South Island: Nature, Wildlife and Maori Culture

 The route heads towards the Southern Alps and Mount Cook via the Inland Scenic Route.

The route follows the Waitaki River towards Oamaru, which has an impressive heritage. Many of the elegant historic buildings were made from the local sandstone. The famous Moeraki boulders lie scattered along a beach south of Oamaru.

Starting in the historic city of Dunedin, this route follows Southland's wild coast down to Invercargill (and continues northwest to Manapouri and Te Anau). Waterfalls, forests and marine mammal encounters await you on the Catlins Coast, a stretch of wilderness that begins just south of Balclutha. There is a track to Purakaunui Falls, a magnificent 20 metre, three tier waterfall. Nugget Point is the surest bet for wildlife viewing - it's the only place where you may find fur seals, Hooker's sea lions and sea elephants coexisting. It's also home to colonies of yellow-eyed penguins and blue penguins. At Porpoise Bay you can scan the waves for Hector's dolphins. Curio Bay has a very curious fossilised forest - it's 180 million years old.

Trout fishing rivers and high country scenery are features of the drive to Queenstown. Those interested in the regional heritage can take a break in Kingston, the home of a remarkable vintage steam train. From here, the rest of the journey clings scenically to the edge of Lake Wakatipu. From Queenstown, the shortest route to Wanaka is over the Crown Range Road. It's a challenging drive, but the views are amazing, if the weather is fine. Alternatively, you can take the route that runs beside the Shotover River, Lake Dunstan and the Clutha River. The vineyards of the Gibbston area and bungy jumpers at the Kawarau River Bridge are interesting distractions along the way.

Lake Hawea is the first scenic highlight, followed closely by the northern end of Lake Wanaka. At the wilderness town of Makarora one can fuel up before taking on the dramatic twists and turns of the Haast Pass. There are waterfalls and river scenery to enjoy when arriving on the West Coast. The settlement of Haast was once a construction camp for the Ministry of Works (the government department responsible for road and bridge building). It's a town with a touch of the wild west - helicopters fly deer hunters into the rugged ranges and local pubs make a feature of stuffed animal trophies. The Haast Visitor Centre offers excellent information on the South Westland World Heritage Area, worth a stop!

Just north of Haast is Lake Moeraki, a peaceful forest lake with good fishing - a 40 minute track (one way) goes down to Monro Beach - a wildlife refuge protecting breeding areas used by penguins between July and December. Next is pretty Lake Paringa and a salmon farm. The terminal face of Fox Glacier is just 5 kilometres from the township that serves it. The road to the walking track crosses ancient moraine from earlier advances and retreats. Fox Glacier was named after an early New Zealand Prime Minister, William Fox.

The road north of the glaciers is rural, but with a wild streak. The farmland is trying to turn back into forest, and the beauty of the rivers is raw and primeval. In good weather the Southern Alps can be seen. The road between Hokitika and Greymouth provides great views of the wild west coast. Shantytown, just south of Greymouth, is a reconstructed 1880s gold rush town, great for families.

Umfulana-Tip: The scenic "HariHari Coastal Walkway" (2 hrs return to coastal viewpoint of "The Doughboy / Mt OneOne". At low tide, a 3-4 hr loop track is possible). The walk starts at the rivermouth of the Wanganui River, a 20 min drive from the southern end of the main road in HariHari (between Ross & Whataroa). For further information, please enquire at the Department of Conservation / Visitor Centre in Franz Josef Glacier.

The road to Westport hugs the coast, providing spectacular views of wild beaches and the tempestuous Tasman Sea. At Charleston, formerly a prosperous gold town, you can arrange underground rafting and cave exploring trips. Westport is known as a coal mining town, but it's also a base for outdoor adventures such as black water rafting, jet boating, horse trekking and surf rafting. The road to Nelson is scenic and interesting, beginning with the dark, forbidding Buller Gorge. At Hawks Crag there is a dramatic rock overhang. At Lyell one can walk to a pioneer cemetery. The museum at Murchison tells visitors all about the massive earthquake that shook the region in 1929.Umfulana-Tip: The seal colony at Cape Foulwind, near Westport is worth a visit - so is the nearby cafe.