On the road again...

Glacier Region to Arthur’s Pass


We left the glacier region today…Christmas Eve Day…for an eight hour drive with Brian our Canterbury Trails guide to Arthur’s Pass National Park and a two night stay at the Wilderness Inn. We stopped by Franz Joseph Glacier just up the coast a few miles from our Fox Glacier base for a trek through the rain forest just below the terminal end (snout) of the Glacier.

We made numerous stops for treks and photos but stopped in Hokitika for lunch and shopping since it is a bit of a regional market. Hokitika is on the Tasman sea and was settled in the mid 18th century as a base and port for gold mining supplies. Today it is the center for greenstone (jade) sales with several jewelry centers. Brian continues to amaze us with his breadth of knowledge, passion for guiding and good humor. I could not recommend him more highly for guiding services in the South Island. His 4WD vehicles are pristine and comfortable. They appear new but are actually fully rebuilt vehicles from the mid 90’s…and he runs their turbo charged diesels stoutly.

Departing Hokitika we moved up country into the NZ southern alps driving through winding canyons along braided rivers, waterfalls and wildflower fields. Braided rivers appear to be multiple rivers occupying the same broad plain during calm weather but during major rains they unite to become one raging stream moving rocks and sediment down river from the mountains.

We arrived at our Wilderness Lodge located off the road a few hundred yards back in a heavy beech forest and just in time for a 5PM Christmas Eve farm trek to view the sheep dogs working a flock followed by a trip to the shearing station for a demonstration of hand shearing of a Merino sheep. On this Christmas eve we had everything at hand to make our own Nativity creche!





The Lodge has 20 rooms and and the owners have built trails throughout the surrounding forest fully marked for self guided treks with guides to plants and formations. The lodge is very rustic with a large gathering room and full dining room. They encourage group dining so we met some entertaining English and Danish folks also there for Christmas.

Hereis Ms. Merino with a new outfit for Christmas Eve!