Northern South Island, NZ: Scenery

Photos taken from the roadside or on short walks in the northern and central parts of Te Waipounamu (South Island), Aotearoa New Zealand. See here for the southern part of the island.

Tasman (Te Tai-o-Aorere)

Cape Farewell and Golden Bay (Mohua)

Track to Wharariki Beach, Cape Farewell.

One of the Archway Islands, Wharariki Beach.

Toward Puponga Hilltop Track, Wharariki Beach.

Road to Cape Farewell.

The Grove Scenic Reserve, Clifton.

Labyrinth Rocks, Tākaka.

Pikikirunga Range, east of Tākaka.

Ligar Bay, from Abel Tasman Monument.

Tākaka Hill and Canaan Downs

There is no path directly from Gorge Creek Lookout to the top of Harwood’s Hole. I would know, because I tried to find one. So the only place to see Harwood’s Hole is from the official lookout, 40-50 meters below Gorge Creek Lookout.

Upper Tākaka Valley, from Tākaka Hill Walkway.

Lower Tākaka Valley.

Harwood's Hole Track, Canaan Downs.

Harwood's Hole Track.

Harwood's Hole.

Gorge Creek Lookout, Harwood's Hole Track.

Riuwaka Resurgence

The Riuwaka emerges from Tākaka Hill’s limestone cave system.

The Resurgence.

Riuwaka River.

Skull Rock with Habsburg jaw.

Sandy Bay and Towers Bay

Split Apple Rock (Toka Ngawhā), Towers Bay.

Towers Bay.

Motuareronui (Adele Island) & Sandy Bay.

Nelson (Whakatū)

Nelson from Boulder Bank.

Miyazu Japanese Garden.

Botanical Hill - 'Centre of New Zealand'.

Marlborough (Te Tauihu-o-te-waka)

“Te Tau Ihu” is also used to refer to the more northerly parts of both Marlborough and Tasman, as well as all of Nelson.

Havelock.

Approaching Taylor Pass from the south.

Near Taylor Pass.

Toward Blenheim from Taylor Pass.

Back toward Taylor Pass.

Blenheim.

Canterbury (Waitaha)

Kaikōura Peninsula, North Canterbury

fur seal

Hurunui, North Canterbury

Waiau Uwha River, btw Culverden & Amuri Ranges.

Point 669 and Waiau River Estate.

Point 669 in different light.

Acheron Rd, Molesworth, Clarence River Valley.

N along Acheron Rd. Clarence River to left.

My friend Fay called this Molesworth photo particularly Middle Earth-y.

More Molesworth. Points 1205 & 1340, above Acheron cottage.

Tophouse Rd: Mt Sinclair. Fowler's Pass at left.

Tophouse Rd: Black Serpent. Coiled serpent I get, but 'black'?

Tophouse Rd: Mt Princess and Lake Tennyson.

Banks Peninsula (Horomaka), Central Canterbury

Lyttelton Harbour from Breeze Bay walking track, Godley Head (Awaroa).

mounds of roadworks materials

hills over Long Bay

French tricolor upon the waters of French Bay, Akaroa

Castle Hill (Kura Tāwhiti) and nearby, Central Canterbury

Morning near Waimakariri-Lake Pearson

Morning near Lake Pearson-Castle Hill

Castle Hill rocks

The highway through Castle Hill, on misty mornings, is my favorite drive in Canterbury.

Rakaia and Hakatere Valleys, Central Canterbury

Hedgehog approaching Mt Potts, Hakatere.

Rakaia Valley. Big Ben Range at left.

L, Peak Hill. R, Willis Peak & Red Hill.

Lake Georgina, east of Lake Coleridge.

Timaru and nearby, South Canterbury

Near Arundel. Toward Four Peaks Range (center), Mt Peel (right).

Are these succulents? Kensington, Timaru.

I balanced 5 sticks on a buried tree.

Mackenzie Basin, South Canterbury

Ben Ohau (right), Ohau Range (left) from Ohau Downs.

Between Ben Ohau and Twizel.

Between Twizel and Omarama.

Omarama Cemetery.

Benmore Range from Lake Ohau Rd.

Benmore Range.

Highway near Benmore Range.

I believe the snowy Ohau Downs photo is the only edited photo on this page.

Waitaki Valley, South Canterbury (formerly North Otago)

Elephant Rocks, Duntroon. I see a hippo.

Near Kurow and Waitaki Dam.

Rostriever Run (run = parcel owned by a ranch).

West Coast (Te Tai Poutini)

The above sections have largely moved from north to south. From here, the sections move back north, but on the far side of the Southern Alps.

Southern Westland

Jackson Bay, southernmost point on coastal road.

Arawhata River & Haast Range.

Between Jackson Bay and Haast.

Gates of Haast. Beyond, Mt Brewster.

Hooker Glacier above Haast River at Pleasant Flat.

Grey District

Arnold Valley, approaching Lake Brunner. Mt Te Kinga at left.

Hohonu Range, also across Lake Brunner.

Moana village, Lake Brunner, Mt Te Kinga.

The TranzAlpine train stops in Moana village.

Driftwood house, Greymouth.

Motukiekie Rocks.

Buller District coast

Looking south from Cape Foulwind, near Westport.

North toward Cape Foulwind.

Flourishing harakeke.

Paparoa Range. Mt Uriah prominent center-right?

Pancake Rocks at Dolomite Point, Punakaiki.

Sunset at Pancake Rocks.

N, from Pancake Rocks twd Perpendicular Point.

Other than the Pancake Rocks, I hadn't seen photos of the Buller-Grey coastline before visiting. This looks a lot like my imagination of the southeastern Australian and Tasmanian coasts - which I have never visited. I would have been surprised to learn it was in NZ.

Buller District inland

Springs Junction, Maruia River valley.

Buller River & Mt William Range, Berlins.

Sandflies need to eat, too. Cafe at Berlins.