Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SOUTH TO HAAST
From Fox Glacier it's a 120km (two-hour) drive to Haast, along a scenic stretch of highway
chopped through lowland forest and occasional pasture, with views inland to sheer-sided
valleys and intermittent but grand views seaward.
About 26km south of Fox Glacier, along SH6, is the
Copland Valley
trailhead, the western
end of the
Copland Track
. It's a six-to-seven-hour tramp to legendary
Welcome Flat
where
thermal springs bubble just metres from the door of DOC's
Welcome Flat Hut
(adult/child $15/
7.50)
. Unsurprisingly, the hut and its adjacent campsite are extremely popular, with a warden
in attendance, so both must be booked in advance either online or in person at DOC visitor
centres.
Lake Moeraki
, 31km north of Haast, is a rippling fishing lake. At its southern end is one of
NZ's best ecolodges,
Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki
(
03-750 0881;
www.wildernesslodge.co.nz
; SH6; d
incl breakfast & dinner $700-1000; )
. In a verdant setting on the edge of a river channel, it
offers comfortable rooms and four-course dinners, but the real delight here are the outdoor
activities, such as kayak trips and coastal walks, guided by people with conservation in
their blood.
About 5km south of Lake Moeraki is the much-photographed
Knights Point
, where the
Haast road was eventually opened in 1965. Stop here if humanly possible.
Ship Creek
, 15km north of Haast, is a terrific place to stretch the legs, boasting two fascin-
ating walks with interesting interpretive panels: the
Dune Lake Walk
(30 minutes return),
which is all sand dunes and stunted forest, leading to a surprising view, and the unsurpris-
ingly swampy
Kahikatea Swamp Forest Walk
(20 minutes return).
If you haven't had your fill of whitebait yet, call into the
Curly Tree Whitebait Company
(
10am-5pm)
, 10km north of Haast at the Waita River bridge. Exemplary whitebait patties for
$8, plus bait to go at the market price.
