The Down Under Expedition # 3: Dealing With Mountains

The South Island of New Zealand is mountainous.  Although there are lowland areas, mostly along the eastern shore, the island as a whole is a complex of mountain ranges thanks to plate tectonics.

Nelson, where I'm staying right now, is on the western skirts of one mountain range.  Farther to the west there are more ranges stretching right down to the ocean between the two main islands.  The famous Abel Tasman National Park occupies the ocean end of just one range of mountains, the one separating Tasman Bay from Golden Bay (large red dot on map).  State Highway 60 winds along the border between Abel Tasman and the far larger adjacent Kahurangi National Park, which stretches all the way to the coast of the Karamea Bight.  Here's a map to show where everything fits together.

To really appreciate these parks you need to be in good shape, prepared to go backpacking -- or, as New Zealanders say, "tramping".  It's the national sport down here.  Everywhere you go, in towns and villages and even in cities like Nelson, you see "Backpackers" signs -- hostels or lodges dedicated to the backpacking business.  And it is big business.  For the most popular tracks, you need to have reservations months, or even years in advance, to get permission to hike.  Abel Tasman Park is also and especially famous for its scenic coastline, and sea kayaking is very popular here too.

Alas, such pursuits are now far beyond me, but there is one good way to come to grips with the country in a car.  It's State Route 60 which runs from Richmond north through Motueka and then across the mountains to Takaka and Collingwood in the Golden Bay district.  

The road across those mountains is laconically referred to as the "Takaka Hill" and I have to bite my tongue to keep from saying exactly what I think of such misleading information.  It's a mountain road, in no uncertain terms -- 25 kilometres of nonstop snaking bends and steep grades, and rising to an elevation of 791 metres above sea level which is certainly high enough to make the air both fresher and much colder than down below!  By the way, the Takaka Hill is one of many locations in New Zealand used for filming The Lord of the Rings movie.

The sign at the foot of the hill announces "Takaka Hill OPEN".  I take that to mean that this highway, like many mountain roads, can be closed in winter by bad weather.  And there goes the only land link between Golden Bay and the rest of the world (except by backpacking).

Anyway, here are some pictures taken during my two-day exploration of this region.

The pebbly waterfront of Ruby Beach (halfway from Richmond to Motueka), with a spectacular view of the mountains along the Nelson shore of Tasman Bay.

The lagoon behind several small islands along the coast just before reaching Motueka.  Abel Tasman National Park occupies the mountain region to the right.

South of Motueka, the dramatic rock formations and sandy beach at Kaiteriteri.  This is the point of departure for boat tours of the Park's shoreline, which take most of the day.  There's no dock.  The tour boats load by simply driving into the beach bow-first and lowering a gangway directly onto the sand.  That's the same way they load and unload at the various stops in the Park itself.

The eroded rocks of the karst landscape atop the Takaka Hill.  Believe it or not, this rock is marble, the same marble used to build the Cathedral in Nelson.  The rib-like erosion is caused by water leaking downwards through cracks or holes in the rock.  

A seven-minute walk from a car park brings you to these views from the Hawkes Lookout just below the summit of Takaka Hill -- back west across Tasman Bay towards Nelson.

Southwest view into the yet higher mountains of Kahurangi National Park.

Perfect weather for a day's drive like this!

A few minutes later, across the crest line, the Harwood Lookout gives a spectacular view across the Takaka Valley towards the high mountains in the west portion of Kahurangi National Park.

Far below, and six or seven minutes' drive away, a campervan (motorhome) makes its way slowly down the west side of the Takaka Hill.  The zoom lens makes it look a lot closer than it actually was.

Off in the distance, beyond the farmlands of the Takaka Valley, the waters of Golden Bay gleam on the horizon.  The town of Takaka is out of sight beyond the right edge of the picture.