9 Feb: Arthur’s Pass
We started from Hokitika with the idea of camping along Lake Brunner, but we made great time and decided to keep going to Arthur’s Pass.
From Hokitika, we rode on back roads and dirt roads, skirted the south side of Lake Brunner and hit the pavement toward Inchbonnie.
The gentle grades from Jacksons gave way to steeper, more winding roads. Signs warned of a 16% grade, and up we went, reaching the peak and heading down into Arthur’s Pass Village.
We were rewarded a favorite snack, kumara (sweet potato) pies, and a sighting of the kea, a bold alpine parrot. They’ll try to steal your kumara pie.
Kea!
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