February March

Fri Feb 20 2009: RAINforests


We played pool last night before turning in. Neda is using the telescopic lens pool cue with night vision and laser sighting

I can't believe the weatherman was actually right! We woke around 6:45AM up to the sound of rain crashing on the roof of the lodge. Ugh: Wet roads vs. warm bed. Hmmm.... It's only after a hot breakfast in our bellies that we were ready to tackle the next leg of our journey.


Early into our trip, we visit the Salmon Farm, about 20 kms out of Franz Josef. All the locals go here to buy salmon

We rode through a stready rainfall past the two towns, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, whose primary businesses seems to be built around organizing tours of the glaciers, and feeding the people who visit the glacier. Today the first part of our ride takes us through the rainforests of the South Island. As we stop into the Haast Visitor Centre about 40kms into our riding day, we find out a little bit more about the region. I found it fascinating that there is a such a difference in rainfall between the east and west coasts of the South Island: Christchurch receiving on average 66cms of rainfall, and Fox Glacier and Haast Pass receiving 450cms!


Haast Visitor Centre. Haast. Du Haast. Du Haast Mich...


Funny sign at the Haast Visitor Centre. Funnier is what someone scribbled on the sign!


This is our route for the day!

Next leg is the Haast Pass, which takes us through the valley of the Southern Alps. The rain has let up a little bit now, and at times tapers off to a fine misting in the air. This area is part of the Mount Aspring National Park, and there are lots of places to turn off to go for a hike and view the many number of waterfalls that flow down from the mountains. We stop at a few places, but it seems that we've hit a wave of tour buses that let off groups of 50 or more tourists and each hiking area quickly becomes crowded. Thankfully, the tour buses seem to be north-bound, and we are headed south. The only traffic (moving pylons) travelling in our direction are annoying campers, wide as a lane and difficult to see past to overtake when the road becomes twistier.


Rain. Check. Forest. Check.


A common sight along the way: the way the low-hanging clouds cling to the sides of the mountains and linger amongst the tree-tops.


One of the turnoffs off the side of the road we visited: Thunder Creek Waterfall


"Let's get away from all these tour buses!"

At the end of Haast Pass, we reach the Otago region, a bit further inland. Again, it is like riding through a border where it seems the previous geography of the rainforests are denied entry to the drylands of Central Otago. The scenery immediately changes from lush and green plants crowding the sides of the road, to the open orange and brown fields. There is quite a change in climate as well, as the mountains in this area impede a lot of the precipitation bearing-weather patterns. The rain immediately ceases and I'm amazed as how drastically the geography and weather change in such a short distance. No wonder many movies like the Lord Of The Rings are filmed here. Where else can you go from snowy mountaintops to rainforests, to drylands in the space of a few hundred kms?


Another stop along the way, hiking to the Blue Pools requires walking the
suspension bridge. Safety gear (helmets) are mandatory.


After the long hike to the Blue Pools, I'm not convinced the walk was worth it.
I've seen Bluer. The suspension bridge was cool though.


Another tourist attraction at the side of the road. This one was called "Wanton
Destruction of the New Zealand Rainforests". As usual, safety gear is mandatory


Something really cool about this shot. Like I'm walking through a Grimm's Fairy Tale...


A few kms after the dividing line between the rainforests and the drylands. As you can see, the weather is drying up here as well.

The road we're on ends up at an alpine resort town called Wanaka, situated right on Lake Wanaka. Walking through town, we run into a German couple who we've seen at a few of our stops the last few days, at the Pancake Rocks, in Hokitika and also in Franz Josef. It highlights the fact that there really only is one main road that circumnavigates the island, and many of the tourists that visit New Zealand either take this route clockwise, or counter-clockwise. Our German friends are traveling the island in the same direction as we were. And there are a few other familiar faces we've seen at all the tourist traps, scenic spots, and B&B towns, which makes me feel like we're all on some sort of assembly line in the New Zealand Tourist Factory! :)


Our B&B in Wanaka, the Wanaka Homestead


There's only so much room in our motorcycle luggage for clothes,
which makes today Laundry Day.

Wanaka is kind of a hippie town, much like the west coast in North America. It has a very British Columbia vibe, with a lot of the birkenstock and granola-type backpackers walking around the area. Hitchiking is a very popular way of getting around NZ since it's legal here. A couple have playfully stuck their thumbs out as we were passing and I shrugged my shouders in mock apology. Laffs all round!

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