We leave Westport down the spectacular Hwy 6 along the rugged Tasman shoreline. Lots of farmland, sheep,deer,cows,deserted goldfields, rainforests and the snow still left on the Southern Alps. Our first stop is a beautiful sea walk for a few km at Cape Foulwind and tauranga Bay and a huge seal colony.
Next stop is Punakaiki, the pancake rocks and blowholes. The pancakes are limestone stacked after years of erosion, see the picture...
On to Greymouth, chief commercial center of West coast, population 12,000!! We shop here at St Vincent de Paul for an outfit to wear at our party at the poo pub tonight, theme..anything but clothes, or if clothes must be less than $5.
On to Hokitika, where we cross the Arahura River and the valley where the Pounamu or Nephrite jade aka greenstone, sacred to the Maori people comes from. Also Hokitika was known for its abundance of gold back in the day.
Final stop today Lake Mahinapua Hotel where we spend the night with the only resident of Mahinapua Les Lisle, the 85 year old who runs the place and cooks us dinner with Smiley tonight. I get out and head off to the ocean, out the door and to the right, over the dunes..pure gorgeous beach, noone on it as far as I can see in both directions! I snap a few photos and head out to the Lake before dark....Out from the hotel to the left, down a tunnel of heavy bush and rainforest which ends with a beautiful moutain lake and the southern alps as a backdrop.
Dinner was great...Thanks les and Smiley, we even got to try some fabulous venison. The Poo Pub was where we were told to buy our Pounamu...some of the best we would find...carved by a local Gary..and good prices for the beautiful work...My piece has recieved countless compliments from people all over New Zealand!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!
The party was a riot, lots of costumes and fun and the whole pub closed down to only us...Much fun at Lake mahinapua!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment