Pleasant Flat

Pleasant Flat
Pleasant Flat
River flat
	Coordinates: 44°00′30″S169°23′10″E / 44.00833°S 169.38611°E Coordinates: 44°00′30″S169°23′10″E / 44.00833°S 169.38611°E
Offshore water bodies	Haast River
Formed by	Landsborough Glacier
Elevation	107 m (351 ft)

Last updated March 14, 2023

Pleasant Flat is an alluvial floodplain of the Haast River in the Haast Pass on New Zealand's South Island. A former stopping place for travellers crossing the pass before the building of the highway, it now has a campsite and picnic shelter. It has a notable view of Mount Hooker to the northeast.

Geography

Pleasant Valley is an alluvial floodplain created by the Haast River, in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand. It is approximately three kilometres (1.9 mi) upriver from the confluence of the Haast and Landsborough Rivers, and three kilometres north of the Gates of Haast. The flat is approximately 500 metres (550 yd) wide by over one kilometre (0.62 mi) long, and runs on a southwest-to-northeast axis. Despite being close to a major mountain pass, it is only 107 metres (351 ft) above sea level.^[1]

The low valley of Pleasant Flat was carved out by an offshoot of the Landsborough Glacier in the last Ice Age. The Landsborough River is unusual in running parallel to the foot of the Southern Alps and flowing into the Haast River instead of heading directly to sea. When the river valley was filled by a glacier, it followed the same course but had to make a sharp western turn at Clarke Bluff to continue down the Haast Valley. One arm of the glacier continued straight and carved out the Burke River valley, Burke Flat, and Pleasant Flat, before travelling uphill and pushing over the Haast Pass to Makarora—the reason the pass is so low (563 m) compared to the Lewis Pass (907 m) and Arthur's Pass (920 m).^[1]

A notable view from Pleasant Flat is the icefield of Mount Hooker (2640 m) to the northeast, at the head of the Clarke River, described by Andy Dennis as "one of the most glorious views of the Southern Alps from a main highway."^[1]

History

Travellers across the Haast Pass would usually stay in small huts at Burke Flat, two kilometres (1.2 mi) upriver from Pleasant Flat. When the highway across the Pass was constructed, a bridge was built across the Haast River at Pleasant Flat (the middle bridge of three), and this became a natural stopping point. Today there is a Department of Conservation campsite at the Flat, with toilets, a picnic shelter, and a short forest walk along nearby Muir Creek.^[1] In 2018, a cell tower was installed, powered by a 150 W wind turbine and 270 W solar panel. This was to create an island of cellular coverage between Haast and Lake Wānaka, allowing drivers to make other plans should Haast Pass be closed.^[2]

Picnic at Pleasant Flat, 1965
Bus tour, 1972
Campsite and picnic shelter
Walking trail beside Muir Creek

Flora and fauna

The forest around Muir Creek is dominated by silver beech ( Nothofagus menziesii ). Common forest birds that can be observed are bellbirds ( Anthornis melanura ), grey warblers ( Gerygone igata ), tomtits ( Petroica macrocephala ), and long-tailed cuckoos ( Eudynamys taitensis ), while moreporks ( Ninox novaeseelandiae ) can be heard at night, and South Island oystercatchers ( Haematopus finschi ) will sometimes feed at the campsite.^[3] The Haast and Lansborough valleys contain populations of kākā ( Nestor meridionalis ), yellow-crowned kākāriki ( Cyanoramphus auriceps ), and whio ( Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos ).^[1]

Haast, in his 1863 crossing of the pass which later bore his name, noted that the nearby forests "were literally alive with woodhens and many kakapos". However, weka ( Gallirallus australis) are no longer common in southern Westland and kākāpō ( Strigops habroptilus ) are long gone from mainland New Zealand.^[1] Explorer Charlie Douglas in 1899 recalled the former abundance of kākāpō on the river flats of the Landsborough Valley:

"The birds used to be in dozens around the camp, screeching and yelling like a lot of demons, and at times it was impossible to sleep for the noise…but alas this is a thing of the past, when last up the Landsbro there wasn't a bird to be found unless by going high up on the spurs."^[4]

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References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Andy Dennis (2007). South West New Zealand World Heritage Highway Guide: Hokitika to Wanaka (2nd ed.). Westport: Poutini Press. pp. 72–73. ISBN 978-0-473-12026-9. Wikidata Q113503085.
↑ "New island of sustainable cell coverage on the winding route between Haast and Makarora at Pleasant Flat". Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
↑ Kerry-Jayne Wilson (2017). West Coast Walking: A naturalist's guide (2nd ed.). Christchurch: Canterbury University Press. pp. 316–317. ISBN 978-1-927145-42-5. OL 29806566M. Wikidata Q98762244.
↑ Pascoe, John (2000). Mr Explorer Douglas (Revised ed.). Christchurch: Canterbury University Press. p. 251. ISBN 0-908812-95-7.

External links

Pleasant Flat campsite, Department of Conservation website

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[Dennis-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Andy Dennis (2007). South West New Zealand World Heritage Highway Guide: Hokitika to Wanaka (2nd ed.). Westport: Poutini Press. pp. 72–73. ISBN 978-0-473-12026-9. Wikidata Q113503085.

[2] "New island of sustainable cell coverage on the winding route between Haast and Makarora at Pleasant Flat". Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2022.

[3] Kerry-Jayne Wilson (2017). West Coast Walking: A naturalist's guide (2nd ed.). Christchurch: Canterbury University Press. pp. 316–317. ISBN 978-1-927145-42-5. OL 29806566M. Wikidata Q98762244.

[4] Pascoe, John (2000). Mr Explorer Douglas (Revised ed.). Christchurch: Canterbury University Press. p. 251. ISBN 0-908812-95-7.

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v t e Landforms of Westland District, New Zealand
Alpine passes	Arthur's Pass Browning Pass / Nōti Raureka Copland Pass Haast Pass / Tioripatea
Bays	Bruce Bay Jackson Bay / Okahu
Canyons, gorges and waterfalls	Fantail Falls Gates of Haast Hokitika Gorge Otira Gorge Roaring Billy Falls Thunder Creek Falls
Glaciers	Agassiz Glacier Douglas Glacier Fox Glacier / Te Moeka o Tuawe Franz Josef Glacier / Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere Garden of Eden Ice Plateau Olivine Ice Plateau Volta Glacier
Headlands	Abut Head Awarua Point Knights Point
Islands	Open Bay Islands
Lakes and lagoons	Abel Lake Alpine Lake / Ata Puai Lake Ellery Lake Gault Lake Ianthe / Matahi Lake Kaniere Lake Mahinapua Lake Mapourika Lake Matheson Lake Moeraki Ōkārito Lagoon Lake Paringa Saltwater Lagoon Lake Wahapo
Mountain ranges	Butler Range Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana
Mountains	Mount Adams Aoraki / Mount Cook Mount Aspiring / Tititea Mount Dampier Mount Graham Mount Haast Mount Hopkins La Perouse Lendenfeld Peak Mount Rolleston Mount Sefton Silberhorn Mount Tasman Mount Vancouver Mount Whitcombe
River flats	Pleasant Flat
Rivers	Adams River Arahura River Arawhata River Balfour River Barlow River Barn River Bettne River Big Wainihinihi Creek Blue River Burke River Butler River Callery River Cascade River Clarke River Clearwater River Cook River / Weheka Copland River Cropp River Deception River Donald River Douglas River Drake River Duncan River Edison River Fork River Fox River Gorge River Gunn River Haast River Hacket River Hall River Hapuka River Harman River Hinatua River Hokitika River Hope River Jackson River Jerry River Kaniere River Karangarua River Kokatahi River Lambert River Landsborough River Lord River Macfarlane River Mahitahi River Makawhio River (Jacobs River) Manakaiaua River Maori River Martyr River Mikonui River Moeraki River Morse River Mueller River Mungo River Ngatau River North Barlow River Ohinemaka River Ōhinetamatea River Ōkārito River Okuru River Omoeroa River Oneone River Otehake River Ōtira River Ōtoko River Paringa River Perth River Poerua River Rolleston River Rotokino River Ruera River Ship Creek Smoothwater River Smyth River Stafford River Strauchon River Styx River Taipo River Taramakau River Te Rahotaiepa River Toaroha River Tōtara River Totarakaitorea River Troyte River Tuke River Turnbull River Waiatoto River Waiho River Waikūkūpa River Waipara River Waita River Waitaha River Waitangitāhuna River Waitangiroto River Wanganui River Whakaikai River Whakapohai River Whataroa River Whitcombe River Wilkinson River Willberg River Williamson River Wills River