Meandering Around Haast

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MEANDERING AROUND HAAST Sue Walsh Haast, blink and your miss it. Ihadi two weeks offwork andhad: set aside ac day for exploring the area. Once accommodation was. sorted lout, Iwent in search of the Information Centre for advice on the various walks. he Ship Creek Walks are on the oceansideoftheroad. Information on the areaishungt from large placards which dangle under a roofed area on the edge of the beach. The first walk, Kahikatea Swamp Forest Walk, goes under a road bridge and meanders alongside Ship Creek. The creeki is very slow moving and there's a wonderful sense oftimelessness. Att thet top oft the track a viewing platform gives you a chance to take in the peace and tranquilityoftheareo. Thetrack doesa small loop then heads back to the beach. I could see a tourist coach Ship Creek by Kahikatea Swamp Sue Walsh arrivingsolnippedalongthel boardwalk to start the Dune Lake Walk. This one takesyout throughcoastal forest andup could look down onto the wharf and kilometresoranyfhinguseful. Thismade to aviewing platform which looks south watch the boats come and go. lifeabit awkward. Idecidedtogoonfor over the lake. Wildlife was abundant; another 20 kms, then see what was from sandflies to silvereyes, pigeons to I wanted to check out the Lake Mary around. Twenty kilometres got slightly seagulls. The beach looked wild and Viewpoint Walk as the description of it extended untillreached af fordthat had desolate SO walked back that way. sounded very pleasant and dlwas soon quite large rocks in it. Past the ford the meandering along another track in the road carried on and on. It was getting My next stop was the Hapuka Estuary companyoftwof fantails. This walk was quite late by now; I was hungry and in Walk (20 minute round trip), just really lovely. Bird life abounded with the middle of nowhere SO commonopposite the Haast Motor Camp. heaps of fantails, tomtits, and silver- sense prevailed and I turned the car Unfortunately the tide was out butlgot eyes - it's amazing how close they'll around. Ahearty meal andascheduled greatv viewsof allt thel littled crabs scuttling comet to youi if youi imitate a statue. The call to family finished a good day. madly around. Once past the estuary, walk ended by the side off the lake after the track meanders through kowhai about 10 minutes. It was 5.30pm by Thenextmorningdawnedwithlowmist before rejoining the estuary. The bird now and thel local bird population was curling around the hills and after life was amazing; heaps of fantails, getting in practise for its dusk chorus. breakfast set off for Wanaka. I was silvereyes, andtomtitswerefittingabout The: sun was glinting on thet trees onthe very glad the roads were virtually everywhere. This walk had heaps of other shore, picking out the different deserted; the scenery was sO beautiful information along the track, explaining hues of green in thel bush. The lake was had no inclination for barrelling along theecologyofiheestuory, whitebaiting, still, thes slightbreezel had dropped, and at speed. the trees, and bird life. it was beautiful. Storm damage on the road was was keen to visit Jackson Bay SO I I had one last place I wanted to visit becoming more and more obvious the headedinthate direction. Jackson Bayis before heading back for the night. It closer I got to Haast Pass, with huge verytinyandifitwasn'tforthet factasign was the Red Hills lookout, past Lake slips bulldozed to one side and road stops you going further, you could Ellery, and it was here I came slightly works everywhere. almostdrivethroughandontothel beach unstuck. took a right at the one lane beyond before realising it! It wasn't bridge and headed along the dirt road. Heading over the rise towards Lake hard to find a parking place near the The sign for the Lake Ellery Walk Hawea, Iwas almosthaltedinmytracks start of a 10 minute walk up the hill disappeared in the dust behind me. by the beautiful view and contrasting behind the bay. The track meandered Red Hills lookout couldn't be much coloursofthemountains: risingfrom the up and along the side of the hill. There further. It was. eventually pulled over lake. A compulsory photo stop was in were excellent views out to sea, and at to double-check the directions (I was order, theni itv was ont to Wanaka andmy the end off the walk (it just stopped) you right) but there was no mention of next adventure. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING