Part 6 - Arthur's Pass

The drive from Fox Glacier through Arthur's Pass to Christchurch was incredible. The two lane highway weaved it's way through the valley below the mountains but would narrow to one lane at every bridge.

We estimated that we crossed 30 one lane bridges but none as curious as this one that was a one-lane shared vehicle AND train bridge!

The highway often gets rained or snowed out and they have to close the road. To combat landslides and water washouts near Otira, they built a roofed section to allow rubble to go over the road and a trough to allow a waterfall to skip over the road!

The Otira viaduct. The Kea bird.

We stopped for lunch at the Castle Hill Basin where Adam discovered a cave that traveled about half a kilometer to the other opening. He was disappointed he couldn't go caving but the water would have been up to his chin! While we were there, a few people had just finished the wet trek.

The entrance and the other end



Mountains everywhere.

This photo almost looks fake!


The view not far from Christchurch.