Through the Haast Pass to Wanaka

The guide book says that the distance from Franz Josef to Wanaka is a little over 288 kilometres or 178 miles and the drive will take three and a half to four hours. But, we know better. It will take all day! We left at 9:30 a.m.

The day started out a bit cloudy but with the forecast of sun. A good day for driving along coastal roads and through mountain passes. We packed up our cooler with the usual - ice packs, cheese, salami, cut-up red peppers, celery and carrots, apples, water, as well as crackers, nuts and chips - and off we went.

Btw, our food system works out well. We bought a cooler when we started out and we have a bin for dry food as well as our 2 cheap plastic plates and a sharp knife. In the trunk, we have our two backpacks, cooler, bin and a box with shoes. All neat. My black folding bag holds books, brochures and odds and sods and Chris’ daypack holds the techie stuff and binoculars. Right now, the glove compartment has sun block, insect repellent, candies and chocolate bars in it.

Anyways, back to the trip.

We had a breakfast in our hostel in Franz Josef while looking out the dining room window at the beautiful mountains and glacier that were close by.

The road from Franz Josef to Wanaka covers the most diverse landscapes that we have seen during the past 5 weeks.

From snowcapped peaks and ancient glaciers to sandy beaches, incredibly blue rivers, towering waterfalls, and mega-lakes, this road pretty much has one seeing the world in a day. Then there is the road itself, a winding mountain pass with panoramic views, from ocean scenes to mountains. Fantastic.

Driving south we had to go back to Fox Glacier so we had another peak (haha) at the mountains there.

All along the coastal highway, the NZ tourist people have put signs with pictures of a camera on them so you know where the best photo ops are. We stopped at a few of these on our way.

The first one was called Knights Point Lookout. Located at the beginning of the Haast Highway, this spot was a must do for spectacular views of the rugged coast and the Tasman Sea. Using our binoculars, we even saw elephant seals basking in the sun.

Continuing on, we stopped at the Roaring Bills Falls. It is the first in a series of three waterfalls on the road from Franz Josef to Wanaka. At this point, we surprisingly met up with two young men, one from Burlington, Ontario and the other from Brisbane, Australia. We have met them at two different hostels in the South Island, so it was fun getting caught up on their adventures. They went sky diving yesterday!

We walked together to see the waterfall which is a 30 meter tall cascade in the Mount Aspiring National Park. The water runs down into the Haast River and is accessed by a 40-minute hike from the carpark.

Then on to Thunder Creek Falls. Don’t you love the names? The falls are located 5 minutes away from the highway. The short, easy walking, forest trail takes us out to a viewing platform at the river’s edge where we could see this 96-meter tall waterfall without getting wet.

The Fantail Falls are the third waterfall stop on the road from Franz Josef to Wanaka. Due to time, we did not visit this waterfall. I also was getting a little tired of all the stops and starts.

The most known walk within the Haast Pass region is the Blue Pools trail. The whole parking lot was lined with campervans and cars so we knew that there was something good down there. There were so many people there that we decided not to go there. We heard that there was a 15-minute walking trail which goes through an old pine forest, across rope swing bridges and down to the clearest glacial waters you will ever see. People swim there but it is cold!

By the way, the water in the river was the bluest water that we have ever seen.

Continuing on to Wanaka, the landscape changes quite dramatically from forested mountains to huge blue lakes. When I say huge lakes, I mean they really seem to go forever. Both Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea are among the top 10 largest lakes in New Zealand.

Lake Wanaka is over 40 kilometers long in the north to south direction and covers over 192 square kilometers. It is estimated that the deepest point is over 380 meters deep. And it is stunning!

We finally arrived in the small town of Wanaka, after a 285 kilometer drive through ‘rock and roll’ road construction, and what a spectacular place to stop. Located at the southern end of Lake Wanaka, this little town seems to have has a lively vibe with cafes, pubs, bars, and restaurants.

We easily found our ‘adult’ hostel, a wood-panelled lodge near the lake. We are looking forward to this 4 night stop.En savoir plus