Greymouth & Punakaiki

Day 3. 27 Dec (Sun)
Will be travelling from Christchurch to Greymouth (West Coast) via the TranzAlphine. 231km in 4.5 hours.

After crossing the Canterbury Plains, we climb through alphine foothills & the Waimakariri Gorge to Arthur's Pass National Park. Eventually we reach 737m high Arthur's Pass, surrounded by snow capped mountain peaks. Heading downwards again, we enter the Otira Tunnel & burst out into the pristine rainforest of the West Coast. Our journey ends at Greymouth on the shores of the Tasman Sea.

 

Maybe its due to the cloudy weather, actually felt that the Switzerland Golden Pass route was more scenic! Oh how I missed Switzerland!

Arthur's Pass - NZ's highest altitude settlement.  The town is a handy base for tramps, climbs, views & winter-time skiing in Arthur's Pass National Park.

Arrived at Greymouth @ 1245hours & pickup our intermediate Class E rental car from Hertz. It's a 2.0 liters Madza 6 for the next 7 days, nice!

 

Decided to have lunch at a cafe along the streets of Greymouth first. I had Cajun chicken burger with salad while Gerald had fish & chips. Our first decent meal in NZ.

 

From Greymouth, we decided to head towards Punakaiki. The drive upwards is famed to be extremely scenic.

 

55km South of Westport, 40mins drive from Greymouth lies the Pancake Rocks.

Impressive 30 million year old limestone formations that resemble pancakes! Witness awesome blowholes at high tide. The 20 mins walk provided good sights for photo taking & it is part of the Paparoa National Park. Very happy to have made the impromptu trip.

 

 Driving in NZ is really easy. Back to State Highway 6 where we came from but now heading southwards towards Fox Glacier via Horkitika.

Shopover in the supermarket to stock up on snacks!

Plenty of caravans & cows everywhere!

Stopover at Lake Ianthe for photo-taking.

Arrived at Franz Josef Glacier town around 8.30pm and decided to try out the Glacier Hot Pool @ $22.50/pax.

3 outdoor pools fed with pure local glacier water at temperatures 36, 38 & 40 degrees respectively and surrounded by native bush. Great for relaxing the body after a day of rail & car rides.

Was almost 10pm by the time we left Galcier hot pool. It was getting dark & more difficult to navigate. The 21km drive to Fox Glacier felt so long... Finally check-in to Heartland Hotel Glacier Country.

Car Rental day 1 Distance Covered: ~300km