Length of stay: 2 days
Visited: April 2025
Arthur’s Pass National Park is nestled deep in the Southern Alps. It was established in 1929 and was the first national park in the South Island and the third altogether in New Zealand. Arthur’s Pass gained prominence when gold was discovered on the West Coast in 1864 and a road through the mountains was built shortly after. While visitors today still deal with unpredictable weather, the road is paved now, and there are plenty of hiking trails and viewpoints to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery.
Day 1: Castle Hill
From Christchurch we headed towards Arthur’s Pass, stopping at the Kura Tawhiti Conservation Area (also known as Castle Hill) along the way. This area is famous for its interesting limestone rock formations which resemble the ruins of a stone castle. There’s a short trail (1.5km loop) that passes near and around many of the towering giant boulders. While the parking lot was full when we arrived mid-afternoon, the trail itself wasn’t very busy.
From Castle Hill it’s another 35 minutes dive to Arthur’s Pass. This part of the drive was especially scenic given the mountains and all the golden yellow leaves. We stopped at a few scenic overlooks and picnic areas to take some pictures of the landscape.
But darker clouds were rolling in the further we made our way up through the mountains. And just as we were nearing Arthur’s Pass Village, it started to pour.
Perfect time to check into our accommodations at the Arthur’s Pass Alpine Motel. It continued to rain throughout the rest of the afternoon and the forecast was calling for 25-30mm of rain in the evening and overnight. We didn’t mind hunkering down for the rest of the day since we were nice and cozy inside our cabin overlooking the mountains.
Day 2: Devils Punchbowl
It was still raining the next morning and the forecast was calling for another 10mm of rain. It was also noticeably chillier up in the mountains. We were reluctant to venture out so we took our time getting ready in the morning. Plus this way we got to enjoy our cabin a bit more.
The rain was letting up so we headed to the Devils Punchbowl (2km round trip). It shares the same parking lot as the Arthur’s Pass Walking Trail, which we were also planning to hike, but decided to skip it because of the weather. We were actually debating whether to skip the Devils Punchbowl too as the path was a bit dodgy in the beginning. We had to cross two small creeks, likely created from all the rain, that were flowing over the trail. And we weren’t sure whether to proceed, but then two girls passed us and walked through no problem. So we followed their lead. We crossed two footbridges over the Bealey River and Devil’s Punchbowl Creek and caught our first glimpse of the waterfall.
The trail weaves through a dense beech forest. This is where the uphills begin. There were a lot of steps and wooden staircases. And just when you’ve had enough, there’s a series of stairs leading down only to come back up. The trail ends at a viewing platform of the falls. You could really feel the spray, but what’s a bit of extra water when you’re already wet from the rain.
By the time we wrapped up our hike the rain had mostly subsided and we even saw a hint of blue skies and sunshine. We could also make out the mountains more clearly, which had a light dusting of snow up at higher elevations.
We drove to the Otira Viaduct Lookout. The viaduct was completed in 1999 and was considered an engineering feat at the time given the unpredictable weather and challenging terrain.
The road continues onward to the West Coast. But we weren’t heading there just yet. We turned around and drove towards Twizel. This required backtracking through the mountains, which we didn’t mind. It was a long drive through, just over four hours. We stopped at Lake Tekapo to admire the beautiful blue water.
We also went to the Tekapo Springs to treat ourselves. There’s a series of hot pools, along with a steam and sauna room and a cold plunge. There’s also a kids section, but the water wasn’t very warm, so we didn’t hang out there very long.
After soaking in the warm waters we dried off and hit the road again. We still had another 45 minute drive to get to Twizel.
L
Absolutely beautiful scenery and photos!
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. The mountain scenery was. beautiful, even in the rain.
Such gorgeous pictures, Linda, stunning scenery. The elevation reminds me a bit of the Rockies but visually it seems much more rolling. You must have really enjoyed this portion of your visit, despite the rain.
Thanks! It’s funny because whenever I pass through the mountains, regardless of where I am, I can’t help but think about the Canadian Rockies. They’re always calling me! There’s something special about being in the mountains that makes you appreciate the beauty of nature. And yes, despite the rainy weather, we still enjoyed the scenery.
The scenery is just stunning! I love the rock formations at Castle Rock especially. What an amazing trip in spite of the rain.
I can totally see why it was named Castle Hill as the rock structures really do resemble the ruins of a castle from afar. It was neat to walk among the rocks and boulders. I was half expecting an orc, dwarf or elf to pop up from the ground!
How beautiful New Zealand is. The photos are perfect, Linda. I so love it, especially the mountains, the waterfall, and stones. What a wonderful adventure!
Thanks Hazel. The mountains are very majestic and you can’t help but feel so small in their presence.
It’s always my pleasure, Linda. Happy weekend!
You as well 🥰
Beautiful. New Zealand is remarkably varied for such a relatively small country.
Oh I know. It’s amazing how different the terrain is depending where you are on the island and whether you’re on the North Island vs South Island. The scenery in the Southern Alps in particular is breathtaking.
Three very different views in such a close area. I love thebview of Lake Tekapo. Maggie
Different views, but all very beautiful. The colour of the water of Lake Tekapo is very pretty, especially with a bit of sunshine. It reminded me a bit of all the turquoise glacier fed rivers and lakes in the Canadian Rockies.
Absolutely gorgeous Linda. Can’t wait for our return. Happy Tuesday. Allan
I bet! Even though we were just there, I’m still very jealous that you’re going back to NZ.
What beautiful landscapes! The rainbow is beautiful. 😊
Thanks! It was nice to see a hint of some blue skies and a rainbow as we were wrapping up our hike! It’s funny how the landscape can look so different depending on the weather.
Absolutely stunning scenery! The boulders are very interesting, and the waterfall is beautiful.
It’s all very picturesque and pretty. The rock formations at Castle Hill were especially pretty stellar. The waterfall must have been extra lively from all the rain!
Such a stunning and beautiful country!
For sure! We actually looked into moving to New Zealand when we returned home. It’s probably not going to happen, but it’s nice to dream.
That would be very expensive!
Yes, and it’s far from home, which would mean not being able to visit our family often. So it’s not very realistic.
Well, maybe some day! 🤙🏻
And if not, another long visit, for sure!
The landscape looks wonderful!
I’ll never get bored of looking at the mountains and rocky terrain. It certainly was a scenic drive.
Lovely photos and scenery, Linda! I can see why Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand – it feels absolutely otherworldly! 💕 And staying in a cabin in the mountains with those views must’ve been so special – as were your long drives, even in the rain. I sure hope to visit NZ one day in the future!
Oh I know. It’s amazing how the landscape is so varied for such a small country. The section through the Southern Alps was one of our favourites in terms of the scenery. It reminded me a bit of Banff and Jasper, just with much larger turquoise coloured lakes. I hope you’re able to visit someday. I think you’d enjoy it!
Well, after your descriptions of the dodgy weather and the gloomy skies in the photos, the blue of the water and sky in the last pic comes as a real surprise! Beautiful terrain regardless of unreliable weather..
Even with the gloomy weather, the landscape still looked beautiful. The weather gods must have finally taken pity on us as the next few days were absolutely delightful.
Those rock formations and distant mountains are soooo Lord of the Rings! I love that the sun came out for you but that you also made the most of the rain and hunkered down and relaxed.
I was half expecting an orc or dwarf to pop out from behind the rocks. I don’t think Castle Hill was featured in LOTR, but it definitely has a Middle Earth vibe to it.
😉🧙♂️
Wow, stunning landscape and photos!
Oh I know. Even with the moody weather the mountainous landscape still looked impressive and beautiful.
Incredible pictures! I just love those rock formations- what a thrill to walk between them. Also whoever named the waterfall area the Devil’s punchbowl must be quite a character just based on the name for such a beautiful area.
Thanks! The rock formations at Castle Hill were pretty impressive. I was half expecting an orc or dwarf to pop up from behind the rocks! I’ve always wondered how some of these places get named. Devil’s punchbowl seems to be a popular name for a waterfall. We’ve been to the Devil’s punchbowl waterfall in Ontario, Manitoba and Oregon. And now New Zealand.
who would have thought Devil’s punchbowl was such a popular name! 🙂
I know! I guess all the other good names were taken?!
Breathtaking collection! Thank you for sharing, Linda. The boulders do look like they served a purpose – they also look like sculptures, and your first lake shot is so inviting! Looks like a painting. All wonderful! 🌈 🙏🏻
Thanks for your kind words Michele. It was neat to see the boulders from a distance and also up close. They were quite smooth and definitely looked like a sculpture or some sort of art installation. It was very beautiful.
You’re welcome. ☺️
So awesome photos , full beauty of the gorgeous nature 🌷🙏👍🏻 thank you so much for sharing dear friend 😍❤️👏
Thanks for your lovely comment. We had a wonderful time in the mountains. It was neat to see how different the terrain is in this part of New Zealand.
Yes, New Zealand have an incredible beauty , my cousins are there ❤️😍
Thank you so much for likes my feedback and most welcome my friend 🌷🙏
How wonderful! I hope they’re enjoying their time in New Zealand. It’s such a beautiful country.
They are working and their children all also working and studying there 💞👌
Often they come holidays here , Malaysia !! Thank you dear friend 🙏❤️🌷
They are lucky! New Zealand is such a lovely country. I’d love to go back someday. Despite the long flight, glad to hear they’re able to visit Malaysia often.
Yes, they happy there and settled 15 years already 💖 so well wishes dear friend 🙏🌹❤️
That’s amazing It must be a lovely place to live if they’ve been there for 15 year already.
What a beautiful country New Zealand is. I’ve been to Oz twice but sadly never NZ. Hopefully I’ll get one day. This place looks stunning with all the rock formations and that beautiful waterfall. And it even poured down for you to add a little drama to proceedings!
It’s amazing how even though New Zealand is relatively close to Australia, the landscape and climate are so different. There aren’t really any bite-y things in New Zealand either, they’re all in Australia! Hopefully you’re able to visit someday. The scenery is breathtaking and the people are so friendly. We have our sights set on Australia for our next big adventure, but not sure when that’ll happen yet.
Oh gosh, the landscape is so pretty! I love the waterfall and the turquoise water of the lake. Great rainbow photo too! I’m glad the weather cleared up for you.
There’s always something special about being in the mountains. And it was neat to see how they compared to our Rockies back home. The weather was a bit dodgy, but we’ve been through worse. Thankfully we had much nicer weather for when we went to Mount Cook the next day and could really bask in the beauty of the mountains.
This post brings back many memories of that area. The viaduct is new since we wrte there. Lake Tekapo doesn’t disappoint does it? And those mountain pictures are amazing.
It was a bit of a drive to get to the Otira Viaduct Lookout, but was worth it for the views. I just looked it up and the viaduct opened in 1999. And agreed, Lake Tekapo is gorgeous, especially with a bit of sunshine. It’s also insanely huge, as are many of the glacier fed lakes in NZ.
Wow what a place! Those rocks look almost as if they’ve been placed there as a film set!!! I love your rainbow photo too; at the least the rain had one benefit 🙂
The rock structures are neat. I can easily see why it was named Castle Hill. And yes, good point about how the rain was at least good for creating a rainbow! Thankfully we got to enjoy some nicer weather afterwards for the next few days.
South Island really seems to have magnificent landscapes. It’s amazing to learn about the diversity of the things you saw in this leg of your journey: from those large limestone rock formations, the autumn foliage, to the green hills and mountains as well as the blue lake. Just beautiful!
You’re right, the landscape on the South Island is much more dramatic compared to the North Island. It’s much rockier and mountainous too. It was tough to put the camera down! Thankfully the weather improved and we could fully enjoy the scenery. It’s funny how the turquoise coloured lakes look much more colourful and vibrant when the sun is shining.
This brought back great memories of our 2015 trip, when we crossed South Island through Arthur’s Pass on our way from Franz Josef to Kaikoura. I still have an Arthur’s Pass National Park T-shirt that I occasionally wear to gigs to confuse rock fans adorned with band logos!
I love it!! We actually regret not buying more tshirts while we visiting New Zealand. We ended up driving to Franz Josef from the other direction after visiting Wanaka and Mount Aspiring. The west coast was another highlight of the trip.
WoW, these pictures are amazing… Looks like such a wonderful trip.
What an adventure full of beauty and peace. 🌿✨
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. It’s always nice to spend time in nature, even when the weather isn’t the greatest. The rock formations and mountains were beautiful.
Wow! So much stunning natural beauty in New Zealand. And kudos to you for having the courage to cross the two creeks! One never knows in nature🌿
I’m always a bit reluctant to hike through moving water, even when it’s shallow. I’m grateful there was a pair of hikers in front of us so we could see where they crossed and follow in their footsteps. It wasn’t too bad. I’m glad we gave it a whirl as the waterfall was lovely.
Wow….Beautiful captures!!
Thanks for your kind words. The scenery was beautiful. And it was definitely starting to look and feel like autumn!
A first day of interesting rock formations, a scenic drive, and then a rainstorm – at least you stayed in a cabin and didn’t camp. Despite the weather, you had beautiful views on the Devils Punchbowl hike and that’s a stunning photo of Lake Tekapo.
Very true! And at least it didn’t rain the entire time we were there. The worst of it was overnight. So I can’t complain too much. And if anything, the rain helps keep people away, which is an added bonus.
It’s as if the landscapes were created by painters. Even the road seems elegant as it makes its way through the valley.
Nicely said. If it were a painting, it’s one I’d gladly buy! Instead I’ll settle for some pictures.
Those boulders remind me of the scene in The Princess Bride where they run through some tall boulders Andre the Giant is to stop the masked man. Have you seen that movie?
Also – wow,wow, wow! The views!
I haven’t seen that movie in years! Makes me want to rewatch it now. Agreed, the landscape with those towering boulders and rock formations is pretty impressive.
Do it! That movie never gets old!
Very true! I’ll add it to my weekend list of things to do!
The scenery is absolutely stunning. It must have been a great drive.
It was definitely a scenic drive and neat to see how much the landscape changed from Christchurch where it’s relatively flat to the mountains in Arthur’s Pass.
Oohhh! I love those giant boulders. I am surprised they didn’t show up in Lord of the Rings somewhere 🙂
Too bad about the rain, but it doesn’t look like it slowed you down. When I think of NZ, I think rain, so you must have been well prepared. Still…wet baby is not easy, especially when road tripping.
For that viaduct, is that only car transport? How amazing. So glad there is an overlook.
Alisen
I know! The rock formations at Castle Hill look like something straight up from LOTR. I was half expecting an orc or dwarf to pop up from behind one. It was a bummer about the rain, but at least most of it was later in the day and overnight. It could have been worse! And I’d rather take the rain over the crowds.
I believe the viaduct is for cars only. I’m sure it would be incredibly scenic if they had a railway through there, but I imagine it would be very challenging to build.
I see we have the same love of LotR 🙂 If I go to NZ, I would have a list of shooting locations and see how many I could visit.
Absolutely! It’s one of my favourite movies (and books). They were filmed entirely in NZ so there are plenty of locations to visit!
Oh my!!! The pictures are incredible!! I will most definitely add this walk to my list! I can’t believed I missed it whilst there haha.
Thanks for your kind words. There’s so many fantastic hiking options in New Zealand that it was hard to pick just one sometimes. But, I figure you really can’t go wrong when the landscape is that breathtaking. There’s a lot we missed out on too because of the weather (and time). I would love to return someday.
No worries!! I couldn’t agree more. No hike is a bad hike – unless someone is hurt. And missing out gives us the opportunity to come back one day! Thank you for sharing you Kiwi travels, I have enjoyed “travelling” back to NZ with you lot!!
Very true! Thankfully we haven’t been injured on a hike (and hopefully it stays that way)! And thanks for your kind words. The nice thing about blogging about our NZ trip is that it gives me a good excuse to relive those moments!
Nature at its best!
How did you find driving on the other side of the road?
My husband did all of the driving and he said it actually was’t too bad to drive on the left side of the road. I think it helped that our flight into Auckland landed really early in the morning so he had some time to practice before the roads got busier. If anything he said it was more of an adjustment coming back home!
Haha, after a month I guess so😍
Your photos really captured its greatness. Such an amazing country.