On The Trail

The Bealey Track, Arthur's Pass.

It rained the day we tackled the Bealey River Valley (part of Tuatara Tour's West Coast Trail) but that didn't seem to matter. It wasn't cold and the misty, inclement conditions added a certain moodiness to the hike that only enhanced the rugged beauty of this potentially wild place. The first part of the hike, through beautiful tussock and alpine beech forest, is blessed with terrific wooden boardwalks, which made the going very easy. Clambering over the huge river boulders in the second stage of the walk (to the foot of Mt Rolleston), wasn't quite so easy. www.tuataratours.co.nz