Haast – heart of an ancient land
Imagine taking an adventure to a place that looked like Earth did 200 million years ago. A time when lush rainforest covered the Earth and dinosaurs ruled. This was when Africa, South America, Australia and Antarctica were all joined in one colossal Gondwana supercontinent.
I imagine you’re thinking we’d need to head to the deep dark corners of the world to find this place. Perhaps Africa’s wildest jungle in the Congo, home to mountain gorillas. Or the most remote part of the Amazon, where ancient tribes still live cut off from the modern world.
Well, actually, this ancient land is a lot closer to home: right here in New Zealand. It’s so significant, it has the same world heritage status as the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon. The United Nations even went as far as to say this is the best place on Earth to see what Gondwana looked like. Yet I imagine, like me, most Kiwis wouldn’t know much about this place. It’s a Jurassic jungle, I can’t wait to show you.
We’re on the South Island’s West Coast, heading to Haast. This is – by a lot of measures – New Zealand’s most isolated town, and the epicentre of Te Wahipounamu: The South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.
Our first stops are the mighty Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, sitting very close to the main road. Most of the world’s glaciers are in Antarctica or Greenland. They are remote, hostile and inaccessible for the average person. It’s a leisurely 40-minute stroll to see a 12-kilometre stretch of ice reaching right up into the heart of the Southern Alps.
Looking at these hulking frozen waterfalls is one thing, but walking on them is like transporting yourself to an icy planet. The only way to reach them is by helicopter, passing thunderous waterfalls that stretch into the clouds.
Stepping out on the ice, I was a little shocked: it’s no ski park, this is gnarly. We’re talking towering frozen peaks, punctuated by crevices, cracks and fissures. We’re fitted with crampons and start following our guide up towards the icefall – where the frozen features get even more exaggerated. While our guide keeps a close eye on us, we’re constantly reminded that mother nature is in charge, as huge slabs of ice break off and skittle down an area known as the ‘‘bowling alley’’ – a place we keep well away from.
We head through ice caves – along thin ridges – winding our way slowly higher. Another guide is a 100 metres ahead with a pickaxe, clearing a path. As we squeeze through one cave, our guide explains that it will be completely melted within 10 days.
Our walk was an hour I’ll cherish forever; I’ve trekked for 13 days in the Himalayas – but that’s nothing compared to the sense of awe and vulnerability you feel walking across a glacier.
The day had one more breathtaking surprise: an ultra-luxurious rainforest retreat. Romance and the West Coast are not often used in the same sentence – but Te Waonui Rainforest Retreat – tucked away in Franz Josef village, is like a fairy tale in the forest. It has the added bonus of being right next to the Glacier Hot Pools – complete with private cave spas – perfect for relaxing the muscles after an adventurous outing.
The next day we headed to the heart of the Jurassic land: Haast. It’s a further two hours south of Franz Josef, and the centre of the World Heritage area. To give you an idea of how remote this place is – consider this. The Haast region is 2500 square kilometres and home to around 250 people – that’s one person every 10 sq km. For the equivalent size in Singapore, there would be around 80,000 people.
Locals even use VHF radio to communicate – their cars and houses are fitted with them – because cellphone reception is non-existent outside of the tiny village.
Our first lesson about Haast arrived quickly: there’s nothing much to see from the road. The bush is so thick, the only way in is by river or air.
A few hours later, we were racing up the Waiatoto River in New Zealand’s only jet boat safari that starts at the ocean and ends deep in the mountains. The light pastel blues of the river – given its distinct colour from the glaciers that feed it – contrast strongly with the deep greens of the rainforest.
The jet boat stops every few kilometres, as we get deeper into the mountains, with our guide pointing out a kiwi sanctuary and alpine fault lines, before we come to an abrupt stop at an impassible rapid. Here, we get off the boat and start exploring the verdant forest. The bush is so thick, it’s impossible to see the ground through the almost countless layers of green. So, this is what it looked like when dinosaurs roamed. Thankfully, now all we have to worry about is a carnivorous snail.
There is an even better way to get an appreciation of the vastness of the region: by air. As our little chopper lifts off from Haast, we head straight towards the wild untouched heart of the region – a labyrinth of valleys and towering snowcapped mountains.
Our pilot manoeuvres us up a winding narrow gorge, which widens all of a sudden to reveal a secret lake surrounded by waterfalls. Few people have experienced this, it’s impossible to walk here.
We land on the edge of the lake for a quick photo, before heading towards Mt Aspiring National Park. We’re hurtling past some of the country’s tallest mountains – circling their peaks – our blades so close they feel like they’re almost touching the snow. We hover near a ridge of one mountain that’s broken away, revealing an 80m ice cliff to the rock below. The sheer force of nature here is beyond words.
After 20 minutes exploring the inner working of the mountains, we head towards the coast. The colours out of the cockpit turn from crisp whites to the rich greens of the rainforest.
Before long, we’re racing along the coast, full of untouched golden sandy beaches. The helicopter lands in a little sandy cove – it feels like we could be in Thailand – who knew there were so many beautiful beaches in this part of the world?
Yes, the popular tourist destination, Fiordland, falls within this World Heritage Area. But few make it to Haast and taste the delicious freedom of exploring the heart of this ancient land.
The author’s trip was supported by West Coast Tourism, Scenic Hotels and Hertz.