Nelson Lake National Park

20.01.17

Due to the bad weather expected on the West Coast in the following days and weeks, we decide to explore the South Island along the East Coast. Our journey initially takes us south to Nelson Lake National Park. It is located in the mountains, where large lakes have formed in the valleys. One of these lakes is Blue Lake, which is said to be the clearest lake in the world. Unfortunately, it can only be reached by a multi-day hike, which we don't feel confident enough to do.

Nevertheless, it is a beautiful mountainous landscape and we take a short hike in the area along Lake Rotoiti. Then we continue east to Hanmer Springs, where we relax in hot thermal and sulphate pools.

Of course, we spend the night in our cozy car at a campground.

The next morning, we drove to Kaikoura. On the way there, we could already see the effects of the earthquake that occurred last November. We saw a lot of damaged bridges, roads, and then also houses in Kaikoura.

We took a walk along the coast and saw that the seabed was now above the water. This makes one realize the forces at work during an earthquake and how it can change the landscape...

In the distance, we even saw dolphins and there were several seals lying on the elevated seabed.