Leaving Lake Wanaka behind us at the start of Haast Pass, the grassy farmlands made way for dense rainforest similar to what we'd become accustomed to in The Catlins. The further we ventured into the mountains the heavier the rain became. The valley seemed to be leaking water everywhere and in torrents. The named waterfalls we absolutely gushing. We stopped briefly at Fantail Falls before the biting insects drove us straight back to the car.
Further downstream Thunder Creek Falls looked to be at full capacity and Thunder Creek itself was just down right dangerous.
The weather wasn't much help for the run down to Haast where we had lunch. We considered tracking south to Jackson Bay but with the rain setting in we decided it wasn't worth it and it was potentially dangerous with flooding and mud slides. The run through Haast Pass had made us nervous. Instead we set off north toward our final destination, Fox Glacier.
It didn't rain the whole time and even saw the sun on occasion including (and fortunately) when we were at Knight's Point Lookout (above & below). The forests on the West Coast were even more impressive than Coastal Otago. The Southern Alps squeeze the water out of any clouds that try to cross the coast, allowing the rainforest to flourish.
Not far up the road from Knights Point the rain slammed the coast. Driving was extremely difficult with visibility down to about ten metres. We made it to Fox Glacier in one piece but only just. The clouds were blocking any view of the mountain peaks that tower over the town so we settled into our nice motel and came up with a plan for the next day or so hoping the weather would cut us a break.
