Day 9 The TranzAlpine Train to Arthurs Pass

Our guide for the day, Sue, a native Kiwi, picked us up at 7:30am to catch the 8:10 train from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass. The weather was chilly and threatening so we were worried we would have a bit of a gloomy day. As you can see from the pictures, it started out quite foggy but throughout the 2 hour trip the sky became brighter and brighter. When we arrived it was partly sunny and about 55 degrees which was quite pleasant for our various walks, and we were dressed appropriately to be comfortable. As the sky brightened the views also became more and more impressive.

The town of Arthurs Pass has a population of 40 people. It hosts two cafes for the tourists, and you can see below photos of the town post office and local library (i.e. old fridge).

We experienced a lovely hike on a wooded and mossy path that crossed over streams with waterfalls. We were amazed at how clear the water was; it looked like it had just come out of the faucet! The natural vegetation is varied and beautiful which looked like it could be manicured landscape at a high-end resort. At one point a curious South Island Robin chirped around us and even landed on Sue's head twice! Sue took us to several other stops that offered some history of the area and additional stunning views. We learned that in the 1860s Arthur Dobson and his brothers (with much help from the native Māori people) carved the original road through the area which crossed the southern Alps. Once the road was carved, Arthur's pass became a popular vacation destination for the early settlers and there were photos on some of the plaques showing some of the early visitors.

After lunch, we stopped at a serene lake that was home to New Zealand's prized puteketeke bird where we did get to see one calmly swimming around the lake. The bird was too far away for us to snap a photo. However, for those John Oliver fans, this was the bird he hilariously campaigned for "Bird of the Century". You can see a summary of his puteketeke efforts by clicking this link:

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/11/15/exp-new-zealand-bird-of-the-century-john-oliver-puteketeke-rdr-111503aseg2-cnni-world.cnn

Anyway, it was a lovely lake surrounded by gorgeous mountains...

One additional treat is we got to see a Kea Parrot which is an endangered bird in NZ. It is very large, about the size of a chicken and apparently is very smart. Here is a little video of the bird:

Our final stop of the day was Castle Hill and it did not disappoint! It was a stunning expanse of crazy and huge rock formations. These rocks were all once underwater which is believed to be the cause of why they are all so smooth. Many people come here for spiritual connection, sometimes for yoga retreats or just to experience this unusual natural phenomenon. Even the Dali Lama visited the site in the early 2000s when he came to Christchurch following the devastating earthquake. We climbed to the tippety top and relished the spectacular views. It was nothing we ever experienced before and will always be a very special memory.

Day 9 was a gem! On to Queenstown tomorrow!

NZ Fun Fact: The parks seem very quiet without any squirrels!