Arthur's Pass: Waterfalls!

Upon leaving Okuti Gardens we took a weekend off of WWOOFing to spend some time up in the Southern Alps. Ambiana every morning upon waking when asked what she dreamed about says "Waterfalls!" so we decided to go to Arthur's Pass where I had been 17 years before on my 1st trip to NZ remembering the waterfalls that were there! Immediately upon getting off the bus we saw high on the slopes a waterfall and discovered a short little walk to another one downstream of it! Yaya was estatic!



We camped at a simple DOC campground and set off on Saturday under sunny skies for a hike to 2 waterfalls through beautiful moss covered beech forest.

We stopped for lunch beside this cascade and after eating Ambiana took some time to toss some rocks into the stream:)



We hiked up a zillion steps to the Punchbowl waterfall which I had been to in 1991 but there were no steps or observation platform 17 years ago, just a winding trail. Yaya loved the hike and insisted on hiking down all the steps on her own. She is a really good little hiker!

Sunday was super rainy and we spent it in the cafe writing letters, making collages and reading until the bus came to take us down to Christchurch. Yaya shows off her hitchiking skill here :)