We've gone from glaciers to temperate rain forest in 3 hours on the road. An amazing example of the biodiversity of this unusual, interesting and beautiful country. Began the day with a short hike to a spectacular waterfall 
and then launched for the west coast. Motored our way through Arthur's Pass, the ancient Maori route from the east to west coast, to Punakaiki on the Tasman Sea coast. There we took a couple of hours and walked along the Pororari River, a national park through the rain forest. 
The scenery, was...to no one's surprise...spectacular. Again.
The change in vegetation was stunning. From mountains covered in beech forest and wide meadows covered with grass and little else, we suddenly found ourselves in something looking like, as one hiker put it, Pirates of the Caribbean jungle.
This is Linda Carper standing next to an old growth tree (can't say its name). Note its girth in comparison.
and then launched for the west coast. Motored our way through Arthur's Pass, the ancient Maori route from the east to west coast, to Punakaiki on the Tasman Sea coast. There we took a couple of hours and walked along the Pororari River, a national park through the rain forest. 
The scenery, was...to no one's surprise...spectacular. Again.The change in vegetation was stunning. From mountains covered in beech forest and wide meadows covered with grass and little else, we suddenly found ourselves in something looking like, as one hiker put it, Pirates of the Caribbean jungle.
This is Linda Carper standing next to an old growth tree (can't say its name). Note its girth in comparison.And this little guy, a New Zealand Robin wasn't shy.
Seemed to like being the center of attention.
Seemed to like being the center of attention.The Tasman coastline is stark and beautiful. 
Long rolling surf looks like it would be a surfer's mecca, but in fact no one goes in the ocean here. The undertow is too strong and the ocean conditions too dangerous.
Our new friend and injured colleague, Bob, spent his day waiting for the attention of a doctor. Leader Kevin took Bob and his wife Glenda to the closest hospital for an xray. They took one of the vans and the rest of us made the trek in the other one (just enough seats). They spent 3 hours at the hospital before the staff told them they didn't know when they'd be seen, so they opted to go to a local place we'd call a 'doc in the box.' In fact, the young physician there was an American from Kentucky who spent a good bit of time examining Bob and diagnosing him with a class 2 sprain. No more hiking for him.
We're at the Punakaiki Resort directly on the beach. Have just seen one of the most gorgeous sunsets ever. The sun went down without much of a fuss, but that was just the beginning of the fun. Over the course of the next half hour or so we all were treated to a sky laced with pinks, reds, violets and purples. An unexpected treat we thanked our Backroads hosts for. They were modest and claimed not to have had anything to do with it. I, of coure, didn't bring my camera.
We head south tomorrow and then inland to Franz Joseph.
Long rolling surf looks like it would be a surfer's mecca, but in fact no one goes in the ocean here. The undertow is too strong and the ocean conditions too dangerous.Our new friend and injured colleague, Bob, spent his day waiting for the attention of a doctor. Leader Kevin took Bob and his wife Glenda to the closest hospital for an xray. They took one of the vans and the rest of us made the trek in the other one (just enough seats). They spent 3 hours at the hospital before the staff told them they didn't know when they'd be seen, so they opted to go to a local place we'd call a 'doc in the box.' In fact, the young physician there was an American from Kentucky who spent a good bit of time examining Bob and diagnosing him with a class 2 sprain. No more hiking for him.
We're at the Punakaiki Resort directly on the beach. Have just seen one of the most gorgeous sunsets ever. The sun went down without much of a fuss, but that was just the beginning of the fun. Over the course of the next half hour or so we all were treated to a sky laced with pinks, reds, violets and purples. An unexpected treat we thanked our Backroads hosts for. They were modest and claimed not to have had anything to do with it. I, of coure, didn't bring my camera.
We head south tomorrow and then inland to Franz Joseph.
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