-- From Picton to Te Anau

The road tracklog 
From Picton to Te Anau
from 2010/10/05 to 2010/10/11 

The ferry from Wellington to Picton spent approximately three hours to cross the 92km of the strait of Cook which separate the two cities. It arrived about 11:40am. I took delivery of the new rental car, always a Toyota Starlet more recent but 185664km. The day was radiant I moved towards Blenheim, name very Alsatian, in the area of Marlborough renowned for its vineyards. I lunched in a winery, Wairau River, recommended by the LP. I was not disappointed, the dishes were delicious and the sauvignon tasted. I bivouacked at Top10 of the spot.

The following day I left the east coast to Westport, obviously on the west coast. This transverse road skirts Wairau River in a superb valley profiting from a microclimate favourable with the culture of the vine whose most famous type of vine is the white sauvignon. Then after having curved in the mountain the road follows the Buller River in a deep gorge bordered by cliffs planted with trees leading to the Tasman Sea.

At Cape Foulwind, the well named, a lighthouse guided vessels during the Golden Rush to avoid reefs.

Further southwards in Tauranga Bay a Fur Seal Colony nourished their recent pups. A judiciously planted signpost gives the distances from the main world cities. The day was gray and cold, heavy clouds hid the sun on the Western slope.

Thursday October 07 was marked by two geological sights. In Punakaiki some stackings of sandstone rocks in form of pancakes have posed and pose still a enigma to the geologists who lose themselves in conjectures.

After Greymouth the Tai Poutini N.P. has two glaciers, Franz Joseph -name of the Austrian emperor- and Fox -name of a Prime Minister of Nz- which are only in the southern hemisphere with being so close to the sea. As elsewhere in the world they move back of almost one meter a year -natural reheating of planet or effect of greenhouse- scientists of any obedience dispute on this very political matter.

The next day was announced by the TV weather forecasts as rainy, it was it. Cold and drizzle accompanied me up to Queenstown. The landscapes of Alps of Westcost are superb. The road twist between mountain and sea in a dense subtropical forest.

Queenstown is at the edge of Lake Wakatipu getting a microclimate at the bottom of Alps allowing the culture of vine and fruit trees. The city is famous for its sports activities, skiing, climbing and especially bungy jumping.

The settlement of the site of Queenstown started about the years 1850 with sheep farmers. By 1862 of the propectors broke after the discovery of nuggets. But the soufflé broke down, the city did not count any more but 190 inhabitants in 1900. In the years 1950 the site became a sporting holiday spot with the development of the mountain activities. The rain fell down on the city all the night, a break appeared about 10:30 am, I precipitated to visit it by following the walking tour of the LP. There are not great sights if it is not the site itself.

At the end of the morning I was enticed by the advertising of Kiwi Birdlife Park announcing of Kiwi and a feeding at noon. The entrance fee - Nz$38- does not correspond to the spectacle offered. Kiwis are almost invisible in the half-light of their cage and the other birds are seldom. This park is not worth a visit.

On Sunday 10/10/10 I toured in the driving rain to Te Anau. The day did not encourage with a walk. The next day in the early morning the sky was of a limpid blue, alas the road after -The Divide- was open only at ten am due to avalanche hazards. Caution the clearance of Homer Tunnel is 3.81 meters in the centre. I took a boat at 11 am for a 1:45 hour tour in the fiord with still snow-caped summits. Cascades, fauna and landscapes were a great moment of happiness. Into NZ weather changes very quickly. The good moment should be seized.

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