Wed, 18th Mar, 2026 (part2) Manuherikia River freedom camp, Omakau to Pleasant Flat campground, Mount Aspiring National Park, NZ (Blue Pool, rivers & waterfalls)

Into Mount Aspiring National Park - leafy drive.

Back to the river - another snow photo. Imagine what I would be like if we were here in the winter!!

Turned off to check out Blue Pools. Big car park and DOC camping sites. Wikicamps says ‘short walk through mature beech and podocarp forest to the glacier-water pools and two swing bridges over the Makarora and Blue Rivers (3km return walk). Lots of campers here.

Off we go. Water not clear from the recent rain.

Across the first bridge looking at the second one over ‘Blue Pool’. Steve’s much better with the bridges now. He still hates the real wobbly ones, especially when I make them move too much!

View upstream then downstream.

Another big hike goes up those steps - not for us!

Along the boardwalk - found a little waterfall.

Reached the Blue Pools area. The water in Blue River is cleaner but unfortunately no pretty view for us today of the nice blue look. Proof we went to the other side of the bridge too.

The Young River hikes head off from here.

A few people going in for a swim but others are coming back up as the sandflies are out in force. Talking about bities - the windows in the camper are useless as if you want to open then you have to slide down the flyscreen or block-out blind so things and fly in while you are doing it. I like mine much better.

Back to the camper and continued on following the Makarora River upstream the across it on another one-lane bridge. Should have put my window down - too much reflection. Two excavators are digging along the water’s edge on the upstream side.

Another one-lane bridge - we have right of way this time.

Climbing up hill on the other side of the river towards Haast Pass. Pulled off to check out a historic site. Someone decorated the post with their bottle caps - at least they are thrown on the ground as usual.

This is the historic Bridle Track that we read about before. 40 min one way walk to the viewing platform so will skip that one.

Continued on then headed downhill towards the river’s edge. Is that a glacier up there? Sign says we are in the West Coast Wilderness. The Haast River starts up in those mountains and heads to the West Coast.

Turned off into a car park to check out Fantail Falls - only a 2 minute walk. Pretty. Zoomed in on the top section.

Walked down a bit and noticed a yellow marker in the tree. Another walk goes up there. A chap then walked out and across the river. He said when he had left the river had been higher and brown - it has dropped and much cleaner now. Zoomed in on a couple of other waterfalls up on the mountainside.

Back to the car park - found some more info about other walks - better photo of Blue Pools.

Continued on the narrow winding road - a lot steeper in sections than the Gillies. Passed The Trickle 1 & 2 which are set back in the split rocks on the mountainside beside us. With the rain they are waterfalls, not trickles. Obviously there has been a lot of rain here in the last couple of days. The next one is The Diana - gushing out through the retaining mesh.

Still heading steeply down.

Major roadworks at The Gates of Haast bridge - another one-lane bridge over Haast River and Gorge. The water is roaring over the rocks.

Stopped further downstream for a better look.

View up and down the gorge.

Pulled off into the parking bay for Thunder Creek Falls. Short walk along the main river to a 28m drop - wow.

Continued on downhill to the flats. More snow!

Alongside the Haast River then over the one-lane bridge into the Pleasant Flat DOC campground.

Chose a spot for the night $15/adult/night! You can use the facilities all day for free but stay overnight and it costs and as we have to be self-contained we don’t use any facilities either! Checked out the info boards. Fairly good view of the mountains.

Walked down to a big open grass area - very wet and mucky under foot from the recent rain. A couple with 3 young boys were set up there with their tent and two tandem bikes. One bike then tows the eldest boys, probably 6 years old. They weren’t worried about the muck and sandflies - having a ball running around. We chatted with the couple who were from Cradle Mountain in Tassie (she was actually a Kiwi) but have been living in Gove recently - what a change of temperature for them. They started their adventure at Cape Reigna - north point of NZ and have been travelling for 10 weeks so far. No electric bikes to help them either, just good old pedal power. Aiming for the south point at Bluff. I take my hat off to them - I wouldn’t have done it without kids!!

Back to the camper as the sandflies were out in force. Closed up and had our drinks inside. Our route today. 

Later we noticed the sandflies again and realised they were coming in through the vent in the door so put a mat over that. How were that family coping in their tent?