The Two Towers

Those who are fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the latest Hobbit prequel, were awed by the stunning scenery that filled our screens and gave us a longing to journey around Middle Earth, hunting orc and running away from giant spiders. Well maybe not actually the practicalities of being in Middle Earth but certainly to see the incredible film locations for ourselves.

It was with intense excitement then that we hired a car to drive from Picton to Queenstown along the west coast of New Zealand’s south island. The South Island is reported to only have 1 million residents and as we drove along the winding quiet roads, we believed it for ourselves.

Our first destination after disembarking from the ferry and picking up the car (and some fish and chips) was the Abel Tasman National Park. We stayed for 2 nights in a little bunk cabin with huge duvets (no heating) that faced the sunrise over distant hills across Tasman Bay. The entrance to the park was a short stroll from our accommodation which winded up the hills that skirted the shoreline before forking off into the countryside. As we only had one full day to enjoy the park we woke up early and ran along the path to Anchorage bay (8km, one way). The route was naturally shaded from the sun, very windy, had a gentle incline for the most part and at the end of November the temperature is still cool in the mornings, perfect conditions. The views across Tasman Bay were so picturesque that it was near dangerous, as if you stared too long (whilst jogging) you could run off the edge. The path was rather unpopulated because we were travelling just outside the peak tourist season of New Zealand, so you could really soak up the beauty of the place.

Anchorage Bay

From here, we took coastal Route 6, from Westport to Greymouth, famous for being one of the top 10 scenic drives in the world. With snow-capped mountains on one side and gorgeous blue sea on the other, you can’t fail to see why. We stayed in a hostel in a forest outside Punakaiki (we failed miserably at pronouncing all these Maori words). This place is known for its pancake shaped limestone rocks, formed over millions years from sediment of fossils mud and clay being forced to the surface and exposed to the elements, forming these unusual rocks. At high-tide there are blow holes that force up the swell through the cracks in the rock to produce whale like water expulsions. We had to go to this place after sunset (but still some visibility) to witness the effects. Needless to say at this time of day it was just us and a handful of Asian tourists.

Moving south early the next morning we detoured to Lake Brunner, which our researching had promised us a beautiful lake with mountain backdrop… what we got was drizzle and low visibility. Since we wanted another scenic jogging route, we decided not to stay (aided by the fact there was no hot beverage selling establishment open before 9am) and drove on south to our next stay in Hokitika. This is central place for buying NZ jade, but as we were already over-budget for New Zealand what with car-hire, accommodation and sleeping, we decided to explore the nearby gorge and lake, with a run along an abandoned mining track. This place was so beautiful I requested a trip back the next morning with my camera.

Derelict mining track

Lake Kaniere

Pictures of the pancake rocks (poor light when I was there): http://www.punakaiki.co.nz/about_punakaiki/