February 15
Haast to Cromwell
The weather looked reasonable as I consumed some breakfast & packed my belongings. The road up the Haast Valley was reasonably busy, with lots of camper vans in evidence.
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After driving for about half an hour, I stopped at the Roaring Billy waterfall. Reaching it involved a short walk through some very lush rain forest with lots of tree ferns, moss and some huge trees. The falls were quite good although nothing spectacular. The walk to and fro was probably the more impressive. For some reason, the colour of all three of the photos that I took of the falls was a bit peculiar. I tried to edit them but without much success. |
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The next stop was Pleasant Flat, a small camping ground and picnic area which offers excellent views of the mountains. With the sky becoming bluer and bluer, the view today was one of the best that I can remember.The camp ground was busy and a large coach party of aging POMS arrived just before me.Right: View of Mt Cook from Pleasant Flat |
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A bit further up the road a very short walk led me to the Thunder Creek falls. These were good, dropping a considerable distance into the river.A small group of middle aged (ie my age) American bikies were amazed by the trees. One of them commented that they didn’t have trees like this back home. I haven’t been to Oregon but I would have thought that there were many similar areas there.I ignored the Fantail Falls, feeling waterfalled out and saved my efforts for the Gates of Haast. This is where the river tumbles through a narrow gorge, which is traversed by a narrow road bridge. It is an impressive place and everyone stops to take photos. |
Left: Thunder Creek falls |
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The main problem for the photographer is the light. At the bottom of the gorge it is dark. At the top of the mountains, it is very bright. Such contrasts are difficult to handle, particularly for digital cameras. I took lots, however, even trying to do artistic things with the pretty yellow flowers on the grass verge. The Haast Pass, itself, is a bit of an anticlimax. It is on something of a plateau and is marked by a small road sign and a much larger one indicating the change from the Otago to Westland local government areas. |
 Above: Gates of HaastLeft: Haast Pass |
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The road South descends gently into the Makarora Valley, and everything soon becomes drier and browner.
After a coffee at Makarora, which was not brilliant and where the coach load of aging POMS had arrived before me, yet again. I got away before them, however, and sailed along a reasonably empty road until I reached the lakes.
Lake Wanaka was very blue on what was, by now, an almost perfect day. I crossed The Neck and found Lake Hawea to be in similar form.
Lake Wanaka |
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I sped past Wanaka, which is now too big and busy to interest me, and drove down the valley to Cromwell. In the last year, the number of vineyards by the side of the road has increased considerably. Once again, the accommodation problem reared its ugly head. I cruised past every motel in town and all had “no vacancy” signs flying. I managed to get into the big hotel, which is OK if a little expensive. I noticed when I walked out a bit later that it, too, was now fully booked. After lunch at a very good café, I headed for the Bannockburn vineyards and visited two of them. Mount Difficulty has a magnificent new tasting room & restaurant on the hillside overlooking one of the vineyards.
Right: Mount Difficulty tasting rooms |
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I have visited Felton Road, before. I found some interesting, but not cheap, wine at both of the vineyards and returned to the industrial estate, where Quartz Reef has its winery. This collection of industrial buildings is in stark contrast to the fine buildings at the other two, but the French wine maker let me in & let me sample some splendid methode champenoise, both vintage and non-vintage, and also some pinot noir. All were good.
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Feeling tired, I had a rest at the hotel & then popped out to buy some sun tan lotion, in preparation for my planned walk tomorrow, and went for a short walk around Old Cromwell, the remnants of the town preserved after the formation of Lake Dunstan.
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Watching the TV news & weather came as a bit of a shock as it happily told me that after days of excessive heat, it was going to rain in the morning.
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Dinner in the hotel wasn’t brilliant but I couldn’t be bothered to go out again. As the evening wore on, the wind got up a bit and the setting sun created a few interesting light effects. Coffee, cheese & tv were consumed in my room whilst I did my evening’s typing.
Right: Interesting light over the hotel |
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| Next Day |