The Bailey Expedition - Westland, New Zealand

Arthur's Pass and Westland

After an extended stay in Golden Bay relaxing in the sun, we headed to Westland for the weekend. Westland is a national park that is located just north of Fiordland and is part of the World Heritage Site. Running down the west central part of the South Island is the Southern Alps which serve as the backbone of the island. As we crossed the Alps over Arthur's Pass, we paused at the summit in the national park. It is here that the moisture-laden air sweeping across the Tasman Sea rises to cross the Alps and deposits its rain on the West coast. It is this voluminous precipitation that provides the rainforest with the necessary rainfall. It also leads to heavy snowfalls that have created the impressive glaciers that inhabit these slopes. As we passed through the park we hiked for a couple of hours at the summit. We were entertained by the clouds as they built in the west, swirled over, under and around us, and then dissolved into the plains to the east.

Franz Josef Glacier has recently experienced an anomalous event as a large hole opened up and huge amounts of melt water flowed to the ocean. This stranded many hikers and led to a temporary closure of the main approach to the Glacier. Having followed this story, we chose to head south to Fox Glacier where we able to hike up to about 30 meters from the face. Although it rained hard on us, we still enjoyed exploring the moraine in the valley, looking for interesting rocks and glacial flotsam. The rain also meant that there was an impressive display of waterfalls cascading off the valley walls. The mountains all around were the model of modesty as they shrouded themselves in mystical layers of mist and fog.

Please take a look at the full page of pictures.

At the end of the first day we headed out for some hiking in the local rainforest. We went to a recommended 20 minute hike that was so impressive we spent 3 hours. The layers of moss and ferns and moisture made a powerful impression. If you are going to hike a rainforest, we recommend that you do so in the rain (at least once). One of the highlights was when our own Mr. Green happened across a fantail (bird). The two intrepid explorers spend quite some time observing each other. What was particularly captivating about these woods was their challenge to our sense of scale. Whether it was admiring a glen, observing a small clearing or being entranced by the life in a square decimeter on a fallen log, green life was everywhere. It was a sort of a forest fractal: growth, within growth, within growth.

The second day the sky lost all desire to hold back its watery contents and the rain fell with reckless abandon. So after examining the local coffee house for tea and a biscuits, we headed to Lake Matheson. We had been told that this was the location with the most panoramic views of the alps reflected in the glassy surface of the lake. Unwilling to yield to our requests, the clouds remained in close proximity to the ground. Here is a photo of Mr. Green using the full complement of his powers to will away the cover. It was not to be and we contented ourselves with a lush walk and views looking back in the direction of Fox Glacier and up the valley towards Mt. Cook. Quinn spent his time in pursuit of the perfect koru photo and as our photo collection will attest, his was a successful quest. As we came to the end of the hike, for a few fleeting moments the sun descended under the clouds and above the horizon to bathe the world in the kind of light that made Purkinje famous (see actual colors below).

Dawn of the last morning found us hoping to catch the sunrise in the reflections of lake Matheson. Instead we settled for another beautiful walk around the lake and communing with the many birds that inhabit the area. We were entertained by pukeko, fan tails, doves, ducks, kea and many others. At the end of the hike the sharp eyes of Mr. Green noticed an unusual insect and he proceeded to serve as nature guide for folks tramping past (Walking stick).

Finally it was time to depart and we headed back up the coast. As we egressed northward, the mountains became a bit more daring and lifted their cloud cover to reveal fleeting glimpses through layers of rising steam and reticent fog. One of the stops on our return trip was in the town of Hoketika, one of the main locations for jade carving. Our journey north led us across countless one-lane bridges past westward flowing rivers, allowing views of endless valleys and canyons of steaming "jungle". We saw more rain these three days than we have in the previous 3 months, and it was a wonderful experience.

Don't forget to take a look at the full page of pictures.