What’s your favorite memory from a road trip?
