NEWS # 049
Hi everyone!
Wednesday dawns bright. Today I will travel to Punakaiki and cover about the
same distance as I covered a few days previously. My first stop is Hokitika about an hour and a half's drive away. Hokitika is
the centre of New Zealand's Greenstone mining industry and I very much hope
that I'll find some good examples of carving here, for my friends.
However,
despite much searching, I am unable to find any that I like.
the West Coast road
It's nice to
see the sea again though it has that muddy brown colour, so common at home.
I follow the coast through Greymouth and past Punakaiki and head towards
Westport, checking out all the beaches along the way. Some look to have
great potential but there's not a surfer in sight anywhere.
Once again, I
wish that I was not travelling on my own.
Greymouth surf
Punakaiki
I reach Westport at around five but decide to return to Punakaiki for the
night, having first checked that there is space at the hostel.
The drive back takes about an hour and I check into the beach hostel, a
great place right next to the beach.
The surf is roaring and I chill out
before retiring early.
Westport, still a long way from home
Westport surf, small and empty
The next day is once again fine and the views from the hostel are fantastic.
It has a huge balcony which overlooks the beach. No-one is surfing and it
looks about five feet. I decide not to surf alone and, after breakfast, I
walk to Pancake Rocks, an unusual geological formation made of limestone. In
many areas, the rock has been undercut by the sea and there are blowholes
where the sea forces its way out through the rock.
They are spectacular and
I arrive at high tide to see them to their full effect.
the Blowholes, Punakaiki
Punakaiki Beach, could almost be Morocco
deserted perfection
beach sculpture, West Coast
empty point breaks
..... and beaches
..... and beaches
I then head back to Greymouth and take State Highway 73, through Arther's
Pass, to Christchurch. Thankfully, the weather is with me once again and it
is only as I get close to Christchurch, that the rain starts.
The road,
however, is fantastic and I enjoy the drive, with it taking less than three
hours to go from the West Coast to the East.
Arthur's Pass road
Arthur's Pass road
..... and river
On arriving in Christchuch, I head for Stonehurst Hostel and meet my friend
Tammy. Unfortunately, the hostel is full and I move to Foley Towers, for the
next few nights.
I spend the next few days chilling in Christchuch and getting a little more
up-to-date with my mail. On Saturday, I meet Daniel, from Fiji and we go for
a few beers. He's off to a party with Ceisha, that evening and we agree to
meet up the next day at ten, to go in search of surf.
The next morning I check out of the hostel and tell the guy on reception
that Daniel will be along soon and can I play the hostel piano until he
arrives. The guy says no problem and I head off. Daniel arrives and the guy
tells him I've left! Thankfully, I am able to call him before he has gone
too far.
We head out to Littleton, Sumner and Taylor's Mistake but the surf is small. It has huge potential and I wish that it was better today. I vow to come
back this way in the future. We then return to Christchurch and Ceisha comes round. Daniel cooks tea and
I stay with them for the night.
The next day and I'm off to Nelson, via the Lewis Pass. Once again, I've got
many miles to cover and the weather stays fine all the way. I cut through
the centre of the country and past Hanmer Springs thermal park. It takes me
most of the day and I arrive in Nelson at four in the afternoon. I find The
Palace Hostel with no problem. It is a fantastic Victorian villa which
overlooks the town. The staff are great and it costs six pounds a night and
that includes breakfast!
I'll stay here for two nights and catch the midday
ferry to Wellington.
the Palace Hostel, Nelson
I do some more mailing the next day and start to catalogue my photos, which
will probably take for ever ..... I recover from the driving and crash out early.
Seeya,
Halesy