Haast Pass - I made 1 towing mistake | Cameron Flat | Blue Pools.

Tackling the Haast Pass with our Big Caravan, on a beautiful day, stopping and exploring the walks and waterfalls along the way.
We park up the night at Cameron Flat DOC campsite, right across the road from the blue pools. The blue pools bridges have been closed, which was very dissapointing as we've looked forward to it before we even went on the road.
I did walk across the freezing river to check out this very Iconic spot on the Travel map.

[@graemepinfold7724]

Been through Haast Pass several times and never knew about the Blue Pools!

[@leopardsgowild]

Oh really, incredibly clear rivers flowing into lake Wanaka, beautiful

[@jezthomas4402]

You guys really cheer my heart with your life snippets ☺️ So funny seeing the kids eating while moving around to avoid bites - comedy gold!

[@leopardsgowild]

yea, camping issues aye, the outside world of bugs... The sandflies have been real hit and miss, we def prefer to not have them, byt such is life.

[@christinekirkby-sing7398]

We stopped there for lunch one time. Those sandflies! Everyone was back in the car quick after eating! Lol

[@leopardsgowild]

Oh yea, sandflies galore aye... It's a bit of a pain having to cover up in bug spray, they still seem to find the places you've missed.

[@GoneOutExploring]

Oh wow nice to see the blue pools without so many people though, we loved swimming in there when we visited jumping off the rocks on the other side (people were jumping off that bridge - not us though )

[@leopardsgowild]

yea, sad to see the area shut off to the public, be good to see the new bridges go in, and plenty of people around, although I don't think anyone would be swimming when we were there, it was early october.

[@kevinbarrett5396]

i love otago thanks for sharing leopard fam

[@leopardsgowild]

yea it's such a change of contrast, between these areas, was such a change in scenary going from Haast area to Otago, just watching that bush dissapear into Tussock hills.

[@nzhillbilly6468]

Awesome vid as usual, beautiful down that way, Thanks for sharing.

[@leopardsgowild]

Thanks for watching, it's a pretty incredible place, very isolated and quiet, would be great to explore it in summer, with even warmer weather, and longer days.

[@christophermarshall527]

The water in the Haast River from around Pleasant Flat down comes mainly from the Landsborough River which from the north parallels the Southern Alps for 50k and drains a huge Alpine catchment. Great video would love to drink the beautiful water All the best to you all!!!!

[@leopardsgowild]

Yea that area looks like an epic spot to explore, the water quantitiy def increases from the joining of the rivers. That water is so pure and prestine aye.

[@rosiewallen7097]

so cool

[@leopardsgowild]

Thanks, great spot to spend some time exploring.

[@brewswithviews]

Got you a new fan, just watched this one when my dad was around. Hes fallen in love with New Zealand 😅

[@leopardsgowild]

Oh Awesome, I think we've had a few families passing on our channel to their family members. Thanks for the support, glad your Dads enjoying the travels.

[@brewswithviews]

@@leopardsgowild its Getting Out With The Kids btw, this is my new coffee channel

[@PentaxLife]

Great video, Mike, be safe out there, drive safe. We just left the snowy river area in Australia. I swam in the snowy river. And it was cold. Couple more weeks and will be over in your area.

[@leopardsgowild]

Awesome mate, we are you guys planning to head when you come over? I forget how long your coming for? We'll be heading to the Southern part of the South island while the days are getting ultra long.

[@PentaxLife]

@leopardsgowild No sounds good, we are there for 5 weeks. First stop is hobbiton we have a dinner show. Then we have some friends in Stratford. Hoping to get down to South island to do the. The fiord and see the kee parrots. Just renting a Van and just winging it.

[@goyanz76]

​@@PentaxLife If you go to Aoraki, Mt Cook you can walk to one of the glacier lakes full of ice bergs and go swimming. Hour plus walk to get there or 20min jog. Bloody cold but very refreshing and you're likely to be the only one there mad enough to do it. There was 2 of us the day I did it and the other guy was in his late 70s

[@allantaylor3288]

Stunning scenery through the Haast and the weather was kind to the Leopards👍. That’s government departments for you. It’s not like the bridges are ok one day and not the next 🤷‍♂️

[@leopardsgowild]

yea we heard some stories on our travels from people in the know, apparently the bridges have 1 issue that requires a back up wire, and a footing about 1 -2 days work and they are good to go again, it's just a secondary support that has been recommended if the bridge did ever fail. ridiculous that they would have this space closed all summer.

[@allantaylor3288]

@@leopardsgowild I’ve been into the Blue Lake and you really need to be elevated to really appreciate them

[@KiwiWanderers]

Great vid as per.. its always a drama pulling over to let traffic pass... but ya gotta do it

[@leopardsgowild]

Yes your right, I think next time on a big hill i'm just gonna not look back...

[@robperano7708]

Yes Mike.DOC need a bloody good shake up.Not the workers on the ground but from the top of the food chain down to middle management.One of the last "Govt Depts"As you say this reason would not have been a surprise and any other organisation would have budgeted for the replacements given the popularity of the pools.

[@leopardsgowild]

I found it to be quite embarrasing seeing all these international tourists wondering down to the river to see if there was a way to still see the pools from a distance... It's likely the ground workers out and about that get all the comments, but they don't get a say in these decisions. Closed for months with no info on expected reopening. We've just encountered so much of this down the west coast, things being closed with no time frame on when they should be opened again.

[@davekerr8133]

We drove there earlier this year & the weather was atrocious. Never mind, we'll be back down Sth Island next year hopefully. Love following your adventures. Thanks 😊

[@leopardsgowild]

Mate the weather can be rough aye, for days on end some times. We were lucky we have time to wait out the rain... Thanks for following along.

[@garth2876]

Great video and weather through there. You're right it's well worth visiting all those short walks, waterfalls and views along the way. A relatively short steep climb and descent. I also towed over the crown range again this trip, stopped a few times on the way down to make sure the caravan brakes didn't get too hot. We didn't bother going all the way to the closed bridge. It's crazy how DOC hasn't sorted out so many bridges around the country. I thought that was a big part of what the tourist levy was established to help fund. It's definitely bloody cold water. We didn't end up staying there as stopped in Makorora to catch up with a friend.

[@RadRoadAdventures]

The government needs to start funding DOC properly, makes me mad seeing all these walks disrupted. I jumped off the bridge there, I know how cold it is, well and truly took my breath away. Take care guy's, hope you're doing well farewelling Grandad

[@leopardsgowild]

Yea it's totally a top of the ranks issue, not the ground workers who do all the hard yards... Planning is a very important part to any sucessful business... I couldn't imagine how many tourists travelling through the area had planned to stop at the blue pools to discover they are closed... The family farewell, went well thanks mate.

[@shalomweston6562]

Pity about the Blue Pools. They are very beautiful. My husband's favourite place. There used to be a nicer walk into it too but everything has changed over the last few years. Not as nice as it used to be.

[@leopardsgowild]

Yes I think I saw the remants of another trail from the Cameron flat... Blue pools are beautiful I really wanted to wonder across the bridges for the different perspectives, for colour and light, but I imagine they might have cameras operating in the area... Such a shame, these things are planned for earlier, a lot of people parking and doing the walk to only turn around at the first river.

[@tunicaism]

That's the very reason they are called the Dept of Confiscation. They seem to forget their job is to look after it all for us , the people of New Zealand.

[@leopardsgowild]

it's a big dissapointment, we've recently bumped into some other kiwis who said their friend gave the recommendations to DOC regarding the bridges, he's capable of doing the work, which is a simple fix to secure the bridges with an extra measure, but DOC have not got back in touch with them even though it's a very basic fix for these bridges, It's not good enough, I'm not really much of a moaner but these situations really get me going.

[@brianna56ism]

When towing our small caravan Brian reminds me that those that are behind us it’s there problem for either leaving to late or too early that they are behind and don’t pull over. Those following just have to suck it up. We are really please that every thing is going well. Keep it up Leopardsgowild. Toby don’t forget to keep throwing things in the water. Girls keep up the cart wheels. Team Kawerau ❤

[@leopardsgowild]

Good advice team I like that, we timed our trip at the right time, they have timed their travel wrong lol... We actually don't really go that slow, but I don't think i'll ever pull over on an up hill or down hill again, well of significance anyway. Hope you guys are getting some sunshine.

[@gazzerwgtn]

Another great video, thanks Mike. Could you share what camera and drone you use please? Thanks

[@leopardsgowild]

Hey mate, I have a very simple set up, cameras are costly. I have a Gopro hero 10 and a GJI mini 2. Thats all the camera gear I own.

[@owenpotter2459]

Well done for getting over Haast Pass. How does it compare to the Napuer/Taupo Rd? I was always anxious about holding people up too. That river water looked amazing! I'm now working through until 15th December.

[@leopardsgowild]

Yea Anxious about holding up traffic is hard, because you battle your own safety pulling over some times... Napier Taupo road I have not towed over, but there are some long downhills on there aye, It wouldn't be one, i'd be looking forward to driving over thats for sure... Haast pass only climbs to about 560m, Napier Taupo up to 735m i think, but with minimal downhill following the summit. I hope working through to Dec works out for you and your plans...

[@goyanz76]

I've driven Napier Taupo twice with our big caravan and find it fine but I'll be interested how it compares to Haast in a couple months. I've heard it's a good brake tester so a bit anxious but we'll find out soon.

[@leopardsgowild]

@@goyanz76 If you are heading South, towards Wanaka, you won't have any issues, if your going from Wanaka to haast, the road is steep, but I think we'd be fine as long as you start slow and stay slow, the bridge is meet with a 45 degree corner... It's not such a long section and the down hill is in 2 sections, so it's not really as bad. I used to live in Napier, and then Rotorua, so would do the Napier Taupo all the time, there are some long constant climbs / Decents on that road.

[@goyanz76]

@@leopardsgowild ok sweet we're heading south. 👍🏻

[@karenhealey935]

Shame about the bridges as winter would be the ideal time for replacement. I don't know about DOC funding but tourism is a massive income earner for this country and money needs to be fed back in to maintenance and repair work. Perhaps we should enter into better commercial contracts where other builds (stadiums) do not overrun into the millions!! We never pull over on an uphill. Car drivers need to understand the momentum required to get a larger vehicle up a hill. It isn't until you own a motorhome or caravan that you realise that you cannot simply zip and manoeuvre into a layby especially when they are not signposted and you don't know the road. Also we only pull into large tarmac laybys because you cannot always determine camber and pot holes etc. Know what you mean about the midges. There were more midges in that area than when we visited Milford Sound.

[@leopardsgowild]

Hey, Yes I think DOC need to have better planning especially for iconic areas, we have noticed so many places where major areas are closed for maintainence or unknown areas, there were a lot of tourists pulling into the blue pools car park, doing the work to turn around at the first river, i find it quite embarrasing... I don't think I'll bother pulling over on an up or down hill again, until im past the worst parts, it's totally not worth it, The camera should be turned off so I can just focus on whats infront of me, not behind... Thanks for watching.

[@bumonthemove]

Doc does not think forward. it's not that the end of life for the bridges can as a surprise same with Hokatika gorge all closed at the start of the season......

[@leopardsgowild]

It's sad, aye, the workers on the ground can only do their best, I feel sorrry for them, it's the upper management that need to be more organized and better calculated with their planning. Such a beautiful place, and so many people pulling in, to do the walk to turn back at the first bridge. it's embarrasing

[@DuDeWaGoN]

1 inch is 25.4mm

[@leopardsgowild]

25.4mm is 2.54cm. or 0.0254m.

[@gee-raffe]

Are you guys in Cromwell

[@leopardsgowild]

hey mate, no currently in hawkes bay, we had to attend my grandads funeral, but we are parked closish to Dunedin currently, back in the South Island on Wed.

[@PaulSmith-bb7lv]

DoC is underfunded.

[@leopardsgowild]

Maybe but it should be better funded and have less rules about who can help, trail clear etc so much beuracacy in that organization... i feel for doc workers in the field and on the ground trying their best, but the rules are holding them back. The issue sits in wellington