I am back, reminiscing about the time Jenny and I went to New Zealand on the break-neck paced trip of a lifetime. I really hope that we can return to Maoriland someday, as I have never been somewhere quite so pristine and peaceful. If you would like to support the blog and/or my other authorial endeavors, please hit up the shop and give it a perusal. If not, just reading this article and sharing it with your friends makes a big difference and I appreciate your attention. I hope you enjoy!
Jenny and I woke up just before dawn in our van down by the river to the sound of water pouring over Maruia Falls. The audible cues drove Jenny to go out and explore the falls and me to find the nearest suitable bush to pee on. With my territory suitably marked, I joined my wife down by the beach of smooth river stones. We wandered around on the rocks, taking pictures and basking in the glory of the New Zealand outdoors. After a while, we realized we really needed coffee, breakfast, and provisions for the coming day.
Our first stop of the morning was to hit a coffee and breakfast food truck, called “the Little Local” in the small town of Murchison. One of the things that stuck with me about our trip to New Zealand was how good the food was. Most of the food we ate was super simple, fresh, and delicious, and the Little Local was no exception. Jenny and I ordered different breakfast sandwiches, and shared a half of each with each other.
After breakfast, we made a quick trip into downtown Murchison to purchase some provisions for our journey at a Four Square market. Once we were restocked, we hit the road in our camper van. First stop: Pancake Rocks in Paparoa National Park near Punakaiki.
30,000,000 years or so before Jenny and I managed to make our way to Punakaiki, millions of tiny sea creatures perished beneath the ocean’s surface. These little corpses formed into distinct layers of harder and softer limestone, which were then thrust above the surface through seismic activity. Gradually, wind and water eroded the limestone, with the softer layers eroding faster than the harder layers. The result is a bunch of pillars of stone that resemble stacks of flapjacks, hence the name Pancake Rocks.
Jenny and I took our time perusing the informational walking trail provided by the New Zealand Department of Conservation, learning all we could and snapping as many pictures as we saw fit. Some of the limestone pancake stacks resembled sea creatures, faces, and other critters the creative Kiwis could comprehend in the crusty cliffs.
We finished hiking, and took a pause to partake in the obvious choice of lunch/brunch after looking at a bunch of crepe-shaped rocks. Right across the highway from the Pancake Rocks trail was a convenient little restaurant and gift shop. The first order of business was to swing into the gift shop to pick up some post cards, stickers, and a new fashion choice. Second was going to the aptly named “Pancake Rocks Cafe” for some pancakes, because obviously you have to get a stack of pancakes with fresh fruit after visiting the Pancake Rocks.
After we were completely stuffed full of pancakes, it was time to saddle up our camper van. It was not quite noon when we left the Pancake Rocks Cafe, and we had about a two hour drive to the Otira Viaduct overlook, the next spot in our adventure. On our way from Punakaiki, we took in the scenery from the van, snapping photos of interesting things along the way.
We saw about ten million sheep and cattle. Jenny snapped so many photos of sheep and cows that when we combined our photos in a shared photo album, I briefly considered making a separate sub-folder just for the livestock photography. In addition to seeing a lot of livestock, we also saw a lot of Lord of the Rings references. The Kiwis really lean into the whole Tolkien thing, and I think its pretty cool, as it results in funny things like statues of Gollum overlooking a roadside hotel that is also somehow stagecoach themed.
Otira Viaduct is a long bridge that spans a deep mountain valley called Arthur’s Pass. Jenny and I made a quick stop at the Otira Viaduct overlook to take in the scenery. Also referred to as “Death’s Corner,” this stretch of the South Island used to be accessible through a winding, unstable ground-based road that apparently was dangerous enough that the Kiwis built a huge bridge highway, much like Oahu’s H3 highway connecting the South and North sides of that particular pacific paradise.
After a lot of research, I have ascertained that this stretch of road was referred to as “Death’s Corner” or “Death’s Pass” strictly for the sheer number of people and automobiles that met their demise on the unstable and steep passage the old highway offered. I certainly didn’t feel too dangerous standing at the overlook and snapping a few pictures looking down at the valley.
With our overlook of Otira Viaduct complete, It was time to steam through Arthur’s Pass to Arthur’s Pass National Park and hike up to a waterfall named “The Devil’s Punchbowl.” The turbo diesel engine of our Camper Van made easy work of the hills and valleys on our short drive to the trailhead, and we arrived without any drama.
Arthur’s Pass National Park was the first National Park established on New Zealand’s South Island, and the third overall established in New Zealand. It covers almost 460 square miles of pristine wilderness, and has a bunch of really cool flora and fauna. Jenny and I parked our van and headed up the Devil’s Punchbowl walking path, past the old ranger station and across the first in a series of bridges.
I have to say that, despite the naming conventions of the sights we took in that day, I found everything we did very peaceful. The drive up Death’s Pass/Death’s Corner was smooth (probably due to that fancy viaduct) and the walk to Devil’s Punchbowl was serene. A bit of huffing and puffing as we climbed the wilderness stairs on the last bit of trail, but overall worth the hike and not nearly as violent or hideous as the name suggests.
After our walk back down the trail to our van, it was time to drive back over the Otira Viaduct and head into town. We hadn’t done laundry yet on the trip, and Jenny had meticulously planned when and where we would hit a laundromat. First, we had one more stop before we returned, briefly, to civilization.
We will be back with more New Zealand stories! You can get caught up here. If you would like some books or merch, check out the shop. I appreciate you reading!