Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → Canterbury → Arthur’s Pass

Location: Arthur’s Pass area, Canterbury, New Zealand

Time Required: a few hours – 3 days

Red Tape/Notes: None.

What’s Nearby?: Devil’s Punchbowl Falls, Cave Stream, Castle Hill

You can either use Arthur’s Pass as a means of getting from the east coast to the west coast of the South Island, or you can spend a day or two in the area and enjoy some of the great trails and waterfalls. Either way, the route sports some beautiful views and little roadside turn-outs where you can stop to take pictures. If you’re hoping to see Kea, this area is almost a sure bet. I thought one was going to climb in the car with us as we were waiting at a light for a one-lane bridge. There’s also a fun stop you can make on the west side of the pass at the Historic Kumara Swimming Baths site. It’s mostly filled in with dirt now, so it’s not very deep, but you can still see the top of the stone walls bordering the area (it was a huge pool!) and there’s an informative sign with pictures of the pool when it was in use in the 1930’s.

Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → Canterbury → Arthur’s Pass