Fox Glacier and Franz Joseph present to us and tourists our 2 remaining glaciers. True, they are receding but are well worth the walk up the riverbed to view. Alternatively, there are flights available that will take you onto a platform up in the clouds you will never forget.
On to Hokitika where one of our oldest settlements is established next to the Hokitika river. Eleanor Catton in her book The Luminaries captured the true character of this town. From the beach with miles of driftwood (some made up into eye catching sculptures) to a town promoting our native greenstone, you will find an array of quaint shops and buildings maintaining the pioneering spirit. You will also be impressed with the friendliness that exudes from the locals.
Overnight in Hokitika gives is a reason to visit the Stumpers Bar to have a meal of whitebait washed down with a local ale. Yumm!
The next day has us driving north again heading to Greymouth. As the ultimate destination is Nelson this part of the trip will, by necessity be quick. A shame as the scenery begs for us to stop and soak it all up.
Greymouth is ticked as a ‘next time we will stop here’ as we bypass it. The drive along the coast didn’t disappoint. A calm Tasman Sea to the left and more beautiful West Coast scenery unfolding to the right.
We have the obligatory coffee stop at Punakaiki where we see the Pancake Rocks and Blowhole. Our timing isn’t great as it is low tide and with the calm weather and seas the blowhole isn’t at its most awesome. Still it is an extremely beautiful spot, well presented with plenty of viewing spots. We are treated to a pod of dolphins frolicking in the bay below to add to the scenery.
Back on the road to Westport, another iconic West Coast town with so much history. Time is not on our side to enjoy all Westport has to offer as we still have a long drive to Nelson. This will we another ‘next time……’.
One thing we do is have lunch at PR’s Cafe. A memorable experience for me as I couldn’t make up my mind between a sausage roll or Steak and Kidney pie. Being indecisive I have both! They are the best I’ve tasted in a long time so a big thumbs up to the cook.
Back on the road which follows the Buller river upstream past Inangahua. This gorge is a beautiful drive. Quite narrow in places and windy but the scenery is again typically stunning.
Heading north we strike heavier traffic using the route through the Lewis Pass due to the Kaikoura Coast Rd being closed. As we progress the scenery opens out into broader valleys with mile after mile of typical farmland scenery. The tourists will love this.
Eventually, we hit Richmond and on to Nelson. Our timing wasn’t great as the traffic is reminiscent of Auckland – slow and inconsiderate at intersections!
After catching up with dear friends we have a very restful night’s sleep. These last 3 days have had us driving over 1,000 kilometres. Stunning scenery with roads that demand your full attention. Next time that part of the trip will be allocated 2 weeks to get the best out of it – there is so much to see.
The one full day we have left has us taken on a tour by our friends around the Coast out to Motueka and Kaiteriteri. I can see why so many people come to this region to retire. So many delightful places to visit, beautiful golden beaches and many walks. The camping grounds are full and the motels have ‘No Vacancy’ signs out front. A very popular area and it’s not hard to see why.
All too soon our South Island tour has come to an end and we are heading back to Auckland with many beautiful memories of fabulous scenery and very friendly people. With the wisdom of hindsight, I was too ambitious with my plan to show my wife Robyn the delights of the Mainland. Next time I will be allocating more time for travel, many more stops and longer periods soaking up the local scenery and culture.
Note to self – “IT’S ALL ABOUT THE JOURNEY, NOT THE DESTINATION!!!”
By Alex Sharp
Look out for Alex’s next post next week. In the meantime read more by Alex on GrownUps here or follow the rest of his trip below.
Join the Discussion
Type out your comment here:
You must be logged in to post a comment.