From Haast to Wānaka

A Maverick Traveller: The Podcasts of Mary Jane Walker

PARTICULARLY SCENIC is the section of highway that leads from Haast to Lake Wānaka, and ultimately to the town at the southern end of the lake, via the Haast Pass/Tiorepatea.

Historically, this was an important route for Māori pounamu (greenstone) prospectors, as the top of the pass is only 562 m or 1,844 feet above sea level. This makes it the lowest of the passes traversing the Southern Alps. However, it is girded by mountains, and important tramping tracks branch off to the sides.

. , . The Blue Pools are a gorgeous gem. They are not the only blue pools in New Zealand, made blue by depth and clarity of water. But they are very accessible from the Haast Pass road, near Makarora, whereas other pools of this sort are often more of a hike.

. . . Not a name to inspire much confidence in one’s likelihood of keeping warm, Siberia Hut is located below Mount Dreadful and Mount Awful, which make it sound like the hike was going to be some epic journey out of The Lord of the Rings– but then,the lovely little Crucible Lake was also nearby. In fact, it was a gorgeous day at the time, as you can see!

Original blog post: a-maverick.com/blog/from-haast-to-wanaka