Arthur's Pass - Land Of The Great Spotted Kiwi

As we passed into the mountains, I had the eerie sensation that I was Idaho, or Montana. The high mountains, covered in tussock and bare of trees, only needed some elk to make the illusion complete. I wondered if we were in a rain shadow, or if the mountains had been burned or logged (all three are possibilities). The rivers had immensely-wide alluvial beds reminiscent of glacial outwash channels like you might see in Canada, but no glaciers here. We passed a rock climbing area.

Eventually, though, we entered the park proper and found ourselves in forest. We found the cabin (or "bach") and moved our stuff into it. We walked to the townsite, saw some keas in a parking lot, and had dinner at the Wobbly Kea Cafe. I yearned to see the nocturnal Great Spotted Kiwi that live at Arthur's Pass, but with only 18 to 22 individuals, the chances were too small to see this amazing bird. We walked back and tried to fix the TV.

Disagreeable digestion followed in the night. Travel can be risky!