As inspiring and awesome as Aoraki / Mount Cook was, we had ground to cover. So with a combination of reluctance and anticipation, we continued on our long march north. Our next major destination was Punakaiki (aka Pancake Rocks), with some possible intermediate activities in the Aurthur's Pass area. Our path took us to the town of Lake Tekapo, which was fine enough, but not much of a destination. One of it's key attractions is the University of Canterbury Mount John Observatory, which is the country's main research observatory. It sits atop a big hill and suffers from almost no light pollution. Unfortunately, we didn't get to check out the star gazing, but did go up the narrow, steep, windy road to take in the fabulous daytime views of the area.
 |
| Lake Pukaki |
 |
| Lake Alexandrina from Mt John Observatory |
 |
| Evening Light at Lake Tekapo |
All of our beta indicated that you needed to be at Pancake Rocks at high tide, or don't bother. Since we were still at least 6 hours away, and high tide was 2:30 pm, we had to rally for a pre-dawn departure. On the plus side, we were treated with an hour-long, other-worldly orange light show as dawn arrived. (On the minus side, we didn't have time to stop for any pictures to record the remarkable event.) Our route bypassed Christchurch, and our time crunch forced us to skip Castle Hill Basin (a popular bouldering area). And the weather was cold and nasty at Arthur's Pass, so
we bailed on a short waterfall hike we had penciled in. But we've got some good things to look forward to next time!
The drive itself was quite a treat. Big farming valleys high up in the mountains. A long, steep, very windy drop onto the coastal plateau. And a stunning drive up the west coast ... big headlands, reminiscent of Big Sur, but more lush.
After a short stop at a beach for lunch, we pulled into Pancake Rocks right on time! As the name suggests, the area is made of many relatively thin layers of rocks stacked upon each other. Quite a unique look. But the real action is the vents that have been carved into the cliffs by the surf. At high tide, the waves get funneled through these vents. At first there's the crescendo of a breeze coming from the vent, then a mist, then an ever growing fountain ... noise and water everywhere! It absolutely exceeded all the hype! After finally pulling ourselves away from the captivating show, we took a little hike down to Truman Cove. And we just sat there for about an hour in total awe of the huge surf pounding the shore.
 |
| Castle Hill Basin near Arthur's Pass (note walking path and pedestrians in lower left) |
 |
| Foggy west coast |
 |
| Surf venting at Punakaiki |
 |
| Video of surf venting |
 |
| Surf and Rocks, Punakaiki |
 |
| Truman Cove |
 |
| Surf and Rocks, Truman Cove |
 |
| Rocks, Punakaiki Beach |
More Photos
Activities
- Sightseeing: University of Canterbury Mount John Observatory
- Sightseeing: Pancake Rocks
- Walk: Truman Track and Cove
5-Star Moments
- Spectacular orange lighting at dawn leaving Lake Tekapo. Even the mirage-like shimmer of the road was orange.
- Pancake Rock vents!!
- The raw power of big surf at Truman Cove
Random Scenes
- Showing up for dinner at an almost empty Jacob's Grill, after being told on the phone they were booked up.
Tom's Daily Stress Points
- Will we get to Pancake Rocks on time? (stress level = medium-low)
Sleeps
- Lake Tekapo: Taylor-Made Tekapo Backpackers Lodge (simple, but fine)
- Punakaiki: Te Nikau Resort (kinda granola, but totally fine)
Noteable Eats
- Lake Tekapo: simple grocery-store pasta
- Punakaiki: fish and chips at Jacob's Grill (at Punakaiki Resort)
Comments
Post a Comment