West Coast

Wanaka Holiday (last Part) : The Westcoast

On the way back home we took the road over the Haast pass, West Coast and back over Athur's Pass. It takes a couple of hours longer but is really worthwhile. We had planned to stay overnight at the West Coast but Mayke didn't feel well and the kids were homesick to their friends (and electronics) . Therfore we will go back to the West Coast this year for a long weekend.

When you go through the Haast Pass the dry bare brown mountains start to change into nice green ones with beautiful tree ferns and patches of ancient rainforest. It rains most of the year but they closed the tap when we came through. It is subtropical on the West coast.

This tap was still open but very local

The road on the West Coat, goes along a rough beautiful coastal area with beaches. You can't swim there though and often can't reach it. The West Coast is up till Fox Glazier nearly completely deserted.

 

Fox glazier together with Franz Josef Glazier are relics of the last iceages. The terminal of Fox glazier, which you can see on the photo, is only 5 km from the same named town. It is a 13km long still moving glazier which is fed by 4 alpine glaziers. It flows almost to sealevel, which is unique.