We left Franz Josef in the morning, and started our drive north towards the town of Hokitika. Hokitika is a small town on the west coast, and is a good place to stop for lunch and see some attractions. We first drove a bit inland to see Hokitika gorge. A brilliant blue river winds its way through some canyons, and is quite peaceful to visit.
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| Hokitika gorge |
After spending some time near the river, we went back to the town of Hokitika for lunch. There were plenty of lunch options around, and we had a good time. The town sits on the west coast of the south island, and has a black sand beach. The beach was full of driftwood, and we spent some time exploring.
We eventually headed out towards Christchurch, and into Arthur’s Pass National Park. The park runs between the west and east coast of south island, and has a variety of landscapes as you drive through it.
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| Arthur’s pass national park |
Since the weather was gloomy and rainy, we didn’t stop at too many places. Towards Christchurch, the weather seemed better, and we stopped at Castle Hill, also known as climber’s paradise!
A long and winding path leads you into the mountains, that are covered by rocks of all shapes and sizes. You can literally spend hours here climbing all sorts of rocks, and exploring the nooks and crannies.
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| Looking back from Castle Hill |
After exploring Castle Hill, we were ready to head into Christchurch and end the day. We stayed at Argyle on the park, with rustic rooms and a great location.
