Coasters
That's the name for people who live on the West Coast.
On Tuesday night we met up with Stephen and Corrine for a Speights (local brew) or two. It was good to see a familiar, if some what more tanned, face. We exchanged tips and stories, recommendations and the opposite of recommendations. Thought to be honest I couldn't think of anything that wasn't worth it.
Anyway the next morning we headed to a reputable hostel in Hokitika. Yes it was raining so fishing was out but we did get down to Okarita Lagoon, home to white herons of which we saw none.
The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful, misty and rainy apart from a brush with a couple of lunatic drivers and a highly confusing roundabout with a railway running through the middle, surely a disaster waiting to happen. As are the rail/road bridges. Single track road bridges with the railway running down the middle. You better be ready to drive very fast in reverse on them.
Hokitika is a pretty small place but by west coast standards it's a metropolis. It was previously a busy port for shipping coal and fishing but has now re-invented itself as the home of Pounamu (jade). With oodles of 'jade factories' churning out pendants, earings, clocks etc.
The Birdsong hostel in Hokitika is very pleasant, nicely situated by the beach (and state highway 6). When the cloud cleared we got to see a lovely sunset.
Next day off to the legendary, it seems, Old Slaughterhouse Hostel north of Westport. On the way we stopped off at the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. A strange formation of rocks on the coast. Limestone has formed and eroded like stacks of pancakes and a couple of blowholes have formed among them too. We timed the visit, along with many others, to coincide with high tide and one of the blowholes, the Chimney Pot (the naming of things round here is pretty straightforward), was going quite well the other was a bit of a damp squib though.
Anyway then along up the coast to this hostel. We parked up, just by the beach and left our bags, as instructed, by the car. We then scrambled up the 120m to the hostel perched on the hill over-loooking the Tasman Sea. The owner, David, went down in the quad to get our gear.
What a spot. A main timber house with lounge, kitchen and balconies (not to mention the hamock up stairs). Two dorm cabins off. The power is supplied by a small hydro power staton they have in the brook by the house. By now the rain (which had stopped) had blocked the station and the lights on both nights were seductively low.
Yesterday we headed to the most northerly point of the west coast road (having visited the most southerly, Jackson Bay). A long winding road eventually brings you to the village of Karamea after 50 minutes drive. The place was suprisingly big actually and quite busy.
Another 15km along the road is the end of the line and the start of the Heaphy Track (4-6 days) which joins up with the East Coast road near Nelson. Here was a lovely little lagoon and crashing rollers on the beach. The Piano was filmed round here I think.
Another 10km back was the road to the Oparara Basin. This winding and often steep gravel road finally lead us to the Crazy Paving Cave (as I was saying about place names). This cave is quite small and home to rather large spiders who's eggs hang from the ceiling in silk pouches. All pretty gross. Though we did cut one down and it's on it's way, first class, to your doorstep Janet. Should be just about hatching when you get it.
The next Cave, Box Canyon was much bigger and had a few glow worms in it. We also witnessed the classic scene of a family turning off all their torches to see the glow worms. There they were on the ceiling. Little boy thicko puts his torch on and shines it at them to see. There's always a season ticket at Ibrox waiting for you young man.
Anyway, I digress. After the caves was firstly Moira Gate Arch. A huge Limestone ridge travels across the middle of the basin and the river has pushed through a tunnel forming a great arch across. This was a spectaular feat of natural engineering and the entrance, via a cave, added more to it.
Moira Gate is small, however, in comparison to the Oparara Arch, further up the river. This Arch is 90m high, 50m wide and 200m long and was incredible. I've never seen anything like it and with the river running through, what a spectacle.
Anyway after a bit of fishing (another blank for Jamie, I got a 1lb brownie) and providing a good meal for the sandflies we headed home to find our host eating OUR pork chops. We decided not to cause a fuss (getting replacements was not straightforward) and we put i down to the owners drunken buddy.
It's another lovely sunny day today, as it was yesterday, and we're off to Reefton. Not much to say about there except it was the first town in NZ to have streetlights way back in 1888.
That's plenty. Peter.
On Tuesday night we met up with Stephen and Corrine for a Speights (local brew) or two. It was good to see a familiar, if some what more tanned, face. We exchanged tips and stories, recommendations and the opposite of recommendations. Thought to be honest I couldn't think of anything that wasn't worth it.
Anyway the next morning we headed to a reputable hostel in Hokitika. Yes it was raining so fishing was out but we did get down to Okarita Lagoon, home to white herons of which we saw none.
The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful, misty and rainy apart from a brush with a couple of lunatic drivers and a highly confusing roundabout with a railway running through the middle, surely a disaster waiting to happen. As are the rail/road bridges. Single track road bridges with the railway running down the middle. You better be ready to drive very fast in reverse on them.
Hokitika is a pretty small place but by west coast standards it's a metropolis. It was previously a busy port for shipping coal and fishing but has now re-invented itself as the home of Pounamu (jade). With oodles of 'jade factories' churning out pendants, earings, clocks etc.
The Birdsong hostel in Hokitika is very pleasant, nicely situated by the beach (and state highway 6). When the cloud cleared we got to see a lovely sunset.
Next day off to the legendary, it seems, Old Slaughterhouse Hostel north of Westport. On the way we stopped off at the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. A strange formation of rocks on the coast. Limestone has formed and eroded like stacks of pancakes and a couple of blowholes have formed among them too. We timed the visit, along with many others, to coincide with high tide and one of the blowholes, the Chimney Pot (the naming of things round here is pretty straightforward), was going quite well the other was a bit of a damp squib though.
Anyway then along up the coast to this hostel. We parked up, just by the beach and left our bags, as instructed, by the car. We then scrambled up the 120m to the hostel perched on the hill over-loooking the Tasman Sea. The owner, David, went down in the quad to get our gear.
What a spot. A main timber house with lounge, kitchen and balconies (not to mention the hamock up stairs). Two dorm cabins off. The power is supplied by a small hydro power staton they have in the brook by the house. By now the rain (which had stopped) had blocked the station and the lights on both nights were seductively low.
Yesterday we headed to the most northerly point of the west coast road (having visited the most southerly, Jackson Bay). A long winding road eventually brings you to the village of Karamea after 50 minutes drive. The place was suprisingly big actually and quite busy.
Another 15km along the road is the end of the line and the start of the Heaphy Track (4-6 days) which joins up with the East Coast road near Nelson. Here was a lovely little lagoon and crashing rollers on the beach. The Piano was filmed round here I think.
Another 10km back was the road to the Oparara Basin. This winding and often steep gravel road finally lead us to the Crazy Paving Cave (as I was saying about place names). This cave is quite small and home to rather large spiders who's eggs hang from the ceiling in silk pouches. All pretty gross. Though we did cut one down and it's on it's way, first class, to your doorstep Janet. Should be just about hatching when you get it.
The next Cave, Box Canyon was much bigger and had a few glow worms in it. We also witnessed the classic scene of a family turning off all their torches to see the glow worms. There they were on the ceiling. Little boy thicko puts his torch on and shines it at them to see. There's always a season ticket at Ibrox waiting for you young man.
Anyway, I digress. After the caves was firstly Moira Gate Arch. A huge Limestone ridge travels across the middle of the basin and the river has pushed through a tunnel forming a great arch across. This was a spectaular feat of natural engineering and the entrance, via a cave, added more to it.
Moira Gate is small, however, in comparison to the Oparara Arch, further up the river. This Arch is 90m high, 50m wide and 200m long and was incredible. I've never seen anything like it and with the river running through, what a spectacle.
Anyway after a bit of fishing (another blank for Jamie, I got a 1lb brownie) and providing a good meal for the sandflies we headed home to find our host eating OUR pork chops. We decided not to cause a fuss (getting replacements was not straightforward) and we put i down to the owners drunken buddy.
It's another lovely sunny day today, as it was yesterday, and we're off to Reefton. Not much to say about there except it was the first town in NZ to have streetlights way back in 1888.
That's plenty. Peter.
posted by PeterZ at 2:15 PM
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