Tuesday 14 February
A day of travelling with scenic stops.
We left our lovely accommodation in Marahau in the dry but we quickly ran into showers with colourful rainbows (photo stop 1) then persistent rain. A wet coffee stop (NZ is full of great little cafés, some of which roast their own coffee beans) and OF1 took her turn at the wheel. The next two hours were packed with adventure and near death experiences! It didn't start well when she decided to pull out to overtake a slow camper van only to find the biggest lorry you have ever seen and travelling at considerable pace right in front of us. OF1 managed to dive back in and the lorry driver acknowledged her driving skills with a single finger (world's #1 best driver???).
We then hit the coast road with large rollers crashing against the rocks and sending the spray over the road. Again, there were a number of superb photo stops (#2 to #6) with a Lewis Hamilton get away from one - wheels spinning, gravel flying and we were off in a cloud of dust!! At the last beautiful spot OF1 reversed out of our parking place and somehow failed to spot the large lime green camper van behind. The alternative version is that it was observed and the fact we missed it by inches just demonstrates her expert driving prowess. Hmm...
We stopped for lunch at Paparoa National Park where near Punakaiki there are Pancake Rocks. We ate lunch in rain (well to be strictly accurate, in the car) but then the sky cleared and the sun put his hat on - so did we. Pancake Rocks are a set of spectacular caverns, stacks, arches and blow holes. The sea roared in and the water flew out of the blow holes and up the walls of the caverns. It was a dramatic display put on by dear old mother nature with spray, rainbows and cauldrons of foaming water. As you would imagine the picture-taking-frenzy hit new heights with me using the motor drive on my camera to record the spray reaching up for the sky.
It was my turn behind the wheel and I managed to make it to Hokitika without risking life and limb. In NZ there are many single track bridges with one way having priority. We had to drive on one that shared the narrow bridge with both ways and the train track! I am sure that you would not dispute priorities with a train. It seemed very strange driving down a railway track.
Hokitika is a lovely little sea side town. Like most of NZ it is mostly one storey with very wide streets. It is home to jade, gold and coffee shops plus all the local shops and theatre/cinema. It has an interesting beach of grey sand and flat stones but with piles of driftwood. There is a tradition of making giant sculptures out of the wood; we saw horses and abstract creations. Our accommodation proved the addage of you get what you pay for ...... this was the cheapest of the trip. Still it was clean and the shower hot and wet just very, very bijou and very spartan.
After dark we walked up Glow Worm Dell which lived up to it's name
Wednesday 15th February
We spent the first part of the morning in Hokitika grazing the art and craft shops. I also visited the National Kiwi Centre which turned out to be a local aquarium with two kiwis. Still there was some interesting stuff and then all the customers were invited to feed the giant eels. So the three of us proceeded to a platform above the giant tank to feed these enormous eels, some of which were about 5 foot long (a few were over 100 years old as well). We dangled bits of fish/worm over the water and the eels would rise up and open their mouths, grab the food and suck it in! It was better than it sounds. I was excited about photographing real live kiwis (don't tell Kevin) but made a school boy error - they are shy, nocturnal birds. The good news is that I saw two real kiwis up close and what a bird! They are the size of a small chicken, large rear end and great long beak. A cross between a hedgehog with feathers and an ant eater. The bad news was, of course, it was pretty dark in the enclosure and photography was banned (the noise as much as the possibility of flash), so no photos.
After a coffee we strolled around the craft shops and did make the odd purchase. We have one that comes in a giant pizza box (should be fun on the aircraft only 5 more flights!) but you will have to see it in situ at #7 to see it in its full glory. OF1 loved thejade and is sporting a couple of lumps suspended from her ears.
We then set sail in our trusty Toyota (not quite so white as it was in Auckland) for Hokitika Gorge, about 30km away. This is a picture postcard view of a suspension bridge over bright blue water. It was very impressive but recent rains in these parts made the water a blue grey
rather than the postcard colour. I was bitten to blazes by the sandflies so lunch was taken cowering in the car.
This afternoon we drove further south to the township of Fox Glacier and are now safely ensconced in our best motel-type room yet The 'unit' has a mezzanine bedroom with a view of the mountains and downstairs a good kitchenette, leather sofa, etc. Fox Glacier is a collection of hotels, motels, hostels, restaurants and places offering helicopter rides up to the glacier. Oh, there is a grocery shop and garage to complete the line up.
The NZ Alps have been shrouded in cloud today BUT the weather is set fair for tomorrow and we plan to do a short walk and go to the best view points. There is one of snow capped mountains reflected in a lake but we need perfect weather and no wind (that‘s the Beaufort scale not us personally) for that shot!
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