With our time on South Island running out, we reviewed our planning guide to identify places of interest we had not yet visited, and places we hoped to revisit. Collectively, let’s term them “mop-ups”. Revisits could be because we would like to see blooms/ colours at a particular time of year, see a landscape in better conditions, or simply because we liked it. This log revisits the Milford Road from Te Anau to Milford Sound | Piopiotahi, and returns southeast to The Catlins.
Coordinates
Milford Sound revisited
As we set out once more for Milford Sound | Piopiotahi, Lake Te Anau looked calm in the morning sun—a welcome appearance, following days of rain and overnight snow (first photo). The snow-capped Earl Mountains, seen in the second photo from Eglinton Valley, made for good reflections against the blue at Mirror Lakes (third photo). Higher up at Monkey Creek the snow was now roadside, where we’d seen none just a week prior (final photo).
The road had just re-opened following avalanche control that morning as we neared Homer Tunnel; it seemed winter had reasserted itself (first photo). While waiting for the traffic light to change at the tunnel entrance, kea entertained us before we entered the mountain (second photo). The exit rock face sported new cascades (third photo). Then came the winding way down, into the Cleddau Valley (final photo).
What better way to mark 12 months from our UK departure than a day hike on the Milford Track from Milford Sound? It’s a six minute water taxi ride to the start (well, end really…) of the track at Sandfly Point from Deepwater Basin (first photo). Once disembarked there’s an early view of Arthur River (second photo). Then follows an iron bridge over Camp Oven Creek (third photo), which looked original; this part of the track was constructed by a prison labour gang in the late 1800s. Rapids can be seen on Arthur River and beyond, a mountain wearing a collar of fresh snow (final photo).
Lake Ada sits at 43m elevation and is reached after about 3.5km (first photo). The track follows Ada’s edge, but dense bush means there are limited views of it until some 5km in (second photo). Just before reaching Giant Gate Shelter a swing-bridge crosses an unnamed creek (third photo). “Clearwater Creek” would seem a fitting tribute, albeit is not very original (final photo)!
The aforementioned swing-bridge affords views of Giant Gates Falls (first and second photos); a good spot for a sandfly-infested picnic. From Sandfly Point to here is 11km/ 3h return, so depending on your taxi time, turn around and take the same path back (third photo). Enjoy the views towards Boultbee Island from Sandfly Point if you’ve time—and blood—to spare (final photo).
The naming of Sandfly Point was by no means coincidental:
Just as the soul rises to great ecstasies contemplating the beauties of nature you are suddenly brought back to sublunary things by the bite of a darned pernicious, pernickety, perverse, sanguinary, persistent, persecuting, poisonous, insidious, insignificant, voracious, devil’s imp of a sandfly… the only way to escape their fangs is to beat an ignominious retreat, or bag to your head…. This horrid little insect shows no respect for persons, and there is no such thing as getting acclimatised; even old Sutherland, who has been amongst them for 20 years, has to give them best.
D.A. Jolly 1895
As we walked gaps in the canopy were just cause to look up, revealing the big stuff (first photo). But there was so much more to see looking down and around. Examples included this ever-curious fantail/ Rhipidura fuliginosa (second photo); unfurling tree fern/ Dicksonia squarrosa frond (third photo); and palm-leaf fern/ kiokio/ Blechnum novae-zelandiae (final photo).
On this section of the track there were many tree fuchsia/ kotukutuku/ Fuchsia excorticata—with its flaky skin-like bark (first photo), and branches not infrequently fallen onto the path. There were many varied species of moss, lichen and smaller ferns, including Lopidium concinnum (second photo); Hymenophyllum revolutum (third photo); and Cranfillia fluviatilis (final photo).
After a last look at (fully exposed) Mitre Peak (first photo) in Milford Sound, we headed back to DOC’s Cascade Creek Campsite. A pleasant evening (second photo) was followed by a pleasant morning (third photo); these views from pitch are hard to top! We made a third attempt to find the elusive mohua that lives in the beech forest here; only the South Island robin/ Petroica australis was breakfasting in public (final photo).
Mavora Lakes
Like Fiordland National Park, the Mavora Lakes Conservation Park is part of Te Wāhipounamu–South West NZ UNESCO World Heritage Area.
The lakes are reached at end of a dusty 39km gravel road. The DOC campsite sprawls over large area at the bottom end of the northern lake; the road forks off to several secluded pitching areas (first photo). Choose to be enclosed by beech trees, have open views to the lake head some 11km distant (second photo), or go for mixed lake and forest vibes near the outflow (third photo). Curiosity parked among scattered beech, below the Thomson Mountains (final photo).
North Mavora Lake | Hikurangi sits at 615m elevation. We took the Te Araroa path from the DOC camp northward, along the eastern shore for 1h/ 3.5km. Beech grow right on the beach (first photo); the forest route is muddy, having been chewed up by 4WDs. We emerged from the forest into open ground between the Livingstone Mountains to the west (second photo) and the Thomson Mountains to the east (third photo). Beyond the still distant lake head (final photo), onward tracks link adventurous walkers to Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.
South Mavora Lake | Manawapōpōre can be circumnavigated from the DOC camp via a swing-bridge to Mavora Walkway (first photo), which crosses the outflow of the northern lake (second photo). The track runs down the western edge of the Mararoa River and the lake, mostly through beech forest inhabited by the common chaffinch (third photo), although there is some open grassland. Spring got off to a bad start for one nest we found lying on the track (final photo).
The track was in poor condition, with soft ground and some significant tree falls (first photo). After 2h/ 5.5km we reached the outflow of the southern lake (second photo) and crossed a second swing-bridge to regain the eastern shore (third photo). Here seemed like a good place to break for lunch, with views up the lake and across to the shore just transited (final photo). All that was lacking was a picnic table.
If not returning via the same track, follow the road back to camp, which again skirts the lake shore (first photo) and then the Mararoa River (second and third photos). Be prepared for dust showers as vehicles pass by, though! It’s 3.5h/ 11km total for the loop back to North Mavora Lake (final photo).
Southland’s tulips
Fellow travellers from Southland suggested we make a small detour to see the tulip fields in Edendale. Triflor NZ operate NZ’s largest tulip farm; the photos below are take from Tramway Road West. An annual open day allows the public to wander with permission amongst the flowers, which are shortly thereafter debudded. The bulbs are exported to the Northern Hemisphere.
The Catlins
The Lost Gypsy Gallery at Papatowai had now opened (recalling that the winter season hereabouts is generally May through late October). How to best describe it? Curious. Rewarding. Wind-up. Buttons. Levers. Solar and wind-powered. Kinetic. Visual. Auditory. Tactile. Creative. Recycled. Reused. Remade. Retro. Humorous. Caffeinated. Interactive. Detailed. Artistic. Playful. Political. Unconventional. Complicated. Simple. Childish. Adult. Intelligent. Bonkers. Imagineering at its best.
The Cathedral Caves are at the north end of Waipati Beach. Access is via 2km private gravel road off the Chaslands Highway with paid parking, then a 1km bush track. Two sea caves join together forming a V-shape, creating a 200m passage that is up to 30m tall. Access also depends upon tides and sea condition that affect safety: the website has current opening times. A torch is optional, but expect to get wet feet!
Well then, what else needs mopping up as we work our way back up towards Cook Strait? Stay tuned.
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