Lunch in Papatowai and McLean Falls
Apr. 26th, 2024 12:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerWednesday two weeks ago we were on a scenic drive through the Catlins area of New Zealand. Well, it wasn't so much a scenic drive as a drive through remote areas on the South Island's southeastern coast (the Catlins) to see waterfalls. And see waterfalls we did! After visiting Purakaunui Falls and then the two-fer of Matai Falls and Horseshoe Falls we stopped for lunch in the small town of Papatowai (this link includes a map).
How small was Papatowai? "Maybe 1,500," I thought when we were there. I looked it up that night, and it turns out I was off by about 10x. 10x high. Yeah, it was one of those towns with one gas station, restaurant, and general store all rolled into one. And the "dining room" in the restaurant had just one table! 😂
After lunch we headed back out on the road and the trail. Our next hike was at the track for McLean Falls.
I realized that I haven't included many pics of what the trails themselves look like. On our adventure so far today the trails have been lovely— well constructed, well maintained, well marked, and yet at the same time also pleasantly... natural. You can see in the photo above how the Department of Conservation (NZ's agency that manages parks) has kept the area right around the trail beautifully wild. The trail even meanders a bit side-to-side, rather than following the shortest, cheapest, straight-line route, to keep it feeling more like a... walk in the park... than looking down the lane at a bowling alley.
Lest the first picture mislead you, the well-made trail is not all flat. Waterfalls occur where water pours over a rock ledge, and usually that happens at the back of a canyon, and usually that means climbing up or down from where the trailhead at the road starts. The trail to McLean starts flat but then makes a few steep switchbacks up a hill, followed by a few flights of stairs.
Because of the length of this trail and the amount of climbing I opted not to carry my tripod. I regretted that when the trail broke out to the back of the canyon in front of the falls and there were no fences or guard rails to rest it on for a slow-exposure picture.
Dang, McLean falls is big!
And just because I didn't bring my tripod doesn't mean I can't use something else— a tree trunk, a rock, my own knee— to steady the camera for a slow exposure photo. Watch for those in part 2, coming soon!
How small was Papatowai? "Maybe 1,500," I thought when we were there. I looked it up that night, and it turns out I was off by about 10x. 10x high. Yeah, it was one of those towns with one gas station, restaurant, and general store all rolled into one. And the "dining room" in the restaurant had just one table! 😂
After lunch we headed back out on the road and the trail. Our next hike was at the track for McLean Falls.
I realized that I haven't included many pics of what the trails themselves look like. On our adventure so far today the trails have been lovely— well constructed, well maintained, well marked, and yet at the same time also pleasantly... natural. You can see in the photo above how the Department of Conservation (NZ's agency that manages parks) has kept the area right around the trail beautifully wild. The trail even meanders a bit side-to-side, rather than following the shortest, cheapest, straight-line route, to keep it feeling more like a... walk in the park... than looking down the lane at a bowling alley.
Lest the first picture mislead you, the well-made trail is not all flat. Waterfalls occur where water pours over a rock ledge, and usually that happens at the back of a canyon, and usually that means climbing up or down from where the trailhead at the road starts. The trail to McLean starts flat but then makes a few steep switchbacks up a hill, followed by a few flights of stairs.
Because of the length of this trail and the amount of climbing I opted not to carry my tripod. I regretted that when the trail broke out to the back of the canyon in front of the falls and there were no fences or guard rails to rest it on for a slow-exposure picture.
Dang, McLean falls is big!
And just because I didn't bring my tripod doesn't mean I can't use something else— a tree trunk, a rock, my own knee— to steady the camera for a slow exposure photo. Watch for those in part 2, coming soon!
