I was planning a trip to the coast when I came across this article in Stuff (August 16 2020):
It doesnât get much better than this: a spectacular new swing bridge crossing a glacial blue river, native birdsong and views of the Southern Alps.
New Zealandâs latest walk opens today, and I was lucky enough to get a preview before the ribbon was cut.
The Hokitika Gorge Walk is one of the West Coastâs more popular, usually attracting nearly 40,000 people a year. They make the journey for a short 15-minute stroll to see surreal turquoise waters that drain from the distant Sale glacier, tucked away more than 1219 metres high in the Southern Alps. The river carves through granite to form a narrow gorge surrounded by lush rainforest.
The original track had a lookout and old swing bridge - but was always in need of a little extra to make it a âdestination walkâ and justify the 40-minute drive from Hokitika.
Today, a new 45-minute extension has opened, which joins up to the original track, making it a one hour loop.
The walk starts in the old section, crossing the original swing bridge. From there, youâre soon greeted by a new bush boardwalk, weaving through lush forest up the river.
The track hugs the edge of the gorge, before reaching a lookout, where you get another birdâs eye view of the intense blues of the river, formed by âglacier flourâ. This occurs when a glacier scrapes over rock, almost like a very slow-moving bulldozer, grinding it down to tiny pieces, which then flow into the river. When light hits the water, this ground-up rock helps absorb specific colours (like red and orange), while reflecting the stunning bluey greens.
The trackâs main attraction is its enormous new 90 metre swing bridge. The longest in New Zealand is found at the Buller Gorge, at 110 metres. Although completely safe, it moves a fair bit.
This new bridge, on the other hand, is like a four-lane highway in comparison. Itâs large, wide, and hardly wobbles.
The bridge crosses the main river, and over an island full of trees, meaning youâll stroll through the forest canopy.
The rest of the walk is an easy 30 minute wander through native bush back to the start - ending the family-friendly loop.
The old 15-minute track proved popular in recent months as Kiwis started exploring more of their backyard, with the Department of Conservation recording 3000 domestic visitors in June alone.
Those numbers are no doubt about to explode, as Kiwis realise the old track was a mere warm-up to the super-sized version that has just opened.
If you'd like to know more, check out the Department of Conservation website.