From Picton we meandered along the top edge of the South Island to Nelson and then onto Maharua.
This seemed to me to be the poor man’s option to the Able Tasman Reserve, and just as wonderful. We can highly recommend the Pizzas at the local bar as well as the wonderful vibe. The town was full of backpackers and other wanderers like ourselves (we wanted a hippy adventure, we got one).
The next day we made a very early start in the rain again, and started heading South.
Punakaki
We travelled via Murchison, then Westport and across the scenic Buller gorge, Punakaki – which, in English, means pancake Rocks!
Geologists are not sure how or why these rocks formed just in this place and nowhere else on the Island.
On we travelled, through Greymouth, which is still reeling after the terrible mine disaster a few months earlier; Hokitika, Ross and Hari Hari.
Just as we began getting a bit bored with all this mind-bogglingly beautiful landscape (lol – were we spoiled or what!…), we came around a corner – and there were the Southern Alps in all their glory!
Southern Alps
They take Christmas very seriously down South and there were hardly any shops open.
We were told that this is the law here. We did however find an Indian-owned dairy where we were able to buy a few small items.
Just outside Frans Joseph we found our next campsite, and decided to spend Christmas Eve at McDonalds Camp (which is open all year round).
Being Christmas eve also meant that not many people were about, and we were able to take in the icy splendour of the Frans Joseph and the fox glaciers in relative solitude.
Fox Glacier
Thereafter we continued South, along the coast…