Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of the mrlukeniktravels blog coming to you from Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand. I am approximately halfway between Christchurch on the east coast and Greymouth on the west. As the name suggests, the pass crosses the mountains that run north/south in this part of the South Island. Getting here involved climbing through the clouds from the Canterbury Plains into the interior. As I write there is the sound of Kea in the distance and the gushing of a waterfall from the mountain ridge above the valley. Occasionally the peace is broken by the sound of a train’s horn crossing the viaduct along the valley. The sun is shining and the sand-flies are biting. How idyllic…
On my last day in Christchurch I picked up my hire car so I now have wheels (so to speak!). On pick up I discovered I had been given an automatic, something I had never driven before. I have been gaining experience both in driving on mountain roads and getting the most out of the gearbox. I still sometimes find my left foot moving to press the clutch in! After approximately five minutes driving the skies darkened and the heavens opened. It is typical that it chose to rain just at that point. The freedom available by having a car is something I had not realised I had missed in the past eight months. Being able to load up with supplies is certainly an advantage in this part of the country where everything is much more spread out. Also I don’t have to pack everything perfectly before leaving to take bus somewhere else. Finally, of course, it is great to be able to stop and admire the scenery all around as there is so much to see.
After leaving the centre of Christchurch I paid a visit to the International Antarctic Centre. The city is known as the ‘Gateway to the Antarctic’ as many expeditions to the continent originate from there. From the famous expeditions of the Edwardian period to the present day, for many Christchurch is the beginning of their Antarctic endeavours. The Centre showed the history of the continent and it’s exploration, wildlife and current research underway there. I particularly enjoyed finding out about the current scientific expeditions looking into a whole range of areas both for Antarctica itself and the whole planet. Once I had completed a bone shaking ride in a polar transport vehicle, I got to see some penguins and experience a storm in a simulator (a massive freezer with a wind machine). I think, on reflection, an Antarctic winter isn’t for me!
During my time in Arthur’s Pass I have enjoyed getting back to hiking again. The fresh mountain air and the beautiful views are just rewards. Yesterday, along with others from my hostel, I hiked Avalanche Peak which is just over 1,800m tall. At this time of year there is no snow at that height, just slippery gravel and boulders. The views of a snow field, the valley and surrounding mountains was worth the two-and-a-half hour hike to the top. It was also nice to stretch my legs on the slopes again. After all, the main reason I came to New Zealand was for the stunning scenery and getting out to explore it. Unfortunately where I’m from on the south coast of England is rather lacking in mountains!
Tomorrow I am leaving the pass and travelling westwards to the coast. I will be travelling south on the west coast for the next 10 days or so before heading inland again to Wanaka. That coast promises more mountains, lakes and glaciers too. Hopefully the weather will continue to be as good as it has been so far. However, the west coast is known for large amounts of rainfall (if I was back in the UK I’d be in the snow so maybe it’s not so bad after all!).
That is almost all for this week’s blog and from Arthur’s Pass. As always, between now and next time there is my Twitter account which can be found at @mrlukeniktravel. For more pictures of cloudless mountain vistas there is my Instagram account which can be found @mrlukeniktravels. If you really don’t want to miss a single week’s blog then you can subscribe via the link below. You will get an email directly to your inbox once I’ve pressed publish. Lastly, from now until next time, stay safe and travel on!
