Worth the Wait!

The Hokitika Gorge has been on my ‘Must See’ list for a while. Last week, I was finally able to tick it off. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely!

Leaving Hokitika, on the 30-minute drive to the gorge, I wondered if being a cloudy day might affect the colour of the water. I'd read the river is a brilliant teal colour on sunny days and a milkier, less vivid blue on cloudy days. But, it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. Sunshine or clouds, the Hokitika Gorge is stunning in any weather.

 

Despite it being the school holidays there were lots of empty car parks. Maybe that was due to there being fewer overseas tourists due to covid. 

 

I walked a short distance through native bush before arriving at a viewing platform overlooking the gorge. This is the spot that I’d seen lots of photos taken from. So, just like others before me, I lifted my camera and clicked away.

Continuing along the track, curved boardwalks lead to the first swing bridge. 

The swing bridge offered breath-taking views of turquoise water flowing past the rocky sides of the gorge. The contrast of the bluey-green water, the pale rocks, and native bush was spectacular. I could have stood on the swing bridge for hours admiring the view but had to move on when people arrived to cross the bridge. 

If you're wondering how the water gets to be this colour, it's because of 'rock flour'. Rock flour is

tiny particles of rock caused by the grinding of bedrock when glaciers erode. Because it's so small (smaller than sand) it's suspended in the water making it a milky colour.

A little further along was another viewing platform, which is upstream of the bridge. Beside the platform are steps leading down to a rocky beach. There’s a gate to open before getting to the steps and signs warning people of the dangers of swimming in the gorge. The river is very cold, dangerous and swift and has taken lives.

Looking towards the first swingbridge.

Wikipedia states ... The Hokitika Gorge was ground out of granite by the Hokitika River. 

A quote I read recently that seems fitting is ...

'A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but its persistence.'

I continued walking further along the track, across more boardwalks, with glimpses of the river below. It wasn't long before I came to a second suspension bridge, recently built in 2020. At 90-metres long, it's one of New Zealand's longest suspension bridges (The Buller Gorge being the longest at 110 metres).  

 

To the right of the bridge, the foothills of the Southern Alps can be seen, while to the left is the view of the Hokitika Gorge.  

View from one side of the swingbridge - down the Hokitika Gorge.

Looking towards the foothills of the Southern Alps.

From the bridge, it’s an easy half-hour walk through native forest back to the car. I know two dogs that would have loved to have been with me on this walk, but it's DOC, so no dogs allowed.

Here's an interesting piece of information I found and copied from a DOC, Conservation Blog about moose being released at the Gorge in 1900.

Hokitika Gorge was the scene of the first release of moose in New Zealand in 1900 when fourteen moose calves were sent to New Zealand from Canada. Only four survived the journey and were released at the Gorge, adapting to the new conditions and diet under the watchful eye of a full-time minder. After a few weeks, the two bucks headed to the high country, while the two does took up residence in the lower reaches of the Gorge. According to legend, local farmer, Bert Cropp shot one of the moose after she made a nuisance of herself in the gardens around Kowhitirangi. Moose sightings were reported until 1914, and there is no evidence that they ever bred.