THE JOURNEY CAN BE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE DESTINATION
06 NOVEMBER 2023
Wonky Donkey Trees
We picked a really fine day to head out to Lake Brunner to visit the Carew Falls. We were staying in Hokitika for a few weeks, so anything pretty within a certain radius was on our list of things to do! We had been spending LOADS of time on Hokitika Beach lighting fires, toasting marshmallows and sausages, and building beach huts out of driftwood, so it was time to get back into the land of trees, fairies and waterfalls.
The drive out to Lake Brunner from Hokitika took 45-minutes and it was a stunning drive! We passed over blue rivers, sparkling with gold from the schist stones, and we were treated to endless views around and nothing but blue sky! Once we got closer to the lake, it seemed like we were heading into the middle of nowhere, as we wound our way through the forests on a gravel road. We passed a house every now and then and felt ourselves get further and further away from society.... until we came out into the open, got a full view of the sparkling Lake Brunner and saw a little village! It was unexpected to say the least and it felt like we had stumbled upon a little oasis.... I'm sure the blue sky helped with this... doesn't everything seem amazing when the sun is shining?
The trailhead to the falls isn't far from the lake and parking is limited. There were already 2 cars parked here when we arrived and one spot left just for us, so if the carpark is full, you'll have to park closer to the lake and walk up.
It was a beautiful and warm day, but we were still armed with pants, thermals and jackets! Spring weather in New Zealand can be really tricky to navigate... just this past week the Milford Road in Southland was closed due to snow, it was in the mid 20s in Blenheim, and super windy and cold in Hokitika! I absolutely love winter, but it has felt like winter for the last 8 months and we're ready for the heat... bring it on!
The track out to Carew Falls is 2km return and it's a really beautiful walk that takes you through the rainforest. It's covered the whole day which is ideal when it's raining and you're keen to see the waterfall without getting soaked!
We actually found a lot of cool stuff on the walk including loads of skeleton leaves (Sienna's favourite!), lots of wonky donkey trees that twist this way and that and have lots of 'fairy' houses in them (according to Arabella and Sienna). We also found some brown fungus growing on a tree (pictured below) and lots of new punga fern fronds curled up, waiting to gracefully uncurl and bring new life to the forest. I used my 50mm lense to capture the fronds, as it's my favourite lense to use when I find weird and wonderful things in the forest.
The baby punga fern fronds hold a special place in the Maori culture and are commonly depicted in art and jewellery - you'll see the design a lot on pounamu (greenstone) carvings and necklaces. Their unique spiraling shape embodies the idea of continuous renewal and the interconnectedness of all living things.
We always find beauty in the places we are walking and we especially love the West Coast rainforests for this reason. Do you take the time to see the beauty around you or is your focus on the destination itself? I know our walks and hikes take waaaaay longer than they need to because I need to stop so much to take photos, but it's my happy place and I realise how much beauty people miss out on because they're in such a hurry to get to a destination. Lath was saying the other day how he has noticed that often he sees people hike to where we are, whether it's to a viewpoint or a waterfall, then they take 1 photo quickly and head back to the carpark. Are people truly enjoying the journey AND the destination? Or is it purely for Instagram? Or are they just on a tight timeline and are in hurry to see as much of this beautiful country as possible? It makes me wonder if half the people actually SEE the destination with their eyes, or did they just see it on their phone screen when they took the photo? I also understand that we all have definitions of beauty and I'm sure 99% of the things in nature that I love taking photos of, have zero interest to most of the population. Is this your sign to slow down and enjoy the journey? Because that is where you'll find a lot of beauty and enjoyment.
The drive out to Lake Brunner from Hokitika took 45-minutes and it was a stunning drive! We passed over blue rivers, sparkling with gold from the schist stones, and we were treated to endless views around and nothing but blue sky! Once we got closer to the lake, it seemed like we were heading into the middle of nowhere, as we wound our way through the forests on a gravel road. We passed a house every now and then and felt ourselves get further and further away from society.... until we came out into the open, got a full view of the sparkling Lake Brunner and saw a little village! It was unexpected to say the least and it felt like we had stumbled upon a little oasis.... I'm sure the blue sky helped with this... doesn't everything seem amazing when the sun is shining?
The trailhead to the falls isn't far from the lake and parking is limited. There were already 2 cars parked here when we arrived and one spot left just for us, so if the carpark is full, you'll have to park closer to the lake and walk up.
It was a beautiful and warm day, but we were still armed with pants, thermals and jackets! Spring weather in New Zealand can be really tricky to navigate... just this past week the Milford Road in Southland was closed due to snow, it was in the mid 20s in Blenheim, and super windy and cold in Hokitika! I absolutely love winter, but it has felt like winter for the last 8 months and we're ready for the heat... bring it on!
The track out to Carew Falls is 2km return and it's a really beautiful walk that takes you through the rainforest. It's covered the whole day which is ideal when it's raining and you're keen to see the waterfall without getting soaked!
We actually found a lot of cool stuff on the walk including loads of skeleton leaves (Sienna's favourite!), lots of wonky donkey trees that twist this way and that and have lots of 'fairy' houses in them (according to Arabella and Sienna). We also found some brown fungus growing on a tree (pictured below) and lots of new punga fern fronds curled up, waiting to gracefully uncurl and bring new life to the forest. I used my 50mm lense to capture the fronds, as it's my favourite lense to use when I find weird and wonderful things in the forest.
The baby punga fern fronds hold a special place in the Maori culture and are commonly depicted in art and jewellery - you'll see the design a lot on pounamu (greenstone) carvings and necklaces. Their unique spiraling shape embodies the idea of continuous renewal and the interconnectedness of all living things.
We always find beauty in the places we are walking and we especially love the West Coast rainforests for this reason. Do you take the time to see the beauty around you or is your focus on the destination itself? I know our walks and hikes take waaaaay longer than they need to because I need to stop so much to take photos, but it's my happy place and I realise how much beauty people miss out on because they're in such a hurry to get to a destination. Lath was saying the other day how he has noticed that often he sees people hike to where we are, whether it's to a viewpoint or a waterfall, then they take 1 photo quickly and head back to the carpark. Are people truly enjoying the journey AND the destination? Or is it purely for Instagram? Or are they just on a tight timeline and are in hurry to see as much of this beautiful country as possible? It makes me wonder if half the people actually SEE the destination with their eyes, or did they just see it on their phone screen when they took the photo? I also understand that we all have definitions of beauty and I'm sure 99% of the things in nature that I love taking photos of, have zero interest to most of the population. Is this your sign to slow down and enjoy the journey? Because that is where you'll find a lot of beauty and enjoyment.
The track has several predator traps in place
Skeleton leaves are Sienna's favourite treasure to find in the forest!
Punga fern frond
Better Than We Imagined
We were really hot after the walk to the waterfall, so it was time to strip off! Our bag was dripping with clothes, as we had so many to take off but such little room! But it's honestly better to be safe than sorry because if you have kids then you'll know what to expect if you don't have the right clothes for the adventure!!
When we saw the Carew Falls, we were seriously impressed!! No photo can truly show the size of the falls and the sheer power of the water cascading down the granite boulders. It was waaaay bigger than we thought it would be.... they stand at 30-metres tall.
I usually like to photograph waterfalls with my DSLR when they're not in direct sunlight, as I shoot with a slow shutter speed (between 1 - 4 seconds) and this gives a beautiful flow shot like the Purakaunui Falls and the McLean Falls in the Catlins... but when the sun is shining on the waterfall, like on the day we went, it would let too much light in and become too over exposed. I had similar trouble when we went to the Devils Punchbowl Falls in Arthurs Pass, because I was shooting in the shadows, but the waterfall was in the sun! Even after owning a DSLR for 15 or so years, I'm really still a noobie and learning as I go. I don't have the patience to sit and learn from a course online, I'm so much better off being out there and learning in the real world. Thankfully, phone cameras these days are pretty awesome and my Samsung captured the waterfall just beautifully!
There is no viewing platform or a flat place to enjoy the waterfalls, you basically just find a spot on a boulder and try and get yourself comfortable! This also means that parents need to be on high alert with the little ones, as it's a big drop off in some areas, so it makes it less relaxing because you're constantly making sure they're not tumbling down one of the boulders and making sure they're sitting on their bums. It's not that bad, but you know what I mean!
When we arrived, there was a couple near the waterfall, but they didn't stay long, then we had the place to ourselves, yay! It meant we could get some awesome shots without anyone being in the way. This is what we love about travelling around New Zealand, we seem to have so many places to ourselves. We do often purposely go during the week to a lot of places as it does usually mean a lot less people are around, which makes it so much more enjoyable.
There is a pool at the base of the waterfall which looked so tempting to go in but the water was suuuuper cold. I'm sure it gets packed in summer. A few metres downstream there was another pool which looked quite calm and this would be an ideal spot for the kids.
Looking at the opposite direction of the waterfall, we had a view across the land, but I have absolutely no idea what we were looking at or which direction it was in, all I know is it was beautiful and I'm so glad we picked a fine day and had the warm sun shining on our faces.
I tried setting up my DSLR on one of the boulders, to see if there was any way to get a good long exposure shot of the waterfall, but even getting the tripod set up was a mission in itself! Then a family arrived and spent around 20-minutes playing on the rock by the waterfall, so I wasn't able to get a decent shot. They did ask if we wanted them to move so I could get photos, but Lath said no you're fine... thanks Lath haha! So I gave up and we left, with the promise of an ice cream to the girlies!
Maybe one day DOC will put a small platform off to the side, where it's easier to be comfy and enjoy the view from.
When we saw the Carew Falls, we were seriously impressed!! No photo can truly show the size of the falls and the sheer power of the water cascading down the granite boulders. It was waaaay bigger than we thought it would be.... they stand at 30-metres tall.
I usually like to photograph waterfalls with my DSLR when they're not in direct sunlight, as I shoot with a slow shutter speed (between 1 - 4 seconds) and this gives a beautiful flow shot like the Purakaunui Falls and the McLean Falls in the Catlins... but when the sun is shining on the waterfall, like on the day we went, it would let too much light in and become too over exposed. I had similar trouble when we went to the Devils Punchbowl Falls in Arthurs Pass, because I was shooting in the shadows, but the waterfall was in the sun! Even after owning a DSLR for 15 or so years, I'm really still a noobie and learning as I go. I don't have the patience to sit and learn from a course online, I'm so much better off being out there and learning in the real world. Thankfully, phone cameras these days are pretty awesome and my Samsung captured the waterfall just beautifully!
There is no viewing platform or a flat place to enjoy the waterfalls, you basically just find a spot on a boulder and try and get yourself comfortable! This also means that parents need to be on high alert with the little ones, as it's a big drop off in some areas, so it makes it less relaxing because you're constantly making sure they're not tumbling down one of the boulders and making sure they're sitting on their bums. It's not that bad, but you know what I mean!
When we arrived, there was a couple near the waterfall, but they didn't stay long, then we had the place to ourselves, yay! It meant we could get some awesome shots without anyone being in the way. This is what we love about travelling around New Zealand, we seem to have so many places to ourselves. We do often purposely go during the week to a lot of places as it does usually mean a lot less people are around, which makes it so much more enjoyable.
There is a pool at the base of the waterfall which looked so tempting to go in but the water was suuuuper cold. I'm sure it gets packed in summer. A few metres downstream there was another pool which looked quite calm and this would be an ideal spot for the kids.
Looking at the opposite direction of the waterfall, we had a view across the land, but I have absolutely no idea what we were looking at or which direction it was in, all I know is it was beautiful and I'm so glad we picked a fine day and had the warm sun shining on our faces.
I tried setting up my DSLR on one of the boulders, to see if there was any way to get a good long exposure shot of the waterfall, but even getting the tripod set up was a mission in itself! Then a family arrived and spent around 20-minutes playing on the rock by the waterfall, so I wasn't able to get a decent shot. They did ask if we wanted them to move so I could get photos, but Lath said no you're fine... thanks Lath haha! So I gave up and we left, with the promise of an ice cream to the girlies!
Maybe one day DOC will put a small platform off to the side, where it's easier to be comfy and enjoy the view from.
Hello Again, Friends!
We had promised the girls an ice cream down by the lake, after we had finished out hike (bribery on a hike goes a looooong way!), so we set off to the Eco Lodge in hopes of an ice-cold treat, but they didn't have any to purchase, they just said they might be able to make up an ice cream sundae. Hopefully in summer they sell ice creams there, I imagine it's a super busy place and it would be a shame not to have them on offer! Of course, the girls were really disappointed, but we ended up getting an ice cream once we got back to Hokitika.
We parked up near the lake to where the boats were coming in, as this seemed like the only area to hang out in along this part of the lake. It wasn't super relaxing as there were a lot of boats coming in and out and only a small area of grass to chill on. The lake was super cold, but the girls wanted to splash about in it in their underwear anyway (well, Sienna did end up getting fully naked!). It's a brown lake (as most lakes on the West Coast are), so the reflections on a calm day here would be absolutely stunning!
Lath and I were sitting there watching the girls and we heard this whistling getting closer and closer through the surrounding bush and we looked at each other and we both said "is that *insert name here*" and we realised it was indeed the girl's friend and her mum that they had made at Hokitika Beach a few days before! When Arabella and Sienna saw their friend, they were BEYOND excited and it made the disappointment of no ice cream disappear ;) They splashed about and made little sailing boats from wood, sticks and leaves to see whose one would float.
Lake Brunner is a beautiful place and we wish that we had been sooner to spend more time here, seeing as we had been so close when we stayed in Greymouth. There are a few walks in the Lake Brunner area that we'd like to tick off our list next time we're there and it would be great to find a different part of the lake where there is a big stretch of land to chill on and set up for the day.
We parked up near the lake to where the boats were coming in, as this seemed like the only area to hang out in along this part of the lake. It wasn't super relaxing as there were a lot of boats coming in and out and only a small area of grass to chill on. The lake was super cold, but the girls wanted to splash about in it in their underwear anyway (well, Sienna did end up getting fully naked!). It's a brown lake (as most lakes on the West Coast are), so the reflections on a calm day here would be absolutely stunning!
Lath and I were sitting there watching the girls and we heard this whistling getting closer and closer through the surrounding bush and we looked at each other and we both said "is that *insert name here*" and we realised it was indeed the girl's friend and her mum that they had made at Hokitika Beach a few days before! When Arabella and Sienna saw their friend, they were BEYOND excited and it made the disappointment of no ice cream disappear ;) They splashed about and made little sailing boats from wood, sticks and leaves to see whose one would float.
Lake Brunner is a beautiful place and we wish that we had been sooner to spend more time here, seeing as we had been so close when we stayed in Greymouth. There are a few walks in the Lake Brunner area that we'd like to tick off our list next time we're there and it would be great to find a different part of the lake where there is a big stretch of land to chill on and set up for the day.
View across a river on the way back to Hokitika
Know Before You Go
- The walk to Carew Falls is 2kms return and takes 1 hour
- The road out to Lake Brunner is mostly unsealed but so worth the drive
- We didn't see any toilets in the area, so you either need to go bush, or ask at the Eco Lodge!
- Kids need to be watched at the falls as there is no viewing platform, just some big boulders to chill on
- Prepared to get wet by the waterfall if then wind is swirling around!
- The track is undercover, until you reach the waterfall
- The track is fairly easy, no steep climbs!
- Parking at the trailhead is limited to 3 cars, so you may need to park closer to the lake if the carpark is full
How To Get To Carew Falls On The West Coast
It takes 45-minutes to get to the falls from both Greymouth and Hokitika and they are located on Kumara-Inchbonnie Road - click here for directions on Google Maps.
Conclusion
The Carew Falls were more impressive than we thought they would be and we absolutely loved the walk there and back. It's 100% worth the drive from Greymouth or Hokitika to see these beautiful falls.
More to do in New Zealand
DAWSON FALLS
TARANAKI A beautiful waterfall set amongst an enchanted goblin forest up Mt Egmont and it's only a 2-minute walk from the carpark!
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HOKITIKA GORGE
WEST COAST Take the short or longer walk through the Hokitika Gorge over bridges and marvel at the BLUE glacier fed river.
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TIROHANGA TRACK
MARLBOROUGH Get some of the best views in Picton with this 2- hour return track through native bush. There's so much for kids to explore here!
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