FRANZ JOSEF'S HIDDEN GEM
05 NOVEMEBER 2023
Why Is No One Talking About It??
I love finding hidden gems in every new area we visit as it's so cool to see a place with a fresh pair of eyes. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE visiting stunning places that I've seen a million photos of all over Instagram and Google as the place is always beautiful, even if I've seen it all online, but what I love about visiting a place with very few photos, is that I can share an insanely beautiful place with you guys, and other travellers, because I wonder why NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT?! It's not like we're heading to a hidden spot, which needs to remain hidden, because this track in particular is managed by DoC, so it's known and open to the public.
The West Coast region has some of the most incredible blue water we've ever seen, and most travellers visit the Blue Pools in Makaroroa, just south of Haast, in the Mount Aspiring National Park. We tried to visit them a few months ago but they were closed I think due to a slip on the track, so we were really disappointed as it was so high on our list of things to see and do on the West Coast.
We had a month in Franz Josef and I found out about the Callery Gorge when I was scouting around on Google Maps. This is one of my favourite ways to find cool places that don't always come up on a Google search of an area. I was pretty surprised how blue the water is and the fact that the track is in the Franz Josef town and barely anyone knows about it!
This track was at the top of my list (2nd after visiting Peters Pool again... one of our favourite places in New Zealand with the reflections of the Southern Alps in the mirror lake!) and unfortunately, I ended up with a knee injury, so the track ended up at the bottom of my list! I mean, how was I meant to walk 1.5 hours return to see this incredible river, when I can barely get around the house or sleep, due to the pain and swelling in my knee?
After multiple visits to the doctors on the West Coast and getting nowhere and realising I need to figure out what's wrong with my knee on my own (that's another story for another day... I really don't rate the NZ healthcare system!!). I went on a small walk to Peters Pool (20-mins return) a few days before we went to Callery Gorge, as I was so sick of being stuck inside in one of the most beautiful places on this earth, when the weather was so amazing. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am my best out in nature and I absolutely hate being stuck inside and more so, hate being waited on and having people fuss over me! I realised that the walk didn't make my knee worse, which made me one happy girl! So I decided that I would attempt the track, knowing that it would take us a looot longer than 1.5 hours, but I would get there and that was the most important thing. Some would call me stubborn, but I call myself determined. We only have one life to live and I intend to live it at its fullest and it's important for me to show Arabella and Sienna that we only have limitations in life if we allow them to get in the way.
The start of the track is joined with the Tatare Tunnels Track, which we also did while we were in Franz Josef, then it forks off on its own.
The entire track was incredibly beautiful, with the lush green moss covering almost every inch of the forest and the super clear streams running along beside us. The girls found it really interesting as it was so diverse, which always helps when hiking with kids!! The first part of the track was uphill, but the track was even, and the second half was steep and the path was covered in tree roots and rocks. This definitely slowed us down a lot, because of my knee, so the 1.5 hour track ended up taking closer to 4 hours... but we did it!
It was such a beautiful day to do the hike and we had the most amazing warm weather, after experiencing such a bitterly cold winter. We felt like spring was finally here and we were thankful to be back in shorts and t-shirts and not to have to wear a million layers again! The warmth didn't end up lasting beyond 2 weeks, but at least it was a fleeting moment of joy haha! (Yes, I am going to complain about the cold winter in every single blog until it warms up properly...or until I actually invest in some decent winter clothes ;) )
The West Coast region has some of the most incredible blue water we've ever seen, and most travellers visit the Blue Pools in Makaroroa, just south of Haast, in the Mount Aspiring National Park. We tried to visit them a few months ago but they were closed I think due to a slip on the track, so we were really disappointed as it was so high on our list of things to see and do on the West Coast.
We had a month in Franz Josef and I found out about the Callery Gorge when I was scouting around on Google Maps. This is one of my favourite ways to find cool places that don't always come up on a Google search of an area. I was pretty surprised how blue the water is and the fact that the track is in the Franz Josef town and barely anyone knows about it!
This track was at the top of my list (2nd after visiting Peters Pool again... one of our favourite places in New Zealand with the reflections of the Southern Alps in the mirror lake!) and unfortunately, I ended up with a knee injury, so the track ended up at the bottom of my list! I mean, how was I meant to walk 1.5 hours return to see this incredible river, when I can barely get around the house or sleep, due to the pain and swelling in my knee?
After multiple visits to the doctors on the West Coast and getting nowhere and realising I need to figure out what's wrong with my knee on my own (that's another story for another day... I really don't rate the NZ healthcare system!!). I went on a small walk to Peters Pool (20-mins return) a few days before we went to Callery Gorge, as I was so sick of being stuck inside in one of the most beautiful places on this earth, when the weather was so amazing. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am my best out in nature and I absolutely hate being stuck inside and more so, hate being waited on and having people fuss over me! I realised that the walk didn't make my knee worse, which made me one happy girl! So I decided that I would attempt the track, knowing that it would take us a looot longer than 1.5 hours, but I would get there and that was the most important thing. Some would call me stubborn, but I call myself determined. We only have one life to live and I intend to live it at its fullest and it's important for me to show Arabella and Sienna that we only have limitations in life if we allow them to get in the way.
The start of the track is joined with the Tatare Tunnels Track, which we also did while we were in Franz Josef, then it forks off on its own.
The entire track was incredibly beautiful, with the lush green moss covering almost every inch of the forest and the super clear streams running along beside us. The girls found it really interesting as it was so diverse, which always helps when hiking with kids!! The first part of the track was uphill, but the track was even, and the second half was steep and the path was covered in tree roots and rocks. This definitely slowed us down a lot, because of my knee, so the 1.5 hour track ended up taking closer to 4 hours... but we did it!
It was such a beautiful day to do the hike and we had the most amazing warm weather, after experiencing such a bitterly cold winter. We felt like spring was finally here and we were thankful to be back in shorts and t-shirts and not to have to wear a million layers again! The warmth didn't end up lasting beyond 2 weeks, but at least it was a fleeting moment of joy haha! (Yes, I am going to complain about the cold winter in every single blog until it warms up properly...or until I actually invest in some decent winter clothes ;) )
The Lush Gets Lusher
Before we descended down to the gorge, we were greeted with the most incredible views across Franz Josef and the Waiho River. We could also see Canavans Knob (the bush covered island looking thingy!!), where we did a walk to the top of it and got amazing views in the opposite direction. It's a very underrated walk and one we recommend doing when you're in Franz Josef. Canavans Knob is basically a big rock that was too tough for the glaciers to carve through, when they were making their way down a gazillion years ago, carving out the valley.
This part of the track had a very steep drop off, only a few metres from the track, so if you have little ones, it's imperative you take hold of their hand on this part of the track.
As we wound our way down to the gorge, the lushness got lusher! It's one of the most beautiful walks in New Zealand and I enjoyed every minute of it. We had been told by an older couple we passed on the way, that it was really steep down into the gorge, so we were expecting it to be quite bad, but it really wasn't. With careful footing and a sense of adventure, we made it down just fine.
We passed over a bridge and a small waterfall cascading down the rocks (I imagine it would look even more beautiful when it's raining) and found lots of 'faces' in the forest. This was a lot of fun for the kids to spot once we found the first one, which was clearly made by someone, but then we saw one that looked like a seal, and a few more funny faces along the way! We have noticed that we all really enjoy the diverse walks, that's when we're all the happiest and there's less tears and complaining (all part of the adventure, folks). On this track, the girls loved the waterfalls, clear streams and how lush the forest was (they are always convinced the fairies live in the lush forests!) and I was mostly focused on not breaking my other knee, but I did notice all the weird and wonderful in the forest and really appreciated it.
We also passed by the town water supple pipes and talks, and all sorts of rusty parts from an old gold mining water race, from the gold mining era.
This part of the track had a very steep drop off, only a few metres from the track, so if you have little ones, it's imperative you take hold of their hand on this part of the track.
As we wound our way down to the gorge, the lushness got lusher! It's one of the most beautiful walks in New Zealand and I enjoyed every minute of it. We had been told by an older couple we passed on the way, that it was really steep down into the gorge, so we were expecting it to be quite bad, but it really wasn't. With careful footing and a sense of adventure, we made it down just fine.
We passed over a bridge and a small waterfall cascading down the rocks (I imagine it would look even more beautiful when it's raining) and found lots of 'faces' in the forest. This was a lot of fun for the kids to spot once we found the first one, which was clearly made by someone, but then we saw one that looked like a seal, and a few more funny faces along the way! We have noticed that we all really enjoy the diverse walks, that's when we're all the happiest and there's less tears and complaining (all part of the adventure, folks). On this track, the girls loved the waterfalls, clear streams and how lush the forest was (they are always convinced the fairies live in the lush forests!) and I was mostly focused on not breaking my other knee, but I did notice all the weird and wonderful in the forest and really appreciated it.
We also passed by the town water supple pipes and talks, and all sorts of rusty parts from an old gold mining water race, from the gold mining era.
Views across the Waiho River and of Canavans Knob
Bananas In Pajamas
Kea are highly intelligent and curious birds and are the world's only alpine parrot, so they are pretty special! They are predominantly in the South Island of New Zealand and the only time we have seen them in the North Island, is at Auckland Zoo. In the south, we've seen them in Franz Josef town (and this track - I'll get to that in a minute but first, learn), Arthurs Pass at the train station, heard them on the Kea Point Track in Mt Cook, and along the Milford Sound Road by the Homer Tunnel as we were heading out to do the Milford Sound cruise.
I saw a bird in the distance walking along the pipe, parallel to the track we were on, and I was surprised at how big it was and was even more surprised (and super excited!!) to see that it was a kea, once we got closer. I quickly got out my long lense for my camera and told the girls to be veeeeeeeery quiiiiet and stay behind with Daddy while I creep a bit closer to get a better look. Of course, I get closer and I find the girls at my heels! They're just as curious as Lath and I are about birds in the wild.
The kea shot off into the bush but stayed really close and hopped up onto an old stump to watch us. Their curious nature is what helps us see them in the wild, as they aren't too scared. Also, they get fed A LOT. You'll see signs in every town where the kea as, saying "do not feed the kea"...but it's so hard not to when you want to get a good look at them! We hung around for about 20-minutes, just watching the kea exploring the foresting around us, keeping an eye on us and what we were doing. It was really awesome to see it up close in the wild and get some photos. I was hoping it would stretch its wings out as the colours underneath are like the rainbow!
Most of the kea in New Zealand are tagged for identification, research and conservation, and this little guy was called B1. We were wondering where B2 was and why they weren't wearing their pajamas and why they weren't coming down the stairs in their underwear ;) ! (Google Bananas in Pajamas in case you're not familiar with the reference).
I saw a bird in the distance walking along the pipe, parallel to the track we were on, and I was surprised at how big it was and was even more surprised (and super excited!!) to see that it was a kea, once we got closer. I quickly got out my long lense for my camera and told the girls to be veeeeeeeery quiiiiet and stay behind with Daddy while I creep a bit closer to get a better look. Of course, I get closer and I find the girls at my heels! They're just as curious as Lath and I are about birds in the wild.
The kea shot off into the bush but stayed really close and hopped up onto an old stump to watch us. Their curious nature is what helps us see them in the wild, as they aren't too scared. Also, they get fed A LOT. You'll see signs in every town where the kea as, saying "do not feed the kea"...but it's so hard not to when you want to get a good look at them! We hung around for about 20-minutes, just watching the kea exploring the foresting around us, keeping an eye on us and what we were doing. It was really awesome to see it up close in the wild and get some photos. I was hoping it would stretch its wings out as the colours underneath are like the rainbow!
Most of the kea in New Zealand are tagged for identification, research and conservation, and this little guy was called B1. We were wondering where B2 was and why they weren't wearing their pajamas and why they weren't coming down the stairs in their underwear ;) ! (Google Bananas in Pajamas in case you're not familiar with the reference).
You Know What's Crazy?
Once we got to the gorge, we were treated to some of the bluest water we've ever seen! The track stops at the swing bridge (not sure where it used to go, but it's closed) and you can stand above the water, marveling in the incredible colour. The water comes straight from the Franz Josef Glacier, so it's no wonder it's so blue and beautiful! The milkiness of the water is due to the glacier flour, which is a fine-grained sediment composed of tiny rock particles that result from the grinding and pulverizing of bedrock by glaciers. We have seen the water like this along the Waiho River in Franz Josef, as well as in Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki, both in Canterbury, which have the most UNREAL blue colour.
After a very long and slow hike through the rainforest, because of my knee, we were glad to have finally made it! The gorge was better than we thought it would be and it was so cool to stand above the water on the bridge and see such a vibrant colour below. Although, I am TERRIBLE with heights and bridges so I wasn't really comfortable until everyone was off and the kids had stopped running across it! Talk about sweaty palms and a mild panic attack haha.
There is a small path on the left, a few metres before the bridge, that takes you down to the river so you can look back across to the bright and get a better view around the corner to the right. Lath went down with the girls to take some pictures as I just couldn't get down there with my knee injury. This is a great spot to chill for a while or have a picnic, and if you're any good at skipping stones then this would be the ideal spot.
The crazy thing about the day we went, is that it had rained the day before, so the water wasn't as blue as it usually is!! Usually it's best to wait a few days until there's been no rain, as this is when the water is at its bluest, otherwise it can end up looking very ugly and grey!!
After a very long and slow hike through the rainforest, because of my knee, we were glad to have finally made it! The gorge was better than we thought it would be and it was so cool to stand above the water on the bridge and see such a vibrant colour below. Although, I am TERRIBLE with heights and bridges so I wasn't really comfortable until everyone was off and the kids had stopped running across it! Talk about sweaty palms and a mild panic attack haha.
There is a small path on the left, a few metres before the bridge, that takes you down to the river so you can look back across to the bright and get a better view around the corner to the right. Lath went down with the girls to take some pictures as I just couldn't get down there with my knee injury. This is a great spot to chill for a while or have a picnic, and if you're any good at skipping stones then this would be the ideal spot.
The crazy thing about the day we went, is that it had rained the day before, so the water wasn't as blue as it usually is!! Usually it's best to wait a few days until there's been no rain, as this is when the water is at its bluest, otherwise it can end up looking very ugly and grey!!
Know Before You Go
- It's best to visit the Callery Gorge when there hasn't been any rain for a couple of days, otherwise the water may be grey!
- The track is steep in some parts, with tree roots and rocks on the path (I managed it with a knee injury!)
- No dogs are allowed on this track
- The trailhead is in the town, so it's easy to get to if you have no transport!
- There are no toilets here, you'll need to go to the ones in town
- The track is 5.2kms long and takes 1.5 hours return
- You can pop in or call the Westland National Park Visitor Centre in Franz Josef on the day or your hike, if you want to check the track conditions
How To Get To The Callery Gorge Walk In Franz Josef
The trailhead is easy to find and is the Franz Josef town, which is perfect if you don't have any transport. It's at the end of Cowan Street and although there is no carpark, there's usually of street parking available. Click here for directions on Google Maps.
Conclusion
The Callery Gorge walks is one of the most beautiful and diverse walks we have done in New Zealand. Where else can you see vibrant blue water, trek through lush rainforest, meet a curious kea and get incredible views like this? We highly recommend this track when you're in Franz Josef and as with all our walks and hikes, kids can do it too!
Gallery of the Callery Gorge Walk
Check out the rest of the awesomeness that didn't make it to the main blog but deserves to be shown.
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