Position 43 52.772S 169 02.823E

So we left Wanaka with a song in our heart and all that to cross the Haast Pass to the west coast of the South Island.  There has been a big landslide and the road has been closed for a while.  Now reopened between 0800 and 1800.  After checking it was open we were off – we actually passed the highest point without being aware of it.  Drove along the eastern side of Lake Wanaka.  No not a picture of Lake Wanaka… Think this is Lake Hawea which runs parallel to Lake Wanaka.  The two are separated by a kilometre at narrowest point.

Stopped at a couple of waterfalls on the way down to Haast Village.  This is the Fantail Falls.  Is that because there are two trickles?  Apparently some sort of water wheel was built at the base of the falls (really I hear you say) to drive compressors that powered road making machinery.  I don’t want to know how they do that. Glamour girl just doesn’t do a good smile on camera.

Real mixture of rock sizes and grey sand.

Paul having a look see.

Further along the road a bit of a delay whilst rock drillers try to break away more rock from a recent rock slide site.  Presumably to make the road back into two lanes.  In the LH picture right at the very top you can just make out a faint red blob.  This was the site of the tree-fella’s awning.  Having a bit of a rest.

Tonka toys

Bit of a queue forming and landslip on the other side of the road.

So whilst we were waiting Paul and I went off on a little forage.  Petite waterfall – is that feminine or masculine?

And then onto Thunder Falls – well strike me down,  Notice back in rain forest now.

Talk about toothpaste.

Our lunch spot

Guess what?