Departing Hawera, we packed most of the afternoon and drove through the evening
to Wellington. We stopped there for the night to be close to the ferry. It was kind
of a long drive and definitely a short night.
The 7th of March had us out of bed early and we hustled over to the ferry
terminal, and waited. Our tickets to the South Island were on the Interislander
ferry and we upgraded to a cabin. I took the boys out to explore the boat to
give Laura a chance to sleep, but the passageway was too loud. The boys and I
sat in the lounge and had snacks. I was a little worried about the ride,
because the weather looked sketchy on the forecast with wind and rain in the
Cook strait, but the crossing wasn't bad and the ride was smooth.
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| Best part of the ferry? Bunk beds! |
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| Windy on Deck 10 |
We landed in Picton and drove downtown for lunch. I visited the new Whale
Center across from the restaurant and chatted with the nice docent for a bit.
After lunch we hit the road as our goal was to make Greymouth. Laura wanted to
check out a winery in the area. The north part of the South Island is known for
its wine (Sauvignon Blanc) and that was evident driving. There were rows and
rows of grapes for many kilometers.
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| Jack enjoying some (hard earned?) nachos |
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| Rainy day in Picton |
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| Winery stop |
The winery stop was a pleasant diversion, but our next task was a winding trip
through the mountains to get over to the west coast. The area has had a good
bit of rain the past few days and slides are always a possibility. We made it
through the twisty roads at long last and were greeted with some amazing views
of the beaches and surf of the west coast. The storm that had been raining on
us was still coming ashore. We didn't see many beaches that you could walk on,
but watching the surf lash the coastline was breathtaking.
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| Wind lashed coastline |
We made stop at Paparoa National Park to take in a well regarded sight, the
Pancake Rocks. A short, well maintained path leads to some fantastic limestone
rock formations and several impressive blow-holes. The best time to visit is at
high tide, but with the storm offshore, we still got a good look at the blow
holes and surge pools around the area. The photos don't do it justice because
the sound is part of the experience. Deep booms resonate in the area when a set
of waves come in and bash the blow holes, kicking spray twenty or thirty meters
into the air. It was really, really fantastic. Jack remarked he could stand
there for hours watching the blow holes.
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| Entry to the Pancakes |
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| Note the pancake appearance |
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| Blowhole |
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| Make up your own picture |
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| The approved solution |
The last forty minutes into Greymouth were uneventful. We had dinner at
Speight's Ale House and retired for a good nights rest at Apostle's View motel.
