Wanaka, Fox Glacier, Hokitika, and Greymouth
On the road between Wanaka and Fox Glacier, South Island, New Zealand
Our New Zealand Road Trip Moves Along
After a couple of adventurous and fulfilling days at Lake Tekapo and Aoraki / Mt. Cook National Park, it was time to move along on our New Zealand South Island road trip.
The goal had been to continue south to the Milford Sound and we checked the reports daily to see if roads would reopen after extensive rainfalls, road washouts, and closures.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. The roads remained closed and we picked another route that would take us through Wanaka to the west coast.
We covered 600 kilometres, 373 miles in two days from Twizel to Greymouth
It became a bit of a whirlwind and a slightly rushed road trip where we perhaps did not explore as many locations due to less-than-ideal weather conditions around Fox Glacier.
It was a stretch with ups and downs and one of the downs was the fact that I failed to back up my photos from Fox Glacier, Hokitika, and Greymouth and hence have relied on a few iPhone photos we have from this leg of our journey.
On a couple of occasions, we lost photos when cameras were either misplaced or stolen but I do believe this was the only time during our 5050 travel project I lost photos due to a missing backup. This is despite a rigorous backup routine which you can read more about in our photography tips here:
The rolling hills south of Twizel reminded us of the landscape around Kamloops in BC, Canada.
Twizel to Wanaka
Breakfast was in the campground kitchen and we met a Swedish couple with two children. They lived in Shanghai and were in New Zealand seeking refuge from the coronavirus situation which was just unfolding. Little did we know the scope of it at the time.
We were on the road by 9 am. Some of the areas we drove through reminded us of our home region in the Okanagan Valley, Canada, and especially when we arrived in Wanaka the resemblance to the town of Penticton was uncanny.
The beach and hillsides of Wanaka, New Zealand
Wanaka was hosting a triathlon race and I have covered several triathlon races and even an Ironman in Penticton with my good friend Carl.
Again everything about Wanaka reminded us of Penticton, right down to the hillsides and quaint shopping street which we explored for a while.
The Wanaka Tree is probably the most photographed tree in the world and for that reason alone I decided against finding it. The chances of getting a good shot of it in the mid-day sun were also minimal.
Lake Hawea on a beautiful summer day
Wanaka to Fox Glaicer
We made a quick stop for groceries in Wanaka and made sandwiches for the car ride. As we drove from Wanaka towards Fox Glacier it surprised us how sparsely the south island is populated. There are as many people living in Auckland as on the entire South Island.
The following two paragraphs are for camera nerds only!
At the Lake Wanaka viewpoint, we met a nice Swiss couple. I noticed he had a very nice Leica Q camera which has a fixed lens. I asked him if he wanted to try one of my lenses well knowing he was not able to change lenses despite the fact that the camera is so nice and quite expensive.
He started to explain to me that his camera had only one lens etc. etc. until it dawned on him that I was pulling his leg and he looks up all smiles, and we both had a good laugh :) We swapped travel stories and talked about photography gear for a while.
Blue Pools. A perfect stop along highway 6 on the South Island of New Zealand
Blue Pools
By the time we reached the Blue Pools along highway 6, we were ready to stretch our legs and perhaps even go for a swim. We packed our towels and some snacks in a small pack and made the short hike into the pools.
We found a nice spot on the rocks along the water. Persisting tiny little sandflies, however, ensured that this would not be a spot where we would hang out for long.
Despite the water being frigidly cold, I decided to go for it. Not sure of the exact temperature of the water but as I recall it, this is the coldest swim I have ever had. Perhaps needless to say my time in the water was very brief.
The rolling hills/mountains at the Blue Pools along Highway 6, South Island, New Zealand
Despite the sandflies, this was a wonderful and recommended stop. The surroundings were drop-dead beautiful and the quick dip was very invigorating.
Haast and Fox Glacier Arrival
The road was winding along the Haast River and eventually led us to the west coast. We stopped at the Knights Point Lookout and gandered at the Tasman sea and the wicked tree formation along the coast near Haast. Beautiful.
In Fox Glacier, we had a nice suite booked at the Rainforest Motel and took advantage of the full-size kitchen and prepped a home-cooked meal. We paid $98.00 for one night. We were tired after a 10-hour day on the raod but looking forward to exploring further on the west coast.
Highway 6 on the West Coast at Ship Creek
Fox Glacier - Lake Matheson
We were looking at various options for a visit to the Fox Glacier but in the end, the low-hanging clouds over the mountains were a deciding factor in why we skipped it. Instead, we decided on a short hike at Lake Matheson, which is known for having phenomenal reflections of the Fox Glacier in the lake.
Lake Matheson is a 3.8-kilometer hike, 2.4 miles, flat with decent views of the lake. We met two couples from Viborg, Denmark, who was traveling in New Zealand for three weeks. We exchanged Denmark backgrounds and travel stories.
The weather was decent but overcast and the wind made the elusive glacier reflection photo impossible to capture and the glacier was still hidden in the clouds.
We had a nice lunch at the restaurant by the parking lot. All in all a decent little hike but it will not make it to our “highly recommended” list. Nicer weather may have resulted in a different verdict.
Hiking at Lake Matheson near Fox Glacier
Hokitika
Hokitika was a wonderful stop and during the peak of summer, we could have stayed for much longer. The quaint little town had lots of shops and we even made a brief stop at the National Kiwi Centre.
Our time in Hokitika was mainly spent walking along the beach on the Tasman Sea. It was a great experience seeing the hundreds of driftwood sculptures. The was no limit to the imagination as to what had been created with the driftwood.
It was easy to find a good reason to have ice cream and also found a coffee for the road.
Driftwood sculptures on display in Hokitaka
Greymouth
The Duke Hostel in Greymouth will stand out in our memory. It was basically a cheap, myriad of corridors, dirty, quaint, and a one-night-stop kind of a place.
Not that we were too concerned due to our short stay but we probably cannot recommend it. It was however an experience to behold. We paid $46.00 for one night.
The Duke Backpackers Hostel in Greymouth, New Zealand
The Chinese Restaurant we picked for dinner was quite good and sorry to say but we cannot recall the name of it. We jumped in the car a hit the Southern Breakwater Viewing Platform right on the coast where we watched the sunset and a lone surfer improving his skills.
Sunset in Greymouth, New Zealand
Greymouth had an end-of-summer vibe to it and felt like a ghost town. We did not mind and it was as if we had the town to ourselves. It was somewhat reminiscent of the mood I recall from growing up on the west coast in Denmark when summers drew near the end.
Read the next post from our South Island road trip:
Viewing the sunset from the car in Greymouth on a windy evening on the west coast of the South Island in New Zealand
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Capture One Express. I used Fujifilm film simulations for some of the photos.
