Haast Pass to Jacksons Bay

View from Pleasant Flat

A new cairn is started!

This morning we woke to low grey cloud and Lake Wanaka didn't look at all tempting to swim in as it had done yesterday so instead of a morning relaxing by the lake in the sunshine we headed off through the Haast Pass to the West Coast - a nice drive through the mountain valleys with the dry barren countryside changing quickly to beech and then rainforest.
We did a short walk to see the Blue Pools where the Young River meets the Makarora River and didn't think they were as blue as when we saw them last time in the month of November. There would have been more water coming down from the mountains but they were still good to see. Visitors have built lots of little cairns with the stones beside the river which we can't remember seeing last time.

Thunder Creek Falls

We also stopped to see the Thunder Creek Falls which cascade down 28 metres and were amazed at just how many tourists are travelling through enjoying these spots.

Haast was our lunch spot in the bus trying to keep away from the sandflies but there is not much to see there - a superette, cafe, motel, backpackers, a possum merino shop and a modern police station. No cellphone reception for vodafone since we left Wanaka and I suspect we won't get it until we are halfway up the West Coast.
From Haast we drove South, down the coast, to Jackson's Bay Okahu where neither of us have ever been before. It's a nice drive down along a pretty straight road passing through green, bushy, rainforest areas in contrast to the parched, dry land of Central Otago. Parts of the road even had some moss growing over them from the lack of sun. Talking about sun, it had come out when we were halfway through the Pass but not long before we reached Haast it had changed to very low overhead cloud and very light drizzle which persisted for the rest of our journey - fairly typical weather for the West which does get a lot of rain.

Trish ready for a fish dish!

Jackson's Bay seems a world away from anywhere - a tiny little fishing settlement which has become smaller and smaller over the years with a few houses and an iconic cray pot fish and chip "cafe" rather like a train carriage overlooking the sea and the pier.
Of course we had to pay a visit for dinner (blue nose, not caught locally unfortunately, and chips served in the chip deep frier baskets). It seemed a busy little place with various tourists eating there (seats about 18) but the owner said it hasn't been a particularly good year.

Before dinner we did the 40 minute return Wharekai- Te Kou walk from the bay over Jackson Head to the ocean beach. On the way we heard loud rustling in the undergrowth and at first couldn't make out what it was - it looked like a cross between a big bird and a badger before we realised that it was a big penguin lumbering it's way through the undergrowth! They do have signs on the road as you enter the settlement warning you to go slow because of the penguins but this penguin was a particularly long way from the sea. We hoped to see more down near the water but it wasn't to be.
There are no official camping spots in this area but we have joined another motorhome by the sea a short distance from the settlement and no-one has asked us to move!