Jackson Bay and Penguins!

Onward to Jackson Bay on the West Coast... This remote community, 60km down a no-exit road from Haast was once the site of a failed settling attempt back in the late 19th century... same story that has been repeated many times throughout some of the most remote and inhospitable land in the country: a group of settlers arrive, promised fertile and easy to farm lands in the promised lands, often having escaped either poverty or persecution in their own lands, only to find harsh conditions, dense scrub and an annual rainfall of over 5 metres, literally in the middle of nowhere. Many of the inhabitants that managed to stay on actually took their first motorized journey by aircraft as opposed to car or train, as that was the only effective way of reaching the community in the first part of the 20th Century, the town having no wharf.

Nowadays it's still a small community, popular with whitebaiters during the season and home to a wonderfull wee cafe called the cray pot, and the vicinity of Fiordland Crested Penguin colonies... however to reach these colonies required a pretty rough overnight tramp to Stafford Bay (which turned out to be a slog through muddy bogs and wading through streams and rivers with our packs) to reach the lovely brand new Stafford Bay Hut. Not the 3-4 hours as suggested by the DoC signs, more like a full days's tramp of bushwhacking! Stayed two nights here as it rained.... and the river was flooded so we were staying put (believe it or not as planned) to visit the penguin colonies in the evening. I've never seen rivers rise (and fall) so quickly - amazing.

An eventful walk back along the coast... missing the tide (due to adverse weather conditions) and having to bushwhack over a 300 metre saddle... a mere 10 hours later returning to Merf's house where we'd parked our wee van, then subsequent dash to the pub for a pint and roast lamb! See some more pics here!