West Coast, South Island, NZ

January 7-10, 2016

It was a long drive from Dawn's to the west coast, but once the ocean pulled into view, we felt exhilarated. Our first stop was at Greymouth, located, not surprisingly, at the mouth of the Grey River. The town itself seemed a bit old and down at the heels at first. It was built on jade hunting, gold and coal mining, and forestry, as well as commercial fishing. On a clear day, you supposedly can see Aoraki Mt. Cook to the south, but it was a grey day when we visited:

River walk, Greymouth, NZ

Evidence of new commercial life in Greymouth: an art gallery

I liked the spirit and the colour.

Don't know what business this is (not coffee), but it's colourful.

Heading south along the west coast, we stopped several times to enjoy the ocean view:

Along west coast highway south of Greymouth, NZ

Farther south, we stopped at Punakaiki, or Pancake Rocks. The rocks have been layered somehow, and there are blowholes in them that send sea water spouting skywards as the waves crash against them.

Interesting layers in the rock

pancake rocks

pancake rocks

pancake rocks

Walking out to Pancake Rocks

Pancake Rocks 

A West Coast beach

Farther south on the West Coast, we came to Hokitika, a small beach town we liked quite a bit. It had an interesting thrift store--Leah had a great time and bought a necklace--some impressive architecture, and, just outside town, one of our favorite bachs (rental apartments or houses) in New Zealand:

Carnegie Library, Hokitika, NZ

This impressive building is one of something like 2500 Carnegie Libraries in the English-speaking world. Andrew Carnegie, 19th century US industrialist and once the richest man in the world, helped build libraries not only in the US, where he built 1689, but in the entire English-speaking world. What a legacy. On the other hand, he presided over among the worst labor disputes in US history. Read about him and his libraries here.

Grocery store front, Hokitika, NZ

Ocean front hotel, Hokitika, NZ

Garage, Hokitika, NZ

We actually visited Hokitika twice: once on the way south to Queenstown, and again on our way back north to Picton and Auckland, where we flew back to LA. On the way back north, we stayed for a few days in what I called Hokitika-by-the-sea, a bach we rented...right on the beach.

Beautiful little house right on the ocean.

Beautiful little house right on the ocean.

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View of the beach from kitchen window

Beautiful little house right on the sea

Wet beach hiker

Closer look

Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers

January 10-12, 2016

We had been told and had read that the most spectacular scenery in New Zealand was on the South Island, specifically around Queenstown. It is the hub of outdoor activities in New Zealand and is famous for its beautiful setting on a lake with mountains all around, and for its bungee jumping, skydiving, hiking (called tramping in NZ), jetboating, hang gliding, etc. However, our route to Queenstown took us first along the South Island's west coast, then inland past Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers, both reputedly worth a look, and finally to Queenstown. From there we could access both Milford and Doubtful Sounds, widely regarded as among the most spectacular land and seascapes in NZ.

It was a full day's drive from Dawn's, in Mapua, near Nelson, down the west coast (covered in the next post) and then to our first stop: the town of Fox Glacier. The motel was adequate--really more than adequate, but at $150 per night, a bit steep for us. We tried hiking to the Franz Joseph glacier, but when we arrived, the parking lot was full, and it was raining. We donned our waterproof jackets and headed out anyway. We hiked for a while through a tropical rainforest, but then Leah's knee complained, and we returned to the car. Not too much of a loss, though, as the hike would have ended at the toe (or the wall) of the glacier. To walk on the glacier, itself, you had to hire a helicopter, which landed you on top of the glacier, after which you went on a 2-hour guided walk. Total cost was about $300 US per person. That would have been exciting, but, as we discovered elsewhere in New Zealand, Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers, had been (in our view) over-commercialized: heli-walking on glaciers, jetboating through deep, narrow canyons, ziplining above the forests--not quiet walks in wilderness. I actually did do a short hike to the toe of Fox Glacier--and it was lovely, no doubt about it. However, helicopters flew over every 5-10 minutes.

Fox Glacier

Road to Fox Glacier

Interesting textures in the rocks

Hike to Fox Glacier

Hike to Fox Glacier

Hike to Fox Glacier. Red colour is some kind of algae combined with minerals, I think.

Hike to Fox Glacier

Colourful moss growing on a rock cut beside the road 

Closer look

Just outside Fox Glacier, on the way to Lake Matheson, stopped to admire a rare less cloudy view of Mt. Cook, the highest peak in New Zealand:

Mt. Cook is back there somewhere.

Dawn's Motorhome, Mapua, New Zealand

January 2-6, 2016

We booked Dawn's motorhome in Mapua because it was the closest 'bach' we could find to Golden Bay and Abel Tasman National Park. Having lived in our own RV, we were looking forward to trying the New Zealand variety, this one a converted Japanese Toyota Coaster city bus.

 As always, click on any image to see it larger and in higher resolution

Our home for 5 days, a Toyota Coaster motorhome in Dawn's backyard. 

Looking from the bed to the front of the coach.

Wet bathroom, with cassette toilet

Looking from front of bus back toward the bed

We really enjoyed living in the motorhome, though we discovered that cassette toilets aren't so great. It was cosy, too, but the bed a was a bit small, and since we slept crosswise, we had to crawl over one another to get to the bathroom during the night. The build quality was very good, too.

Dawn, our host and owner of the motorhome, is an interesting person. She works full time in Nelson, the nearest town, as some sort real estate manager (can't remember exactly--please forgive us, Dawn, if you read this). But, in addition to working full-time, she also operates her own bed and breakfast, with 2 bedrooms in her house, a private suite in her garage, and the motorhome we stayed in. But wait: there's more: her house sits on 12 beautiful acres, where she keeps a small herd of llamas as pets, and grows vegetables, fruit trees, and keeps ducks and chickens (they laid eggs on the door mat at the front door).

She also owns a fleet of machines to help her manage her property, including a Kubota work truck, a power chipper, and a small backhoe---she's in the middle of clearing a spot for the motorhome in the bush so that guests have a more private experience. This lady never stops...and yet she's charming and social. Here she is with her llamas:

and chatting with Leah on a walk through her gardens:

If you ever find yourself near Nelson, NZ, on the South Island, we can recommend a stay with Dawn. You can find her on the VRBO-type site, Bookabach.

Dawn's back deck, with view of distant mountains and sea. Note the wood-fired hot tub...

...which Leah took ample advantage of.

We drove down to Abel Tasman National Park several times during our stay with Dawn in Mapua. Did some light hiking on a trail along the beach. Not far from here is the Abel Tasman Coast Track, one of 9 great walks in New Zealand. This one is 60 km long, and you hike from hut to hut for 4 or 5 days. Views were quite pleasing.

Hike at Abel Tasman National Park, South Island, NZ

Hike at Abel Tasman National Park, South Island, NZ

Hike at Abel Tasman National Park, South Island, NZ

Leah caught me shooting along the beach somewhere along Golden Bay

Same beach...

farther out on the beach...

We also drove to Rabbit Island, and walked on the beach:

Drove past this....what to call it?...display? No idea, no signs.

Rabbit Island beach

We also explored the shi-shi town of Nelson:

Reminded us of Boulder, Colorado

Pounamu stone, a New Zealand jade

Taking a break...

Public toilet, Nelson, NZ

One of the things we really liked about New Zealand was the public bathrooms; they were everywhere--and sometimes decorated with art. Most of the time, these bathrooms were clean, attractive, and functional. However, we experienced several which were just bizarre. They were totally automated, kind of like an Automated Teller Machine. First, the door had no knob, so you had to search around for a button. Found it? Ok, now push the button. The door slides open with a Whoosh, like something out of Start Trek. Once you step inside, a voice says, "Thank you for using the blah-blah automated toilet. You hear a clunk, then, "The door has now locked. You have ten minutes, after which the door will automatically unlock." So you do your business. Then you search around for toilet paper, but there is none. There's a dispenser, but no paper. Then you notice a button on the dispenser; you push it. You hear a whirring, then exactly 8 inches of paper drops down--very, very slowly. You realize that, at this rate, you may be awhile. Then you remember the ten minute limit. Finally you finish and you look around for a flush button--but there is none. Evidently, though, the voice has noticed that you've stood up, "The toilet will flush after you have washed your hands." Sure enough, when you put your hands under the automated faucet, you hear the flushing sound. Relieved (pun intended), you reach for the doorknob, but of course, there is no knob. You search around in the semi-dark and finally find a button. Whoosh, and the door slides open. "Thank you again for using the blah-blah automated toilet."