We flew from Auckland to Christchurch and got up early the next day to board the TranzAlpine railway. The TranzAlpine is considered one of the world’s great train journeys because of the scenery. It is 139 miles one-way, takes almost 5 hours, goes through 16 tunnels and four viaducts. The route takes it from Christchurch through the Canterbury Plaines, past the Waimakariri River to Rolleston. It then passes through the Southern Alps past the Waimakariri River gorge via Arthur’s pass and ends in Greymouth on the West Coast. We rode it as far as Arthur’s pass.

From there we were on a bus to Hokitika. Hokitika is a beach town on the west coast known for its Pounamu. Pounamu is also known as Greenstone or nephrite jade. The stone is important to the Maori culture. Not all Pounamu is jade. Pounamu can only be found in New Zealand whereas some of the greenstone found in shops is jade from other countries. There are many different kinds of Pounamu, distinguished by the color. 

We overnighted in Franz Joseph and took a jetboat on the River Haast the next day. It was a rainy day and we were the last people allowed on the river due to high water levels. Lots of waterfalls.

The west coast is wet and tropical. As soon as you cross over the alps to the east, the climate changes quite drastically. Back over the Alps again and on to Queenstown.