Last week Karen and I spent time doing a camper van trip of the West Coast of the South Island. This time we travelled over Lewis Pass and drove down the coast from Westport to Hokitika where we spent three nights before heading back to Christchurch. This was the second camper van trip we have completed and this time we had a much larger and more comfortable Britz Venturer campervan.
The camper is based on a Mercedes Sprinter long wheel base van with all of the expected conweniences like a large double bed, a single bed at the front, seating for three, shower/toilet, heating, cooking facilities and a fridge. It was plush and a big step up from our last camper. The engine is a 2.2 diesel so it had plenty of grunt and it was comfortable and warm inside.
I will be writing a series of posts about some of the walks and tracks we covered on this trip but I thought first a broad overview of the whole trip might be nice. All up we covered over 1000 kilometers on this trip and visited Hanmer, Lewis Pass, Westport, Punakaiki and Hokitika....
From Hanmer to the West Coast...
We picked up the van on Monday and because it was 10am before we had it loaded and ready to go we only drove as far as Hanmer on the first day. We stayed at the Hanmer Holiday Park where we camped just after Christmas and as always it was a great spot to stay at.
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| On the way back to the house to load the van... |
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| Jon was first up in the driving seat.... |
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| We stayed at Hanmer Holiday Park on the first night.. |
We just had the one night here and we spent time walking around town and we headed to the hot pools for about three hours in the afternoon. It was a fantastic sunny day and we enjoyed the warmth...later in the afternoon it clouded up and there was some rain overnight which kind of set the scene for the next couple of days.
More about that later...
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| ...very quiet road into Hanmer on the Monday... |
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| We were watching Red Dwarf at Hanmer Holiday Park |
The next morning we had planned to go for a walk in Hanmer Heritage Forest BUT there was a severe weather warning in place for the Southern Alps with heavy rain/snow so we decided to just head for Westport instead which was our next point of call.
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| Fresh snow on the Hanmer Range at Hanmer Springs |
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| On SH 7 enroute to Lewis Pass..... |
We headed up to Lewis Pass and stopped at the Lewis Pass Tarn for a bit of a walk around. We walked down the first 500 meters of the St James Walkway before turning back.
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| The van parked at Lewis Pass parking area... |
It was cloudy and starting to rain but we had enough time to take some photos and stretch the legs before heading off. It was still sunny up at the tarn but it started raining as we headed off to Springs Junction and then Reefton on our way to the West Coast.
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| Lewis Pass Tarn from the eastern end... |
There is a nature walk here at the Pass which I am going to visit on my way to my impending tramp in Able Tasman NP in mid October.
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| Jon at the Lewis Pass Tarn, Lewis Pass National Reserve |
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| View from the western end of Lewis Pass Tarn, Lewis Pass |
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| Snow capped Opera Range behind Lewis Pass Tarn... |
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| The carpark at Lewis Pass, Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve |
The Sprinter van has a 75l fuel tank which I roughly worked out was about 600km of travel so we didn't need to fill up very often. We filled the tank in Reefton just to be sure and then headed down the Buller River towards Westport.
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| Main Street of Reefton back in 2019...... |
The Buller River was full of water as always and there was still much evidence of the damage caused by the heavy rain a month ago. There were slips, road damage and an obvious zone of flood destruction for about 20 meters above the usual river level.
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| Buller River near Dee Point, Buller District |
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| Kilkenny Lookout on the Buller River.... |
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| The van parked at Kilkenny Point... |
We were staying the night in Punakaiki so we had to stop in Westport to get some groceries for the next couple of days and to have some lunch. There is a decent New World supermarket in Westport and we had a Subway for lunch from the shop directly opposite the supermarket.
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| SH67 is the main road through Westport.... |
We had originally planned to stay in Karamea for two nights but we were unable to contact any of the three campsites in the area to book. I believe that all have either closed for good or are not currently open as Covid 19 has battered their normally busy business. Instead we headed south for two nights at Punakaiki....
At Punakaiki.....
With Karamea out of the picture we decided to spend two nights in Punakaiki instead...we drove south down the very picturesque highway to the
Punakaiki Beach Camp. Our intended visit to the southern end of the Cape Foulwind Walkway was cancelled as it was absolutely hosing with rain....I will have to visit on some future trip to the West Coast.
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| It was 'West Coast' wet when we arrived at Punakaiki Beach Camp... |
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| Bruce from Britz with the Punakaiki bluffs behind... |
Punakaiki was super quiet...hardly any tourists about and very few cars driving along the Coastal Highway. There were probably six other camper vans in the park and we saw very little of our neighbors the whole time we were there.
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| Punakaiki Beach was only ten meters away.... |
We had originally planned to stay for two nights but it was going to be raining the whole time so we pulled pin on that idea and just stayed the one night. We decided that we did not want to get stuck in Punakaiki as there was a big storm coming in off the Tasman on our planned second night.
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| An empty Punakaiki Beach Camp.... |
The dearth of tourists has really hit Punakaiki hard with several of the accommodation providers closing shop. Punakaiki Holiday Park is in a perfect spot but seriously needs some money invested in it. We noticed that the facilities were serviceable but looking a little tired and forlorn as if it is not getting enough business to maintain itself.
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| Punakaiki Beach Camp: interior of the ablution block... |
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| Punakaiki Beach Camp: the kitchen... |
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| Punakaiki Beach Camp: near the laundry... |
We couldn't walk any of the flooded tracks in the area so we figured we might as well just head for Hokitika. Punakaiki is only four hours drive from Christchurch so it is easy for us to come over for a long weekend sometime in the future when the weather is better.
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| A wet and soggy campsite at Punakaiki.... |
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| Side view of our Britz van at Punakaiki |
On the way south we stopped at the famous
Pancake Rocks Walk and went for a stroll around this awesome natural wonder. This was my firth or sixth visit to the Pancake Rocks and they never cease to amaze me.
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| Heading back onto SH 6 to head to Greymouth.... |
We were lucky to see the aerial acrobatics of some White Fronted Terns who nest along the coast at this time of the year. They were setting up shop on all the rock spires and small off shore islands around Dolomite Point.
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| At the Pancake Rocks Walk at Punakaiki... |
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| Pancake Rocks Walk...Punakaiki is just visible behind me... |
It was warm but misty walking around the walkway and the sea was quite rough which made for awesome photos of the blowholes and tide pools. It is a great spot and worth a visit for those who have never been here. It is especially good when the sea is rough and pounding the coastline...
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| It was super rough at the Pancake Rocks Walk... |
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| Rough seas and big waves at Pancake Rocks... |
After the walk we went over to the stores on the far side of the highway and had some breakfast at the
Pancake Rocks Cafe. There is a DOC visitor centre for Paparoa NP and a couple of gift shops here you can explore with plenty of parking close by.
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| We had breakfast at Punakaiki before heading south |
From Punakaiki we set off along the coast heading south in the direction of Greymouth along SH 6....
Greymouth, Shantytown and Hokitika....
Karen had booked an additional nights accommodation in Hokitika so we were now staying for three nights instead of two. We didn't actually stop in Greymouth as there was nothing we required from the town and instead just continued south down the coast to Shantytown.
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| The main street of Shantytown on the West Coast |
Shantytown is a historic park about five kilometers south of Greymouth built around an old gold mining township from the 1880's. There are a number of old historic buildings located here, a bush sawmill, historic forestry railway and a number of walking tracks which connect it all.
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| You can look inside all the buildings at Shantytown |
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| Interior of a Masonic Lodge at Shantytown... |
We arrived around 2 pm and they close at 4pm so we only had two hours to look around but it is an interesting place to visit and really needs more time to explore. The last time we were here we had four hours and that allowed us to look at all the areas of the park so try to include that in your planning.
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| There was a diesel train running at Shantytown |
They had an old diesel bush train working the day we visited and we also saw a demonstration of an gold sluicing cannon. It was pretty quiet and I think I saw less than ten other visitors the whole time we were there.
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| Gold sluice demonstration at Shantytown.... |
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| Information panels at Shantytown near Greymouth |
It was cool being here with so few people as it meant we had time to stop and have a good look at the displays. Normally there are hordes of people so you cant get close to them....
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| Historic sawmill at Shantytown near Greymouth |
We were staying for three nights at the
Hokitika Holiday Park which is about five kilometers north of Hokitika. It was a really nice holiday park with brand new facilities and decent sandfly free parking sites. Most of the people staying there were long term residents who had a combination of caravans, motor homes and converted buses but they were all at the far end of the park.
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| Sunset at Hokitika Holiday Park...our home for three days! |
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| Our parking site at the Hokitika Holiday Park |
We had our own electric power outlets, water, a picnic table and a drain for emptying our grey water right next to the van. The site itself was a little boggy but they have had one of the wettest winters in 20 years so it is not surprising.
It was really nice...!!!
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| Hokitika Holiday Park has nice modern facilities... |
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| The main kitchen/ablution block at Hokitika Holiday Park |
We both thought that the holiday park was well set up and I can recommend it to anyone who is heading through Hokitika and needs a spot to park their camper or caravan.
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| Nightfall at Hokitika Holiday Park...first night here!!! |
We had a massive thunderstorm that evening with heavy rain, lightening, thunder and hail from 8 pm to early in the morning. The West Coast sure knows how to chuck it down when it is in the mood....
Hokitika Gorge and the West Coast Treetop Walkway:
The next morning was better with clearing weather and a light warm wind blowing so after breakfast we packed up the camper and heading to the Hokitika Gorge Walkway. The Gorge is one of the tourist gems in the area and the track has recently been extended so it is now a 3 kilometer or one hour loop track.
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| Turquoise blue water in the Hokitika Gorge, Hokitika Gorge Reserve |
DOC have built another suspension bridge about 500 meters up river from the old bridge and it is a beauty. It is about 100 meters long and sits about 50 odd meters above the water in the gorge.
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| Karen on the new suspension bridge on an enlarged Hokitika Gorge Track |
The Hokitika Gorge Suspension Bridge is now the second longest backcountry bridge in the country and it is in spectacular surroundings. The connecting tracks are through beautiful old growth forest and there are some giant Kahikatea, Rimu and Totora trees along the route.
It is just magnificent....go have a look!!!
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| Second longest backcountry suspension bridge in New Zealand... |
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| The lovely new track at Hokitika Gorge Scenic Reserve... |
After a quick cup of tea in the carpark we jumped in the van and drove south towards Lake Mahinapua and the Westcoast Treetop Walkway. The Treetop Walkway was built in the early 2000's and it is 40-100 meters above the ground through a mature forest of Matai, Kahikatea, Rimu and Totora. This is the third time I have been here and it is always a great walk if you have a head for heights.
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| Entrance to the Westcoast Tree top Walk at Ruatapu |
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| View inland from the Westcoast Treetop Walk |
The Treetop Walkway is well constructed with high rails on all of the bridges so I can stand walking around it. That said I'm not keen on the 100 meter high tower as the bastard moves around with the wind. I have had an aversion to heights since I had to climb up a bloody huge antenna tower when I was in the Army so this kind of stuff puts the willy's up me...
Awesome views from up the 100 meter high tower so it makes it worth the pain..despite the tightening in the rear parts!!!
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| On the Westcoast Treetop Walk... |
We had lunch at the Treetop Walkway Cafe (good food there and reasonable prices) and then headed back to Hokitika to do some food shopping. We went to the Clocktower Cafe for a coffee (and a whitebait sandwich for Jon...best I have had for nearly 20 years) and then headed back to our camp site.
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| The van parked back at Hokitika Holiday Park |
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| Our daytime set up in the Britz van... |
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| It was a comfortable space during our trip... |
We had another big rain storm that evening with...you guessed it...thunder, lightening, hail and rain. The West Coast is one of the worst places in New Zealand for thunderstorms as warm air off the Tasman Sea collides with cold air above the Southern Alps. This produces a lot of electrical charge which must be dissipated...
Around Lake Mahinapua...
Friday was the best day of the trip with great weather after the morning mist blew away and it got up to the low 20's just after lunch. We loaded up once again and headed south once more to explore around Lake Mahinapua about 20 kilometers south of Hokitika.
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| Packing up to head to Lake Mahinapua for the day.... |
Our first call was to the Mananui Bush Walk near Ruatapu...this is a short 40 minute walk through old remnant coastal Totora forest. The forest was stunning and we both agreed it was the nicest place we visited on this trip. There were massive Podocarp trees with a thick understory of native plants, vines, grasses, ephitytes and flax.
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| Turn off for the Mananui Bush Walk at Ruatapu |
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| Unmodified coastal Totora forest at Mananui Bush |
At the end of the track was a remote West Coast beach with views along the coast to the horizon. It was brutally beautiful as only a West Coast beach can be and we had it utterly to ourselves. There was a sign warning about Penguin's and Seals breeding along here but we didn't see any. I can totally see why as it is so removed from any human habitation....
You must stop and visit this track...
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| The coast at the end of the Mananui Bush Walk |
Two kilometres up the road you will find the turn off to the Lake Mahinapua Scenic Reserve. Karen and I visited the reserve back in 2018 when we holidayed in Hokitika but we didn't walk many of the tracks. We came back to have another look as it is a beautiful lake with plenty to see and do.
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| Lake Mahinapua Scenic Reserve is opposite the Lake Mahinapua Hotel |
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| Parked at the Lake Mahinapua Reserve, Lake Mahinapua |
We were incredibly lucky to find three White Herons/Kotuku nesting on a small island near the carpark and we managed to get within 30 meters of them by walking to the edge of the lake. They are huge but elegant looking birds who usually nest on the far side of the lake away from the humans. I'm not sure why they are nesting there but it was awesome to finally see some at close quarters...
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| Lake Mahinapua from the car park...and Kotuku!!! |
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| There were several White Heron/Kotuku at Lake Mahinapua |
We walked around to the wharf near the local boat club and had a look out across the lake to the distant Southern Alps...
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| Boat wharf at Lake Mahinapua on the West Coast |
We walked two of the local tracks...the Swimmers Beach Walk at an hour return and I went and walked the 45 minute round trip loop of the Jum Michal Track.
Swimmers Beach used to be a well regarded picnic spot around the turn of the 19th century and the walk was lovely. Just a word...there is no beach at the end of the Swimmers Beach Walk. The forest has grown back to the waters edge and reclaimed it but it is still worth walking the track for the beautiful forest canopy.
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| On the Swimmers Beach Track, Lake Mahinapua... |
The Jum Michal Track parallels the access road and comes out at SH6 where you walk back down one of the access roads to the carpark near the lake. It is through Kahikatea swamp and is lined with some big examples of your typical Podocarp species like Rimu, Rata, Miro, Mahoe and Totora.
Jon was a happy dude as I got three walks done in one day.....nice!
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| ...and the Jum Michal Track, Lake Mahinapua |
We drove back into Hokitika and went for a walk along the shore front past the famous driftwood Hokitika sign. There were a few people taking the air and though the wind was a bit brisk it was still warm and dry.
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| The Hokitika driftwood sign.....Hokitika seafront |
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| Strolling along the seawall at Hokitika Beach |
For dinner we went and brought some fish and chips and went down to the breakwater and enjoyed them while watching the stormy sea right outside our window.
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| Mouth of the Hokitika River, Hokitika |
There is a great view from there of the mouth of the Hokitika River and you can see some distance down the coast. We had another big rain storm that evening with...you guessed it...thunder, lightening, hail and rain. It is wet on the Coast!!!
Hokitika.....
Saturday was Karen's birthday so we had a late start to our day with a sleep in listening to the rain on the van roof.
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| Heavy rain falling on the Saturday morning.... |
Around 11am we drove down to the
Clocktower Cafe for a celebratory coffee and cake. It was full of the locals out for a day in town...I think we were probably the only people there from outside of Hokitika.
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| We visited the Clocktower Cafe in Hokitika |
After our cake we checked out the local shops for a few gifts and holiday souvenirs. The town is looking dire...many of the shops are un occupied and there were not a lot of people around even though it was the weekend. We need to sort out this Covid crisis before small towns like Hokitika collapse...
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| ...it was very rough at sea on the Saturday... |
We went down to the breakwater for a hot brew and a final look at the sea before heading back to the Holiday Park for the evening....
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| A much swollen Hokitika River after overnight rain... |
Heavy and persistent rain fell right through the day so apart from our visit to Hokitika to check out the shops we spent a good amount of our time in the van reading, listening to the radio and having a few beverages.
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| Heavy rain in the afternoon on Saturday.... |
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| ...we soon had our own personal lake.... |
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| Cocktail hour at Chez Britz....Rum and Ouzo.... |
I made us a slap up meal of steak with trimmings for our last night in the camper van and because it was Karen's birthday. FYI: there are NO restaurants in Hokitika that are open at night...or at least we couldn't find one!
Hey guess what.....we had a massive thunderstorm that evening with heavy rain, lightening, thunder and hail from 6 pm to early in the morning!!!
...and home via Arthur's Pass!
We had to have the Britz van back at their offices near Christchurch Airport by 4 pm so we were up early on the Sunday packing up the van and getting ready to head for home. We had fine weather to start but it was alternately raining, sleeting and snowing as we drove back to Christchurch over Arthur's Pass.
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| Clearing weather at Hokitika Holiday Park... |
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| Preparing the van for out trip back to Christchurch |
We went into Hokitika and had breakfast at our favourite place...the Clocktower Cafe. They have a full menu there and we both had eggs and bacon which was delicious and really well prepared. There are a couple of other cafes in Hokitika down by the shore front but the Clocktower Cafe looks to be the pick of the bunch.
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| Catching up on the news as we wait for breakfast... |
After refueling the van we set out for home...it is a 3-4 hour trip back to Christchurch. We had intended to visit another track on our way home (Tunnel Terrace Walk) near Stafford. We couldn't find the road you need to drive down to get to it so it will have to wait for our next trip to the West Coast. We drove back through Kumara and along SH73 which is the road over Arthurs Pass.
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| Wild weather near Mt Alexander in the Taramakau Valley |
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| A snowy Mt Stuart near the Otira Viaduct... |
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| Snow to the roadside on Arthurs Pass... |
We stopped in Arthurs Pass township for a bite to eat and a hot drink...there was new snow along the sides of the surrounding hills but none in the town itself.
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| Snow tops a distant Mt Bealey, Arthurs Pass NP... |
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| The Britz van parked at Arthurs Pass.... |
There was a cheeky Kea outside the General Store who was trying to steal food from people sitting outside. Kea don't know about the dearth of tourists so he was not having much success as most Kiwis know they are thieving buggers...and protect their food. We were here a couple of years ago and saw a couple of them pick up a tourist's pie lunch and carry it off for a feast.
It was quite comical to see...
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| We were lucky to see a Kea at Arthur's Pass village |
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| Closer look at the Kea in Arthurs Pass village |
It was snowing as we went up and over Porters Pass so Karen had to drive especially carefully as the road is step and it was icy. It was a cold rainy day over on the east coast but luckily it stopped just out of Christchurch so we didn't get wet unloading the van.
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| A snow covered Mt Williams in Arthurs Pass NP |
That was the end of another great holiday in a camper van...it is good fun and if you have never tried it you should before all the tourist hordes arrive back in the country. Definitely go for a larger van as it was way more comfortable especially if it is wet and you have to spend a bit of time inside it. I can recommend Britz to you as the van we had was clean, tidy and quite plush inside...Maui are also the same company so their vans will be equally as good.
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| A snowy and mist covered Torlesse Range... |
We both quite enjoy camper van trips and would love to buy something like this so we could trip around the country but at $130 000 it would take a Lotto win for us to be able to afford one. We are already talking about our next camper van trip and we thought one of the following might be good: Dunedin-Catlins, Lower South Island (Milford, Te Anau, Manapori, Bluff etc.) or Lower North Island....
Watch this space....
What an awesomely wet West Coast adventure. I don't fancy driving through Arthur's Pass went it's icy. Well done Karen with that! Looking forward to reading the next blog.
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