Lake Matheson to Haast

We got up nice and early to head down to Lake Matheson to catch the morning stillness and hopefully see some mirror reflections...We even left before breakfast, shock-horror!

Whilst making our way through the lake trail, unbeknown to us, we were being watched by a pair of enormous NZ pigeons. When we spotted them we realised that they were about the size of a chicken and we later read that they are the second largest pigeon in the world! (Who's the first?!)

Beefy birdie!


The morning air was still (a very good sign) and the clouds were low over the hills.


At the first viewing platform, I took a couple of shots looking into the sun...


For that 'Easy rider' feel...lol




Then as we scurried around the lake trail to the next vantage point we started to see some good reflections...


The peak above the clouds is Mt Cook.


This is what we had been looking forward to seeing! An older man with a tripod was patiently watching and told us that he had been waiting from 6am and we had just arrived when the conditions were perfect!


A tiny breeze and the mirror was gone...But not to worry we had made it around the lake trail before the bus tours arrived and got to see Lake Matheson in the calmness of a bright, still morning.


First of many incredibly moss laden trees.


Back at the campsite, we packed up our stuff after breakfast to the sounds of helicopters buzzing overhead taking tourists to the glacier. We headed off.....


'Is it time for lunch yet?' Wiji was keen to make use of the picnic stops! Here we are at Lake Paringa, with Fish Hill on my left. In the 1930''s whitebait was fished and flown out by small plane from the lake. The men on the ground signalled the plane to stop with parts of a broken plane wing, also indicated the size of the catch.


After lunch we continued on our way and stopped at Knights Point look out. Here we looked out across the Tasmin sea. It was very windy and chilly at the exposed look out, but very warm when we were in the shelter of the landscape.


We travelled onto Haast with the intention of first stopping at the petrol station. We had made the journey from Fox Glacier garage (who had run out of fuel) on the advice of the lady on the forecourt, who assured us that we would make it on half a tank... fortunately we did! Next we stopped at the visitors centre, that was unusually equipped with a cinema, and watched the half hour film that was highly reccomended by the Lonely Planet 'Edge of Wilderness'. We had the cinema to ourselves and were really inspired by the narration and the epic shots of Haast landscapes. After the film we decided to go deeper into the wilderness at Haast and explore an off road track...

We continued west and got this stunning view on Arawhata bridge of the clean icy alpine waters.


The single dirt track followed the Jackson River, for what seemed like ages. We had been warned that the locals used the track as a race track...but we didn't see a soul, it was very tranquil and the river ran fast and clear, so inviting.


The Jackson River.


As we followed the track we climbed higher and higher into the mountains, crossing a couple of fjords along the way. Our first stop was Martyr Saddle where we got this incredible view of the Red Hills, coloured by magnesium and iron deposits.


We also took a closer look at the car and thought for a horrible few moments that the radiator might have been leaking, but luckily it was just the run off from driving through the fjords...phew! After this scare we decided to head back and onto Jackson Bay.

In the distance, on the left, the isolated fishing hamlet of Jackson Bay. The first migrant settlers arrived in 1875 and braved the never ending rain without a wharf until 1938. On one of the information boards we looked at the images of their mud homes. When we visited it seemed miles from anywhere and sparsely populated, still surviving as a fishing village.


We came to visit the Craypot, reputed to serve great Kiwi seafood. Here's Wiji going for the Kiwi special of fush n' chupps with two fried eggs on top! My standard fush n' chupps was served in the rather novel, but off-puttingly honest deep fat fryer basket. Ok. Great fish through and all cooked and served out of the tiny sea front caravan.


'Eaten it ALL!' Washed down with a cuppa too.


Dancing on the sky lights of the caravan, some seaguls with the sun glowing through their thin webbed feet.


The tiny Craypot, job well done, hey!


It really was the end of the road here.


We carried on down the path, past the house, on the advice of the women in the Craypot, to the beach to see if we could spot any of the crested penguins.


But none were coming ashore...oh boo. We watched the sea for some time in the hope that they might pop up...


'Where are they Wiji?' It was a lovely place to chillax, but sadly penguin free on this occasion. The search was on though, and this was just the start. I knew eventually we would see them...


The sign on the way to Jackson Bay. Another time...