Today we are seeing Hokitika's most iconic landscape, the Hokitika Gorge.
Today we are going to feast our eyes on milky blue waters.
Today we are hitting the road to Hokitika Gorge which which is only about a 25km journey
out of Hokitika down a few gravel roads until we reach the car park to the gorge.
And here we are greeted by some lovely signs which tell us about not only the different
walks in the area, but also the geography of the area so it's always nice to learn while
you're travelling around.
The walk down to the gorge is really short and super well maintained.
It's a really wide gravel walk and there's even a few parts which are boardwalk because
I guess it was a little bit too hard for most people to make their way down and it takes
us through awesome native bush with some glimpse here and there of the gorge, it's really awesome
and we get a kind of teaser while walking down of what is to come.
We even see some people jumping from the world famous Hokitika Swing Bridge.
it's really awesome and we get ourselves pumped while walking down toward the gorge.
This whole landscape is a contrast of grey rocky cliffs and lush green forest.
It's amazing even the walk down to the gorge is a highlight in itself.
It only takes us about 10 minutes to walk down here but we're just taking our time cos
this place is just so awesome.
Soon enough we are arriving close to the highlight of this walk which is a massive swing bridge
that stretched from one side to the other of the gorge.
This will give us the best view of the gorge itself and its milky blue water just underneath.
As we are crossing the bridge we are taking a moment to appreciate the splendor that is
surrounding us, the milky blue waters, the grey rock, the lush rainforest, it's absolutely
awesome it all comes together to make a picture perfect of New Zealand right here.
As we're walking we here the squeaking of the bridge behind each of our steps.
a bit scary but the bridge holds on.
But the awing bridge only actually marks halfway on the Hokitika Gorge walk so we are continuing
through this beautiful native rainforest and heading down to the water itself.
although we saw people jumping into the water from the bridge it is still winter and the
water is glacial so you're not going to see us jump in the water but we really want to
check it out the colour is so unusual and so beautiful that we have to just go down
and see it with our own eyes.
And with milky blue waters super rocks and a lot of moss and trees everywhere if you
want to get a perfect New zealand picture this is really the place to be.
And for that very reason Laura goes nuts and she's running around with her camera and there
is no stopping her.
I really have to pull her away from the rocks and the waters to be able to keep on going
with our trek.
Because Hokitika Gorge is usually just a pit stop for people while they are going on their
way down to the glaciers there's usually not too many people hanging about making for some
deserted and uninterrupted views.
After climbing almost every single rock that we could and taking about 200 pictures that's
the actual camera count for Laura today we are making our way back toward the campervan.
Despite the fact that this is winter right now we are getting a little bit hot the Hokitika
Gorge are the place to be today there is not a cloud on the horizon and everything looks
absolutely gorgeous so as soon as we find a little bit of shade in the forest, we are
taking the time to get a little bit of water, a little bit of food and making sure we are
fully stuffed for the rest of the walk.
Because it's a one way hike we get to see the same way that we saw on the way in but
on the complete different angle and I do really like that we see much more stuff out of just
one walk.
It's really one of my kind of favourite hikes in New Zealand.
And here we are back at the famous Hokitika Gorge swing bridge we just can't get enough
of this place.
I mean, the footage speaks for itself.
It is a beautiful place.
it puts the gorge in gorgeous.
And we are heading back towards the other end of the trail and into forest.
On the way back up the cliff Laura takes the time to take the picture of a little koru.
Koru are basically baby ferns and their spiral shape always makes it for really interesting
pictures but there were also very important part of the diet of the early Maori.
Back in the day, they did not have much sources of fibre so they used to cut those little
tender koru and boil them into a soup that they used to eat at least once a week.
We are now making our way back toward the little township of Hokitika where we still
have yet to explore everything.
Tomorrow we are planning to go to the Treetop Walk if the weather permits.
Yo, yo, yo my name is Laura you can call me Laura cos that's my name.
You are boom piff paff alright...