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Part 5 of 7New Zealand's South Island, 2019

Methven and over Arthur's Pass

Friendly locals in Methven, the limestone rocks at Castle Hill, lunch at Arthur's Pass and the walk to Devil's Punchbowl Falls.

By Thawaio1 min read28–29 November 2019 · Methven and Arthur's Pass

Huge grey limestone boulders on a green grassy slope under a blue sky with large white clouds, with a small figure walking towards them.
Kura Tāwhiti / Castle Hill, 29 November.

A friendly evening in Methven

From Moeraki, we continued north to Methven, where we stayed the night. I remember Methven as a lovely place, and the people there were particularly friendly. Some of the locals came to have a drink and chat with us.

The view from where we stayed was beautiful. A photograph of that view later became the main picture on the home page of this blog.

Flat green fields stretching to a line of dark trees, with a long mountain range under a clear evening sky.
Fields and mountains at Methven, 28 November.

Among the rocks at Castle Hill

On 29 November, we left Methven and drove towards Arthur’s Pass. On the way, we stopped at Kura Tāwhiti / Castle Hill, with its enormous boulders and limestone formations. We walked around the rocks, and I took some photographs there that I particularly like.

Clusters of grey limestone rocks along green hillsides, with a flat rock lying in the grass in the foreground under white cloud.
Limestone rocks across the grass.
A slope scattered with grey boulders above a wide green valley, with mountains in the distance.
Boulders above the valley.

Arthur’s Pass

Further on, we stopped at the stone sign for Arthur’s Pass National Park and took photographs.

A low stone wall with red letters reading “Arthur’s Pass National Park”, in front of a wide river valley between forested mountains with snow on the distant peaks.
The national park sign, 29 November.

We had lunch at Arthur’s Pass Store, the red building beside the road.

A red building with a sign reading “Arthurs Pass Store” beside the road, with parked cars in front and forested hills behind.
Arthur's Pass Store.

After lunch, we walked the Devil’s Punchbowl Falls track all the way to the waterfall. Along the way, my son wanted to be carried, and his mother encouraged him to keep walking.

A tall, narrow waterfall falling between steep forested cliffs, above a rocky stream in the foreground.
Devil's Punchbowl Falls, above the stream.

Lake Brunner

Heading west, we stopped at Lake Brunner.

A curved stone breakwater running out into a deep blue lake, with a few people at the far end and a forested mountain under white cloud beyond.
Lake Brunner, 29 November.

From there, we continued towards Greymouth, where I think we spent the night.