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New Zealand
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Arthurs Pass
 Arthurs Pass Village and National Park
is Situated
in the heart of
the Southern Alps of New Zealand’s South Island,
this pass negotiates a crossing over rugged mountain
terrain between Canterbury and the West Coast.
The
Arthurs Pass
Village itself stretches for
over a kilometre along the valley floor, and has a
permanent population of about 50 people which makes
for a simple mountain retreat.
Winter
(May to August) often has settled clear weather with
snow on the mountains and less frequently in the
village. It is a great place to enjoy a retreat, with
skiing at the nearby Temple Basin Ski Field and walking from the many easy
trails near the village to more strenuous trails up
into the Alps.
 Spring (September - November)
brings warmer weather, spring flowers, and a great
time to see full rivers, wetlands and mountain birds.
The long warm days of summer and autumn (December -
April) are great for walking, alpine flowers,
canoeing, fishing and discovering nature.
For those
on day trips, there are many short walks where the
trails are clearly marked with estimated walking
times. Popular walks include the Devils Punchbowl,
Bridal Veil Falls (pictured above), which are easy
walks of about an hour each, where after rain the
falls can be spectacular. Up on the pass level, there
are several board walks where you can observe the
alpine flowers in late spring and early summer.
If
you are planning to walk far off the highway, it is
strongly advised that you check the weather, current
park information and register you intentions at the
park visitor center which is situated on the highway
as you drive into the village. Many people do end up
having to be rescued. Many of the peaks require ice
axes, ropes and crampons and within the park, Guided
activities operate year round.
There there is accommodation with
backpackers and motel units, food and refreshments
are available in the 3 cafe's which usually close
with the light of day. Within the park there are many
camp sites and a half days walk or so will take you
to basic but
reasonably comfortable accommodation in forest huts
although these can be full in the busy season.
To get there, it is a three to five hour
driving time from Christchurch, or you can take the TranzAlpine Express.
The Tranz Alpine Express
 Travels
between Christchurch and Greymouth and is rated among the top ten
railway journeys in the world. It covers 223.8 kilometres long and
takes about four and a half hours each way.
After crossing the Canterbury Plains, the train follows the
spectacular Waimakariri Gorge, passing alternately
through 16 tunnels and 5 viaducts, the train passes along the upper
valleys of the Waimakariri River among bush clad, snow-capped
mountains to arrive at Arthurs Pass village.
Following
a short stop, the train enters the Otira Tunnel to
pass under the mountains, emerging 8.5 kilometers (5
miles) away in another valley on its way to the next
stop at the old Otira railway village, then to the
lake side village of Moana, and on to the coastal town of
Greymouth, or if driving you can
continue south to
Hokitika.
The TranzAlpine has good seating arrangements which allow for
individual or tabled group seating but you need to specify this when
booking. The large windows allow
you to experience the amazing views and an often crowded open air viewing carriage
allows you to get even closer to the scenery and gives opportunities
to photograph.
The TranzAlpine departs Christchurch and Greymouth daily.
To travel by rail, call Tranzscenic on 0800 802 802.
Notes:
Some food and refreshments are available on the train, but if
you are on a limited budget, taking a picnic lunch is a cheaper
option.
In winter, dress warmly and we advise those who feel the cold to
take a blanket.
On the return trip from Otira to Arthurs Pass, the train fills with
diesel fumes, so anyone with serious respiratory problems to avoid
this leg of the journey.
The Otira Tunnel with a length of a little over
8500 metres connects Arthur's Pass to Otira. It has a gradient of 1 in 33
with the Otira end of
the tunnel over 250 metres lower than the Arthur's Pass end.
more info.
Other means of transport are the Coast
to Coast and Intercity Busses.
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