After spending the night in the former Hokitika fire station that has been very nicely renovated as a five-room hotel, we heard that the Hokitika Gorge is a don’t miss it side trip.

The area outside of town is all pastureland (sheep, and dairy cows) and laid out on a grid so it’s left and right turns for most of the 30-minute drive southwest to the gorge.

Then the central mountain range that we’ll be heading up into later today rises up in the distance. So awesome to see snow in late spring here.

The gorge has been carved by all the millennium of water running out of the central range.

And there is another swing bridge to cross!

On the drive out and back there are quite a few one-lane bridges to cross (and more to come). The sign lets you know who has dibs on crossing.

After grabbing lunch back in Hokitika, we leave the west coast behind for the twisty drive up to an overnight at the Bealey Hotel in Arthurs Pass.

And then there is the bird encounter – flipping to another bird.

Goodbye to the Weka and hello to the Kea, an alpine parrot that is described to be at the peak of the parrot intelligence. They are incredibly curious and want to check out and peck everything around them, including sneakers, legs and the rubber weatherstripping on cars, bike tires and more.

Arriving in Arthurs Pass the mountains open up to a wide alpine meadow, with the Waimakariri River running through to the east.

More hiking tomorrow!