VictoriaMarch 22
6:30am! Rise and shine. Listen to our wake up call below. That was our morning alarm! A call for all the volunteer Wānaka fire fighters to report to the fire station for emergency.
Looking out the window, this is what we saw. It was an incredible sunrise. No fire in sight, so we went downstairs to walk outside and catch a full glimpse of the sunrise over the surrounding mountain tops.
After checking out of our Airbnb, we left Wānaka en route to Makarora this morning, starting our journey north towards the West Coast of the South Island.
Our first stop was the Gladstone Track at Lake Hāwea, an easy six mile walk around the lake. We were not ready for another hike with a big elevation gain, so this easy walk was perfect.
After our walk, we drove along Lake Wānaka towards Makarora, our stop for the next two nights, a mountain village nestled in the Wilkin Valley. Along the way, we stopped at some amazing lookouts in The Boundary Creek Scenic Reserve, or the “neck,” a narrow section of road that separates the two glacier-created lakes, Lake Hāwea and Lake Wānaka.
A bit further up the road, we arrived at our B&B, Wild Earth Lodge and drove up the long, tree-lined gravel road.
As soon as we stepped into our cottage, we knew we had arrived somewhere special. Our friendly host Pete and his dog Cash greeted us and showed us around the cottage. As eager as we were to stay and settle in at the lodge, we decided to head out down the road to explore the Blue Pools in Mt. Aspiring National Park, a popular local attraction.
The website for The Blue Pools Track said the track was closed for bridge maintenance and repair, and that visitors are welcome to do the forest walk, but the pools are not visible from this point.
I was disappointed to hear this from another traveler we met and to read this on the DOC website since I knew the pools are a “must see attraction.”
In talking with Pete when we checked in, he said we should go visit anyways and do the “fisherman’s walk” to access the pools — a walk through the river itself under the closed off bridge.
Pete explained that they haven’t had much rain so the river is relatively low right now. He recommended we cross by foot, where we’ll reach the pools after a short walk. He said we’ll see hundreds of others doing the same. The bridge is closed, he said, but go anyways. It was a gorgeous day and he said we shouldn’t miss them. Umm, okay.
We put on our bathing suits and headed out. Up for an adventure, we drove 10 minutes up the road to the pools. Signs were everywhere warning us the pools were not visible from the track and the bridge was closed. We shrugged, sprayed ourselves with Off to ward off the sandflies and proceeded to hike 20 minutes through the beech forest to the bridge.
Sure enough the bridge was closed and had boards covering the entrance with chains and a padlocks. A little dirt footpath alongside the bridge led us down to the Makarora River rocks. We saw people on the other side, so we figured it was worth a shot.
As you’ll see in the video m, we stepped in the running icy water that came up to our knees at the deepest point, and we quickly walked across to the other side trying not to loose any digits to frost bite.
The glacial water was crystal clear, a beautiful turquoise blue, due to the light refracting off small particles of rock flour created by the glacier as it crushes rock. Apparently after heavy rainfall, the water turns a murky brown.
We didn’t stay long to admire the pools because the plethora of sandflies attacked us with a vengeance (they’re following us!), and I wasn’t brave enough to venture in the water for a swim, but Mitch walked around them in his water shoes. He couldn’t stay long since the temp was too cold. So we turned back, crossed the river again and walked back to the car. We can say we saw the Blue Pools and we have a great story to tell as to how we got there.
Back at the lodge, Mitch made a delicious dinner of grilled salmon from the Hook, along with roasted veggies. What could be better than a delicious meal with an epic view?
